Highway Safety Statement By Hoffa

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 -- The following is a statement by James P. Hoffa of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on cross-border trucking legislation:

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is pleased that Congress and the White House have agreed to create a strong safety regime that will ensure the safety of the American traveling public.

This victory for the American traveling public is long overdue. Just a few months ago, the Administration advocated opening the border to all Mexican truck traffic with little investment in a U.S. safety regime. The Murray- Shelby provisions will ensure Mexican carriers meet the same standards as U.S. trucks and drivers.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has a formidable task ahead. Adequate safety inspection facilities must be built, additional inspectors must be put in place and Mexican trucks must be inspected every 90 days. Further, the new safety regime will create data that will assist the United States in determining whether Mexican trucks and drivers meet U.S. standards. While the DOT Inspector General must report on the progress of achieving safety standards, the implementation of these standards must be carefully scrutinized.

We are hopeful that the Department of Transportation will carry out these provisions as outlined to ensure the safety of the traveling public.

Opponents of a strong safety regime have accused the Teamsters and our coalition partners of being anti-Mexican, even racist, in order to keep the border closed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Safety knows no nationality or ethnic background.

For eight years the Teamsters Union has fought a two-pronged battle. First, battling to force Mexico to develop a trucking infrastructure to ensure safe trucking. And second, to create an adequate safety regime in the United States to ensure that unsafe Mexican trucks are not allowed access to U.S. highways.

Since the enactment of NAFTA, Mexico has done little to improve its trucking safety standards. Now that the United States is enacting safety measures with the provisions of Murray-Shelby, it is time for the government of Mexico to meet their end of the bargain. Strict licensing requirements, a national drivers database, hours of service rules and hazardous material designations on trucks are just a few steps that would improve safety. Our brothers and sisters in Mexico deserve no less.