The Source for Trucking News, Opinions and Trucking Jobs | Mexican driver wrecks in a U.S. Truck?

Where off to a great start on this Mexican truck issue. Every Mexican truck driver that’s in a wreck is going to be in the paper.

Charleston.Net: Local News: Trucker in deadly crash didn’t have big rig license 07/16/04

The Mexican truck driver responsible for a deadly truck crash earlier this month on Edisto Island wasn’t licensed to drive tractor-trailers in the United States, leaving local authorities to wonder why he was behind the wheel at all.

He was behind the wheel, because the truck owner is crooked.

Investigators think Silva-Morales was delivering produce from Florida to a store on Edisto Beach when his 18-wheeler veered into oncoming traffic on S.C. Highway 174 and collided with Seamster’s tractor-trailer. Both trucks exploded, killing Seamster. Silva-Morales was injured but has since recovered. The truck Silva-Morales was driving was registered in Ohio, but investigators don’t know if the vehicle belonged to a large trucking company or a small company. The man listed as the owner of the truck driven by Silva-Morales could not be reached for comment.

The truck was registered in Ohio with a Mexican driver running produce from Florida to SC. As much as I’m against the Mexican truck issue, this really has nothing to do with Mexican trucks. It sounds more like an outlaw US owner getting cheap drivers.

Since the owner of the truck was unavailable for comment, (he was busy packing his bags for an extended business trip). The details may be slow coming out.

Park said if Silva-Morales had possessed a Mexican commercial driver’s license, he could have applied for the U.S. equivalent, but he would have had to prove he was in the country legally.

And that’s the question of the day. They should find this owner and string him up. If he’s hiring illegals that didn’t even have a Mexican CDL, they might want to check the truck’s insurance and everything else.

Leon said just because Silva-Morales had no U.S. commercial driver’s license does not necessarily mean he is an unsafe driver.

He’s right, just because someone doesn’t have a license, doesn’t mean they’re unsafe. HAVING A WRECK AND KILLING SOMEONE MAKES HIM UNSAFE And just because he doesn’t have a CDL, doesn’t mean he can’t drive a big truck. This made my head explode. This guy Leon is an idiot plain and simple. Trying to pacify the people that are against the Mexican truck issue, but it backfires and makes him look like an idiot.

Originally posted 2008-08-16 03:30:00.