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Who?s driving that semi-truck on the Interstate heading towards my family?

By Beth Janicek

I-35 and Cross-border trucking

On I-35, there are many 18-wheeler trucks traveling in both directions. In traffic or out of traffic, fast or slow; big rigs can be intimidating, and if an accident does occur, most passenger cars are not equipped to take on one of these rigs.

I-35 runs from north to south from Laredo, Texas to Duluth, Minnesota, and is a major thoroughfare for interstate traffic. In fact, Laredo, the busiest port of entry on the Texas-Mexico border, is considered the 'Gateway to Mexico.' Since the introduction of NAFTA, Laredo has experienced remarkable growth in border trade and traffic. According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, 80 percent of all U.S.-Mexico trade moves by semi-truck.

Want to see how large the problem and how quickly it's growing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq2q65DT0c4

I'll bet you didn't know Chinese goods are even coming into America via Mexico.

In 1998, Mexican motor carriers applied for permission to operate in the U.S. in accordance with NAFTA provisions. The start date was postponed indefinitely by U.S. officials who were concerned about safety, illegal drugs, and potential damage to infrastructure due to an expected increase in traffic. And what about the loss of jobs as we try to compete with a third-world county that hasn't the wage rates that we do?

According to a 1997 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study, the differences between U.S. and Mexican commercial trucking practices could threaten the safety of U.S. highways and related infrastructure. The study states that American truckers are required to keep logbooks, but Mexican drivers are not. Also, Mexican regulations do not limit the number of hours a driver can be on duty, while U.S. regulations require that after 10 hours a driver must be off duty for at least eight hours. The GAO report also found that Mexican trucks are not required to have front-wheel brakes and are permitted up to 97,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight. The U.S. rules require front brakes and limit the gross weight to no more than 80,000 pounds.

Join us tomorrow for the conclusion of 'Who's driving that semi-truck heading towards my family?'

If you have any questions or concerns regarding an 18-wheeler accident in Texas, please feel free to contact me. In Minnesota we recommend you call upon Mike Bryant with Bradshaw and Bryant for legal advice. In Oklahoma Noble McIntyre and Jeremy Thurman of Oklahoma-Law.com serves those with I-35 collision or accident questions. And in Iowa call Steve Lombardi, with the Lombardi Law Firm.

And as always let's be safe out there!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Full post as published by San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer on January 15, 2010 (boomark / email).