Free training for truck drivers making border checks faster

NOGALES, AZ (Tucson News Now) - The Arizona Department of Transportation's 10th safety training for truck drivers is taking place in Nogales on Wednesday, April 4. Officials say the training that started less than a year ago is making things at the border move much quicker.

The nearly two-day training is geared towards Mexican truck drivers. It's meant to help them prepare for border checks and safer driving.

During the free training drivers learn things like what their tires need to look like and the standards their brakes must meet.

Once the drivers have completed the training, ADOT officials say they tend to move through border checks much quicker, usually only taking about 15 minutes.

"We want them to know what it is we're shooting (for,) what we're looking for. We want them to be able to address those issues before they cross the border because it's to everybody's benefit if we can do the inspection quickly, make sure they meet safety standards, and let them go on their way," ADOT's Tom Herrmann said.

Arizona is the only state in the U.S. to offer this safety training for Mexican truck drivers, and ADOT says it's very popular. Since the safety training started less than a year ago 300 drivers have gone through it. The training not only has an affect on safety, but on the local economy as well.

"We're able to get those truck drivers who might otherwise go through California or Texas to come through Arizona and that benefits Arizona's economy," Herrmann says. "Not only the border communities, but any place those drivers might be going across the roadways."

The training in Nogales will continue through tomorrow.

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