Stagecoach Cartage and Distribution LP, an El Paso TX-based carrier, has become the first US trucking company to haul a shipment across the United States-Mexico border, according to information from the Department of Transportation.
The carrier's J&L Tank pneumatic trailer and Kenworth tractor were used to haul plastic resin into Mexico September 14 through the Nogales AZ commercial border crossing to Obregon, Sonora. Obregon is about 100 miles south of Hermosillo, Sonora.
DOT said that thousands of Mexican commercial trucks operate every day in US cities like San Diego CA and El Paso, and last year made more than four million crossings into border commercial zones, which extend approximately 20-25 miles into the United States. However, United States commercial trucks have never had the authority to operate in Mexico.
The DOT announced earlier that it would start a pilot program for cross-border trucking that would expand current border operations to allow up to 100 US trucking companies to operate in Mexico and up to 100 Mexican trucking companies to operate beyond commercial zones in the United States. The program has roused opposition from some members of Congress and various advocacy groups. The Senate voted last week to cut off funding for the project and the proposal is now in Senate-House conference committee for further consideration.
Meanwhile, DOT argues that every company, vehicle, and driver participating in the program must pass a rigorous safety audit and inspection before being allowed to participate in the demonstration project. Checks on Mexican companies, vehicles and drivers are identical to, and in some instances more stringent than those on their US counterparts.
Transportes Olympic, a Mexican trucking company, became the first Mexican carrier to operate beyond US commercial border zones as part of the demonstration project. The company delivered a load of steel to North Carolina.