Mexican trucks get strict inspections

John H. Hill, Washington

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008 | 2:01 a.m.

Las Vegas Sun readers should know that a Saturday editorial, “Ensuring highway safety,” failed to mention important facts about the cross-border trucking demonstration project.

Under the project, every Mexican carrier is thoroughly inspected and held to stricter safety standards than U.S. and Canadian carriers: driver training; verification of a U.S. insurance policy; full compliance with hours-of-service regulations; vehicle maintenance; ability to communicate in English; and drug and alcohol testing. In fact, Mexican trucks and drivers have established compliance rates equal to or better than those of U.S. trucks and drivers.

Without this program, every shipment across the border requires three trucks and three drivers. By moving a shipment across the border with one truck and one driver, consumers will benefit from increased efficiency, lowered costs and fewer emissions along the border.

We have met and exceeded every requirement put forth by Congress for cross-border trucking, which was mandated by the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. Still, we have chosen to move forward in a prudent and limited manner to ensure our requirements are working to maintain safety on America’s roads and highways.

With goods exports surging, we could hardly choose a worse time to raise the cost of consumer goods, to deny U.S. truckers new opportunities or to promote protectionism.