Mexico Tightens Trucking Weight Rules

The Mexican government will tighten inspections and lower maximum allowed weights for freight trucks after protests over a string of fatal accidents involving double-trailer trucks, the Associated Press reported.

Independent truckers partially blocked highways leading into Mexico City late last month to protest rules allowing extremely heavy and very long trucks, which they said displaces them from hauling jobs and pressures them to overload their rigs, AP said.

Mexico currently allows trucks on two-lane roads with loads of up to 176,000 pounds and lengths exceeding 100 feet, higher than the U.S. limit of 80,000 pounds on interstate highways.

It will lower maximum weights by 9,900 pounds and limit double trailers to 15.5-mile runs on secondary roads, AP reported.