Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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UPFRONT Impressions from Mexico Despite lax regulations and little oversight, some Mexican carriers get onboard with fleet safety BY JEFF CRISSEY W hen it comes to trucking productivity, let's just say Mexican fleets have it made. No hours of service, no real presence of weigh stations or enforcement, and size and weight standards that are astronomical compared to the United States – as much as 80 metric tons weight limit (176,370 pounds) and 31 meters (101.7 feet) for longer combination vehicles. And let's just say that I've seen and heard things on my recent trip through Mexico that would get even the least-stringent U.S. safety managers fired on the spot. The trucking industry south of the border is extremely fractured. With only 600 fleets in operation with more than 100 power units, much of the trucking industry there – with an estimated Class 8 tractor population of roughly 635,000 power units – is run by small fleets and independent contractors. In many ways, the U.S. perception of the Mexican trucking industry operating like the Wild West holds true. But I've also seen some fleets with remarkable safety standards and performance. In many respects, safe trucking operations happen by choice rather than mandates and regulations. Take, for example, Transportes Monroy Schiavon, a truckload and dedicated carrier with 843 vehicles, including 443 Class 8 power units – placing it as the 16th-largest carrier in Mexico. TMS, based in Cuautitlán on the outskirts of Mexico City, has a rich heritage in trucking. Thanks to Volvo Trucks, I, along with a handful of other American and Canadian journalists, had the opportunity to visit the fleet last month. Today, 82 percent of TMS business is domestic and 18 percent international. The company's customer portfolio includes some of the biggest companies in Mexico – Wal-Mart, Proctor & Gamble, Ryder Logistics and Unilever – as well as international trans- border alliances with U.S.-based carriers including Schneider National, Con-Way, Celadon and Werner Enterprises. TMS couldn't serve such a customer portfolio without an impeccable image and strong safety culture. "Our vision is to be recognized as the most reliable alternative to provide transportation and logistics services, both domestically and internationally," says Laura Mandujano Valdes, TMS commercial director. TMS takes great pride in maintaining a professional image to its customers. The company continually invests in new equipment and technology when it can – as evidenced by its order of 100 Volvo VNL tractors with I-Shift automated manual transmissions, which the truck maker now has made available in the Mexican market for the first time. Presently, TMS' fleet replacement cycle is only three years on average. When in operation, tractors and trailers are washed each time they depart the terminal for a delivery. When TMS develops special safety and security procedures for international business, it adopts those procedures domestically as well. Indeed, TMS' efforts in driver safety and training are on par with many large safety-focused fleets in North America. But one safety measure stood out on our visit. Within an hour of leaving the terminal on a route, drivers must submit to a pre-trip medical test. The three- to five-minute procedure includes testing blood pressure levels, heart rate and other vital statistics. The nurse makes the final determination on a driver's health before releasing him to begin the route. That's not something we'll likely see north of the border. On average, North American negative perception of the Mexican trucking industry holds some water. But as TMS and a growing number of other safety-conscious fleets in Mexico show, those perceptions soon may change. JEFF CRISSEY is Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com. 6 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2013 A nurse at Transportes Monroy Schiavon screens a driver before his trip can begin. Transportes Monroy Schiavon's safety and security procedures include: briefings between trips screenings tests lator loads in transit to only at authorized sites drivers and recognition for safe drivers