TRUCKING operations in the US and Mexico have been violating cabotage rules by misusing foreign B-1 visa drivers to deliver loads within the US, say legally operating drivers
TRUCKING operations in the US and Mexico have been violating cabotage rules by misusing foreign B-1 visa drivers to deliver loads within the US, say legally operating drivers. 'There was no reason to try and keep up with the B-1 drivers. No one really understands what's happened, and there's too many interests in between,' said one driver, who spoke to New York's FreightWaves on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
Misuse of the B-1 visa programme by carriers and foreign truck drivers is forcing freight rates lower and lower, the driver said, as well as taking business from US companies.
In South Texas, where the man operates, he competed with companies employing Mexico-based B-1 visa drivers.
A Mexico-based driver with a B-1 visa can pick up a load in a Mexican city such as Reynosa, across the border from Pharr, Texas, then take that load across the border to Pharr.
The driver can either take another load headed directly back to Reynosa, or deadhead back to Mexico through the same border crossing he came through with the US-bound load, and that's legal.
But instead of returning to Mexico, however, B-1 drivers are often hired by companies to pick up new loads and go farther into the US, which is illegal, taking work for far less pay than a US trucker would.
In some cases, it's US carriers that unlawfully use Mexican drivers with B-1 visas, creating significant savings by paying them less than US truckers. In other cases, Mexican carriers are starting US trucking companies and then leasing trucks to themselves using both US and Mexican license plates.
SeaNews Turkey
