The lack of handoffs could mean considerable cost decreases in the transportation of goods, something that would at least partially be handed t down to consumers. Just as long as we have an agency to check every single one of them crossing the border.

I have a hard time believing that our government can be trusted to ensure that what is coming across the borders on these trucks is safe. Do the benefits out weigh the costs?

I think the two main issues that they will need to knock out are safety and environmental concerns.

In response to sweetnothing:They used to have to offload everything onto American trucks at the border. My guess is that eliminating that step is going to save a whole lot of money.

In response to Bella:But it's also going to cut out a lot of American jobs. That's not such a good thing.

Yeah and i hate to think about whether or not these trucks are going to be as safe as what's already on the road here.

In response to Thor:And can you even begin to imagine the pollution potential? Yuck.

Does anybody know whether the truckers are going to be allowed to drive in the US on Mexican licenses? Or will they need to get a license from the US too?

I heard that the teamsters/unions were trying to get an injunction to block the trucks from crossing the border. Sounds like there's a lot of money/jobs on the line.

Ooops. Guess Mexican trucks are pretty safe after all. According to federal transportation officials in recent years they have ha a better safety record than their U.S. counterparts.

The other thing that's nice is it's a max of 100 Mexican trucks and that 100 American trucks will do the same in Mexico. All the trucks have to pass a safety audit and inspection before being allowed to participate in the project.

In response to Peter:That's certainly good news. A very limited and controlled rollout are the only way to go on such an iffy program.

Am I the only one who see's an influx of illegal immigrants as a huge possibility if this occurs? And yes, I'd be very concerned about drivers if they did not have a license issued within the US as well. It would have to be a very specific license as well (can only drive trucks for MX Freightlines for example). There would have to be some way to track down drivers who break our laws while on the road. I think this would be a bad idea. I can see way too many negatives, and people trying to take advantage of the situation if it comes to fruition.

Mexicans in the US is a bad idea, why should we let there death trap trucks on our roads. What happens if they have an accident, are they required to carry insurance? And if they are how do we know they are who they say they are. They are currently making up BS IDs to get jobs in the US, how do we know that they won't be driving trucks under false names.

This will be just another way that they will be taking work away from Americans. Since they will be able to travel through the US there will be less truck drivers needed to pick up trailers at the border and move them through the US.

I have said this before and I'll say it again, liberals are killing this country.

I think that instead of trying to make the rules more lax for this type of **** we should be going the other way to the point of abolishing the NAFTA agreement.

I stand in an interesting position, having been a dispatcher for a small trucking firm as well as dating a truck driver to even working in a truck stop as a waitress. The general consensus of most of the truckers I have heard is that this will only farther run independent truckers and small trucking companies out of business as rates get cut and freight becomes less available. More then once it has been referred to the selling off or out of America, by our own government. Not to mention the policing of these trucks in safety as well as the shear number of then coming into the US. Then comes the concern of increased drug traffic that might happen. One driver said at this rate in the not to distant future we are looking at being just plain North America vs/ there being three counties that we have now and the only ones making out on the whole thing will be the wealthy. I'm not sure about that...perhaps.. Just seems to me that this once great nations leaders are forgetting why they are in office and who they are there to represent. But then again I'm still waiting for that trickle down theory to reach me.

Remind me again what NAFTA stands for? Cause one might think it is more like * Now America For The Asking.*