The latest twist in the controversy over opening US highways to Mexican trucking companies is that Qualcomm has contracted with the FMCSA to provide participating companies free access to its satellite tracking system for one year under NAFTA. The systems will be installed at no cost to the trucking companies and will be used to enforce safety requirements, including hours of service and direct shipping standards.  The system will relay the location, speed, trip details, mileage and other data of the vehicles back to an operations center. The trucks will be tracked by vehicle number and company, and no driver information will be collected. The fly in the ointment is that Congress has cut off funding for the pilot project. 

After hearing U.S. truck drivers’ tales about how confused they were trying to follow French language road signs in Quebec, I will be interested to see how Mexican truck drivers handle English road signs, maps and directions once this project cranks up.

The Shigley Law Firm  represents plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases statewide in Georgia, and in other states subject to the multijurisdictional practice and pro hac vice rules in each state. Ken Shigley was designated as a "SuperLawyer" in Atlanta Magazine and one of the "Legal Elite" in Georgia Trend Magazine. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Chair of the Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute and former chair of the Georgia Insurance Law Institute. He particularly focuses on cases arising from truck wrecks and accidents (tractor trailers truck wrecks, semi truck wrecks,18 wheeler truck wrecks, big rig truck wrecks, log truck wrecks, dump truck wrecks.