Trucks and truckers with Mexican registry have been operating in "border states" and through most of the "western corridor" from Mexico to Washington state along the west coast since the "official" effectiveness of the NAFTA treaty.

Largely because of their freedom from regulations that US trucks and truckers must observe, they now are estimated to be transporting around 20% of the traffic in the seaport areas in and around Los Angeles.

Since their "permission" to operate there is based on an "international treaty," they are exempt from inspection by US Federal Highway authorities, State and Local Police, and are largely exempt from any safety instpections, operating hour limits, pay scales, and even load limits that US truckers must comply with. Many Mexican truckers and trucking firms are contesting state fuel tax payments, and to some extent have been evading payment of those US taxes.

A particular sore point with many truckers is that US authorities claim that they are prohibited by the treaty from challenging the ownership and registration of Mexican trucks/truckers. Even in numerous cases where the vehicle, particularly for trailers, still bears serial numbers that confirm that the trailer was stolen in the US, US officials have adopted the stance that they are prohibited from any action as long as the trucker has a "Mexican license" for it.

I can attest from experience that it is very difficult to carry on a conversation with a trucker who has recently seen his own stolen trailer ($120,000 worth of hardware) sitting at a dock in LA and has been told by police they can do nothing and that he will go to jail if he attempts to "take it back."

As official sources make no effort to control the use of stolen equipment by Mexican operators, there are no official estimates. The most conservative truckers who operate in that area say that at least 15%, and some say up to 60%, of trailers in use by Mexican "owners" and "firms" in the LA area are stolen in the US and re-registered (average cost cited is about $100 - $500 for a Mexican "Certificate of Origin") as Mexican.

A domestic driver must stop for inspection every time a state line is crossed. At any stop, at the whim of the inspectors, a "safety and log book inspection" may be made. Any violation means the truck is stopped until the violation is corrected. You do not change a tire on an interstate rig. You call for a maintenance truck, at $100 - $300 per hour flat rate, plus $30 - $90 per mile depending on location. You'll probably pay a fine of at least $1,000 for being in violation. Roving enforcers at state and in some cases local level may also stop a domestic interstate trucker at any time for their own inspection(s).

The Mexican truckers are exempt, and subject only to Mexican safety and operating regulations, which are, so far as I can tell, non-existent, unenforced, and unenforceable, giving the Mexican operator a free ride on US highways.

Not exactly a fair competition.

John