Free to roam

In perhaps 60 days, selected Mexican trucking companies will have the freedom to drive deeper into the U.S., the Department of Transportation says. But it won't happen without a fight and perhaps further delay.
From the Insurance Journal:

The news that Mexican trucks will be allowed to haul freight deeper into the United States drew an angry reaction Friday from labor leaders, safety advocates and members of Congress. They said Mexico has substandard trucks and low-paid drivers that will threaten national security, cost thousands of jobs and endanger motorists on the northern side of the Mexican border.

TK: The counter from the Bush Administration is that the U.S. inspectors will oversee Mexican trucking companies.

Again from the Insurance Journal:

Access to all U.S. highways was promised by 2000 under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement, as was access through Mexico for U.S. carriers. That aspect of NAFTA was stalled by lawsuits and disagreements between the two countries, though Canadian and U.S. trucks travel freely across the northern border. The Bush pilot project will let Mexican truck companies travel from Mexico throughout the United States and back. According to the Transportation Department, U.S. inspectors will inspect every truck and interview drivers to make sure they can read and speak English. They'll examine trucks and check the licenses, insurance and driving records of the Mexican drivers. Inspectors will also verify that the trucking companies are insured by U.S.-licensed firms.
The first Mexican trucks are expected to drive into the United States beyond the border area in about 60 days, the Transportation Department says.

TK: One member of the National Transportation Safety Board worries that the DOT has barely enough inspectors for domestic carriers, much less if the agency divert resources to the border. About 25% of U.S. rigs are taken off the roads after random inspections and the percentage is higher at Texas border crossings. Others are concerned that there will be no way to adequately monitor the time spent behind the wheel for Mexican truckers. Setting aside safety concerns, this rule makes sense for the produce industry, as it figures to take costs out of the system. Congress could put up a detour to this DOT roadmap, though.