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California Cracks Down on Mexican Leasing

Margaret Gordetsky

| Staff Reporter

April 5, 2000 10:52 AM, EDT

State and federal inspectors have started cracking down on Mexican truckers operating under illegal leasing agreements with U.S. carriers to go beyond the 28 commercial zones along the U.S-Mexico border.

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The California Highway Patrol’s commercial vehicle inspectors are on the lookout at their two border crossing sites – Otay Mesa and Calexico – and at 16 statewide inspection facilities for Mexican trucks traveling beyond the border zones.

Trucks found to be operating illegally are sent back to Mexico immediately or are impounded, state officials said. Freight may or may not be offloaded, at the discretion of authorities.

Some Mexican carriers started leasing their vehicles and drivers to U.S. carriers several years ago, after lawyers decided nothing in U.S. law specifically precluded the practice. Carriers and truckers worked up leasing arrangements in an attempt to circumvent the federal ban on Mexican carriers operating beyond the limits of commercial zones.

For the full story, see the Apr. 3 print edition of Transport Topics. .