Border Lines

A roundup of North American news:

The United States has just a few more things to fix before it can open the border to Mexican motor carriers, says a report issued in late June by U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General Kenneth M. Mead. The report says that federal and state agencies have made significant progress in upgrading border crossing facilities, hiring and training inspectors, and issuing regulations to provide oversight of Mexican carriers' operations. Still to be finalized: full reciprocal access to U.S. and Mexican trucking-related databases, and providing more facilities for taking Mexican trucks out of service. In Senate testimony that same week, DOT Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said that, based on Mead's report, he expected to certify later this summer that the opening of the border would not create an unacceptable safety risk. Once that certification has been made, President Bush could issue an order to lift sanctions and allow approved Mexican carriers to handle cross-border business anywhere in the United States. Only a few Mexican motor carriers have completed applications for U.S. operating authority. Many Mexican truckers—as well as Mexican president Vicente Fox—contend that U.S. rules for entry discriminate against Mexican carriers, a charge U.S. regulators deny.

Several logistics-related educational conferences and trade shows will be held in Canada this fall. The Transportation Innovation and Cost Savings conference sponsored by Lande & Associates transportation consultants is scheduled for Sept. 24 at the Montreal Institute for Learning. Speakers include executives from Canadian manufacturers and transportation service providers. For more information, call (905) 319-1244 or go to www.transportconference.net. The Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto is offering a series of 2- to 5-day courses in supply chain management, as well as a certificate program in supply chain and logistics management. More information is available at http://execdev.schulich.yorku.ca. Finally, the biennial Logistics 2002 seminars and exhibition, sponsored by the Material Handling and Management Society of Ontario, is slated for Oct. 2–3 at Toronto's Arrow Hall. Contact show organizer DMG World Media at (888) 823-7469 for more information.

NAFTA Notes: CSX Transportation in conjunction with theUnion Pacific and TFM railroads now offers "Access Mexico Via CSX," a single service that takes advantage of the capabilities of all three carriers. Shippers will be able to obtain a single bill in U.S. dollars for through service, various warehousing and transload options, and guidance on how to conduct business in the United States and Mexico. The service initially will be offered for steel sheets and coils, but other commodities will be added in 2003.Tuthill Transportation Technologies,a provider of components for heavy-duty trucks, has appointed Ron Garby national sales manager–Canada. Garby has extensive experience in designing and fabricating trailers and truck suspensions.Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL)has appointedAgencia Naviera de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (Agnamex)as its new agent in Mexico. Agnamex offers liner, intermodal and port services in Mexico City, Veracruz and Altamira/Tampico.Canadian National Railway has acquired 150 refrigerated containers to serve the grocery industry. The 53-foot containers offer more interior space and weigh less than traditional 48-foot refrigerated containers.