California Responds to Mexican Truckers

Since the Supreme Court said that Bush doesn’t have to have EPA approval to allow Mexican trucks into the country, California is using the ‘clean air’ argument to keep them out of their state.

The Sacramento Bee — sacbee.com — Rivals ahead for U.S. truckers

“I will probably end up replacing a number of my U.S. drivers with Mexican operators,” said Armando Freire, owner of a 30-vehicle trucking firm in San Diego and treasurer of the California Trucking Association.

I thought that was interesting that the treasurer of CTA just comes out and says he’s going to hire Mexicans. Is that a scare tactic? Or is he just looking for an excuse to exploit Mexican drivers instead of having to pay California drivers?

For California truckers, the competitive threat from Mexico is the latest in a series of woes. Truckers say sky-high diesel fuel costs have left them vulnerable to out-of-state drivers who buy cheaper fuel in Arizona or Nevada and then make deliveries in California. California diesel was selling for an average of $2.27 a gallon Wednesday compared with $2.15 in Nevada and $2.10 in Arizona, according to the American Automobile Association. The U.S. average is $1.81.

Out of state drivers aren’t competing directly with in-state trucking companies. I don’t think that will affect anything.

Now comes competition from drivers with access to even cheaper diesel. Freire said Mexico truckers can fill their tanks for about $1.60 a gallon – and have other cost advantages as well.

“We can’t compete with the cost of doing business, their labor costs against ours,” said Al Nunes, the trucking association’s president and owner of a Manteca trucking firm.

If Mexican trucks come across the CTA is just going to hire them.

And now California’s secret weapon.

Measure would impose air quality standards on Mexican trucks

By Michael Gardner, Copley News Service

SACRAMENTO — Alarmed that a Supreme Court decision could significantly erode hard-fought gains in cleaning the air, a California lawmaker Monday introduced legislation that would protect the state’s right to regulate soot-spewing diesel trucks from Mexico.

The legislation, Assembly Bill 1009, would require that all trucks crossing into California meet federal emission standards set for that model year. The newer the model, the tougher the requirements.

Not real sure if that’s going to work. That might keep out the older ones. Especially since in the same article it says:

The California Air Resources Board carries out inspections at CHP weigh stations, ports and border crossings of all trucks regardless of origin. There already is some limited access of Mexican trucks to the U.S. but carriers are confined to a relatively small area.

One in six California-based trucks flunk. The failure rate for Mexican trucks is expected to be twice that, according to air board figures.

California can’t even keep their own trucks running clean.

The California border would be overwhelmed. They not only have to watch their border with Mexico, but with Arizona and Nevada to catch trucks coming from mainland Mexico, not just Baja. It would be an enforcement nightmare, but I’m sure California would find a way.