The North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) mandates elimination of trade and investment barriers among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its transportation provisions are intended to eliminate access restrictions among the three countries, and commit country officials to harmonize national transportation standards including standards relating to commercial motor vehicle weights and dimensions, equipment standards, and driver qualifications and hours-of-service.

As part of the NAFTA agreement, Mexican domiciled trucks were scheduled to be allowed access to travel on United States highways beginning in 2002. Implementation was delayed due to several pending lawsuits. The Supreme Court reviewed the arguments in April, and a final decision is due later this year.

AAA supports strict safety requirements before the border opens and will continue to monitor efforts to ensure safety for all trucks regardless of where they are based.

AAA believes the following safety measures will provide motorists assurances that the trucks on the road meet stringent safety standards including:

• On-site examination of the company's facilities, trucks and driver requirements.
• Significant upgrading of facilities at border crossings to ensure safety and enforcement of U.S. weight limits.
• Computerized databases to ensure tracking of truck and driver safety records.
• Adequate and verifiable insurance on each vehicle.
• Enforcement of safety laws, including limiting the number of continuous hours spent driving.