Commercial truck drivers in Mexico that have successfully completed a safety course offered by the Arizona Department of Transportation are now less likely to be flagged for safety violations while they are crossing the border.
Here as ADOT inspects commercial trucks at the border. A relatively new program designed to educate truck drivers in Mexico about safety is working, according to ADOT @kgun9 pic.twitter.com/rImPed5D3P
— Max Darrow (@MaxDarrowTV) January 24, 2018
The program teaches drivers, mechanics, and truck company leaders about the set of safety standards their trucks need to have before hitting the roads in America. Drivers enrolled in the program must pass two exams, one in a classroom and one on a truck.
Since last summer, ADOT has taught the course across the border, in Mexico. If and when drivers pass the course, they can use the app, "WhatsApp," to get in touch with inspectors before they cross the border in case they have any questions about their truck.
This program is better for the trucking companies' business, checkpoint efficiency, and road safety, according to ADOT's Tom Hermann. The latest statistics show that since the training began in Mexico, only two of 667 qualified drivers have entered the state with a safety violation that required immediate repairs.
“This outstanding program has been great both for Arizona and for our neighbors in Sonora,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “In addition to making roads across Arizona safer, we are reducing inspection times and making Arizona’s international ports more appealing to commercial carriers.”
More training sessions are scheduled in Mexico for 2018, including three in February.
