WASHINGTON — Transportes Olympic of Nuevo Leon of Nuevo Leon, Mexico and Stagecoach Cartage and Distribution from El Paso, Tex are the first two for-hire carriers cleared to cross deep into American and Mexican territory.

Thus marks the start of a year-long cross border demonstration project that will allow U.S. trucking companies to operate in Mexico for the first time, and change the way a select group of Mexican trucking companies operate in the United States.

Currently, Mexican carriers are restricted to a 20-mile zone north of the border, where they have to transfer freight to an American truck. Under the demonstration project, about 100 Mexican trucking companies, many of which already operate daily in major U.S. cities like El Paso and San Diego, will be able to travel beyond the commercial zone.

The two carriers can reportedly begin traveling uninhibited throughout each country immediately.

About 17 Mexican carriers are expected to receive
operating authority to haul into the US in the next month.

The cross border trucking demonstration project was to begin yesterday with the release of the U.S. DOT Inspector General’s (IG) official report — recently mandated by Congress before the program could begin — on the safety and transparency of the pilot.

According to the American trucking Associations, IG’s report says the FMCSA has taken the necessary steps to ensure the safe implementation of the project.

“This long-awaited project will protect public safety on American highways as we work to both save consumers money and help our economy,” said John H. Hill, administrator of DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).”

Specifically, the IG affirmed FMCSA’s plans to go beyond statutory requirements and check every truck that crosses the border as part of the demonstration, as the agency does with Canadian carriers entering from the northern border.

The response identified how federal truck inspectors are coordinating with state and Customs and Border Protection personnel to conduct the checks.

In the first 30 days of the program, 17 trucking companies from Mexico are expected to receive operating authority. Each subsequent month until December, additional companies will be added if they pass FMCSA’s rigorous inspection process and after a public comment opportunity.

Two weeks ago, a petition to have the program blocked was filed in court by the Teamsters and Public Citizen. The Court dismissed the challenge, giving FMCSA the greenlight to proceed.

But the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is fighting to the end. In a last-ditch effort yesterday, officials were in Washington lobbying the U.S. House of Representatives to issue a stay against the Mexican trucking pilot program.