The International Teamsters Union chief was at the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego today, protesting a program that lets some Mexican trucks haul cargo anywhere in the United States. KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps has details.
Dozens of San Diego truckers gathered at the Otay Mesa border crossing, a major port of entry for cargo. A pilot program lets about 50 Mexican trucks cross the border and travel freely in the United States. That's if those trucks meet strict standards.
But Teamsters President Jim Hoffa says Mexican trucks are still unsafe, and their drivers could pose a risk.
Hoffa : They don't have a database in which people can be held accountable if they get a drunk driving or have any type of record. They're also basically a national security risk from the standpoint of we don't know they are, what they are.
U.S. Department of Transportation officials say Mexican drivers get drug tests and background checks. Officials say the Mexican truckers face tougher standards than their American counterparts.
Andrew Phelps, KPBS News.
