Out-Of-Service Rates Averaged About 45 Percent in 1996

From January 1996 (the first full month of detailed records of inspections) through December 1996 (the most recent month for which data were available as of March 1997), federal and state safety inspectors conducted over 25,000 safety inspections of about 3 million Mexican trucks crossing into the United States. The monthly out-of-service rates ranged from 39 percent to 50 percent, with no consistent trend (see fig. 2). However, because inspectors target for inspection vehicles and drivers that appear to have safety deficiencies, their selections are not random. As a result, the out-of-service rates may not necessarily reflect the general condition of all vehicles. In their opinion, trucks from Mexico are safer now than they were in late 1995. 4.) In the past year, California opened two permanent truck inspection facilities at its major border crossings, where it aims to inspect and certify the trucks entering the state from Mexico once every 3 months. Texas, with about two-thirds of the truck traffic from Mexico, and Arizona, with about 10 percent of the traffic, have no permanent truck inspection facilities at any of their border locations. The Number of State and Federal Inspectors Has Increased, and Most Are Working at Major Border Crossings

As of January 1997, the three border states in our review had 93 truck inspectors stationed at border crossing locations (see table 1). California Facilities and Inspectors

California, with about 24 percent of truck traffic from Mexico, has the most rigorous border state truck inspection program and has been inspecting trucks from Mexico in its commercial zones for several years. 5). 7). Several of the specific initiatives under this strategy are developing a “safety assessment process” that the Mexican government can use to determine the extent to which Mexican operators (1) understand their obligations and the processes the United States uses in truck safety enforcement and (2) comply with U.S. requirements; providing more than $1 million annually since fiscal year 1995 in grants to the four border states to prepare for enforcement activities related to NAFTA, such as increasing the number of state inspectors stationed at the border; conducting educational campaigns on U.S. safety standards, including training seminars and leaflets, for Mexican drivers and truck companies; approving 13 DOT truck inspector positions for 2 years to demonstrate a federal commitment to truck safety; working with CVSA and state truck enforcement agencies to train inspectors in Mexico in an attempt to increase truck safety overall in that country; contracting with the International Association of Chiefs of Police to conduct a series of truck safety forums in the U.S. border states to allow U.S. and Mexican enforcement officials to discuss strategies and other truck safety issues of mutual concern; and participating with the Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee, established under NAFTA, to develop compatible safety and operating standards in all three NAFTA countries. In February 1997 DOT announced that its program that provides grants for statewide safety enforcement activities will incorporate performance-based goals to increase truck and driver safety. Also, in March 1997, DOT submitted a legislative proposal, as part of the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, that would incorporate this performance-based, results-oriented approach. While Mexican trucks entering the United States continue to exhibit high out-of-service rates for serious safety violations, federal and state officials believe that their efforts have had a positive effect and that Mexican trucks are now safer than they were in 1995.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO reviewed the results of federal and state inspections of Mexican trucks entering the United States in 1996, focusing on: (1) actions by the federal government and border states to increase truck safety enforcement at the border; and (2) the federal enforcement strategy to ensure that trucks from Mexico comply with safety standards when entering the United States.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) from January through December 1996, federal and state officials conducted more than 25,000 inspections of trucks from Mexico; (2) on average each month, about 45 percent of the vehicles were placed out of service for serious safety violations, such as for having substandard tires or for being loaded unsafely; (3) this rate compares unfavorably to the 28 percent out-of-service rate for U.S. trucks inspected across the United States in fiscal year 1995; (4) however, because inspectors target for inspection those vehicles and drivers that appear to have safety deficiencies, their selections are not random; (5) as a result, the out-of-service rates may not necessarily reflect the general condition of all vehicles; (6) although border inspection officials believe that trucks from Mexico are safer than they were in late 1995, the monthly out-of-service rates for trucks from Mexico in 1996 ranged from 39 percent to 50 percent, with no consistent trend; (7) the border states of Arizona, California, and Texas have increased their capability to inspect trucks at major border locations; (8) collectively, the three states had 93 state truck inspectors assigned to border crossing locations as of January 1997; (9) in addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) approved 13 new temporary positions (2-year appointments) to place federal safety inspectors at major border crossing locations; (10) California, with about 24 percent of the truck traffic from Mexico, opened two large permanent inspection facilities; (11) it has the most rigorous inspection program, with the goal of inspecting, at least once every 90 days, every truck entering the state from Mexico; (12) while both Texas and Arizona, collectively with more than three-quarters of the truck traffic from Mexico, have more than doubled the number of inspectors at border crossing locations, their efforts are less comprehensive; (13) under a broad strategy to help create a "compliance mind-set" for Mexican trucks crossing into U.S. commercial zones, DOT has undertaken a number of activities to promote truck safety; (14) in February 1997, DOT announced that its program that provides grants for statewide safety enforcement activities will incorporate performance-based goals to increase truck and driver safety; and (15) also, in March 1997, DOT submitted a legislative proposal to the Congress as part of the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act that would incorporate this initiative.