Trucks from Mexico could begin rolling through the valley as soon as this week. A new trucking program will allow some Mexican big rigs to come freely into the US, prompting concern about its impact on the local trucking industry and air quality.
For the first time in a quarter century, big rigs from south of the border will soon be allowed to haul cargo throughout the US. A one year test project gives 100 Mexican trucking companies the go-ahead to deliver goods to the US and return to Mexico with American goods.
Fresno trucking company owner Jim Ganduglia worries the project could drive him out of business, saying Mexico doesn't have the strict and costly regulations California does, like minimum wage and worker's comp insurance.
Ganduglia says "the bottom line is everyone wants everything cheaper. They don't care how they get it, they don't care where it's grown. They don't care about any of that. It's just 'give it to me cheaper, and I'll take it.'"
Truckers also worry they'll be at a disadvantage if all Mexican trucks are allowed unlimited access after the one year program.
Armando Freire, California Trucking Association, says "when a driver comes out of Mexico with a driver that is one third cost, with fuel that is cheaper than here, and they were able to go all the way up to Northern California and back, how do you compete with that? We can't change our fuel standards, and we can't change our labor standards so that's the problem. It's not that we can't do it cheaper, I can't change the rules we have in our state."
Air quality officials are also concerned, saying big rigs already create half of the summer's pollution in the valley, and Mexican trucks wouldn't fall under their jurisdiction.
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For the first time in a quarter century, big rigs from south of the border will soon be allowed to haul cargo throughout the US. A one year test project gives 100 Mexican trucking companies the go-ahead to deliver goods to the US and return to Mexico with American goods.
Fresno trucking company owner Jim Ganduglia worries the project could drive him out of business, saying Mexico doesn't have the strict and costly regulations California does, like minimum wage and worker's comp insurance.
Ganduglia says "the bottom line is everyone wants everything cheaper. They don't care how they get it, they don't care where it's grown. They don't care about any of that. It's just 'give it to me cheaper, and I'll take it.'"
Truckers also worry they'll be at a disadvantage if all Mexican trucks are allowed unlimited access after the one year program.
Armando Freire, California Trucking Association, says "when a driver comes out of Mexico with a driver that is one third cost, with fuel that is cheaper than here, and they were able to go all the way up to Northern California and back, how do you compete with that? We can't change our fuel standards, and we can't change our labor standards so that's the problem. It's not that we can't do it cheaper, I can't change the rules we have in our state."
Air quality officials are also concerned, saying big rigs already create half of the summer's pollution in the valley, and Mexican trucks wouldn't fall under their jurisdiction.
more...
