Audits

On March 10, 2008, we issued our Interim Report on NAFTA Cross-Border Trucking Demonstration Project, as required by legislation enacted in May 2007. By law, we are required to issue an interim report at the six-month point of the demonstration project, which was initiated on September 6, 2007, and a final report 60 days after the conclusion of the project. Our audit found that at the 6-month point, fewer Mexican carriers and vehicles have participated in the project than expected. The low number of carriers currently participating is not sufficient to provide reliable statistical projections regarding safety attributes of Mexican carriers. The Department has established and is supporting an independent panel to assess any adverse safety impacts from the project; however, the panel is also concerned that it will have insufficient data when the project ends. Finally, FMCSA has established and enhanced mechanisms for state and Federal monitoring and enforcement of safety rules. Federal Motor Carrier Administration records show that checks of Mexican vehicles and drivers are occurring at the border, but FMCSA does not have assurance that every participating truck and driver is checked every time it crosses the border into the United States because a key quality control measure designed to ensure this occurs has not been implemented.