WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is applauding the introduction of the NAFTA Trucking Safety Act of 2007, introduced by US Rep. Duncan Hunter.

The legislation requires Mexican-domiciled trucks to be held to the same standards as US trucks. The bill could put on hold a pilot project that would provide 100 Mexican trucking companies with unfettered access to the US.

This legislation will go a long way to assure foreign trucks operating on US soil do not represent a threat to highway safety or to our homeland security. It will also ensure our nation will be in a position to enforce its laws on foreign trucks while they are here, said Todd Spencer, executive vice-president of OOIDA. The only assurances given thus far about DOTs Mexican trucking pilot program have been trust us everythings gonna be alright. The nations safety and security demand far more than that.

The bill, if passed, will require the US DoT be able to prove databases exist on Mexican drivers that are equivalent in quality and reliability as American drivers. And enforcement officers would be able to access the databases under the proposed legislation.

The establishment of this legislation is the only way the DoTs program should be allowed to go forward, Spencer added. Otherwise, we should all think about staying off the highways.