In general, states enforce motor carrier safety requirements, in part with grants the federal government provides through the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. Cross-border trucking is no different and states should use some of these funds to improve border oversight. Mexico-domiciled trucking companies also have to accept responsibility for keeping their trucks in good condition and training and scheduling their drivers to operate safely and comply with all U.S. requirements. Finally, the Mexican government must enhance its oversight infrastructure and information systems to police its carriers before they get to the U.S. border. The record is clear.
Improved inspection leads to safer trucks.
The Inspector General found that California s border inspection program and facilities were superior to that of Texas. Trucks examined at California s inspection stations were removed from service for serious violations at about half the rate of trucks inspected at Texas crossings 28 percent in California compared to 50 percent in Texas. About 26 percent of U.S. trucks inspected are ordered off the road for serious safety problems, as are about 17 percent of Canadian trucks. Today, more than 250 members of the 106th Congress will tell President Clinton that economic benefits cannot impose a highway safety penalty on the traveling public. This broad cross section of the House speaks for a broad cross section of the traveling public.