Statement of ATA President & CEO Graves on Cross-Border Trucking Proposal

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Apr 08, 2011, 05:32 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following the U.S. Department of Transportation's release of the details of a pilot program to restart longhaul cross-border trucking program, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves issued the following statement:

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"The American Trucking Associations welcomes the progress that the United States and Mexico are making to resolve their ongoing dispute over cross-border trucking. This proposal requires Mexican carriers to follow all the same rules and regulations that their American counterparts are subject to and takes steps to monitor Mexican trucks to ensure that those rules are being followed.

ATA expressed concerns to DOT about the U.S. government's earlier proposal to pay for and provide electronic onboard recorders to Mexican trucks participating in a proposed pilot program. DOT has changed this specific requirement to allow for GPS systems to also be used for tracking purposes to ensure compliance with U.S. cabotage and hours of service regulations. We believe this is a sound change by the administration.

This announcement is good news for the U.S. businesses that have been hurt by Mexico's retaliatory tariffs, including the trucking industry, and we look forward to the U.S. finally living up to its commitments under the North American Free Trade Agreement."

The American Trucking Associations (www.truckline.com) is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States. Follow ATA on Twitter @TruckingMatters (www.twitter.com/truckingmatters), or become a fan on Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/y4qwp6h).

SOURCE American Trucking Associations