Moving to Baja

[ghostrider421]

My employer in Canada has scored us a pair of visas to work in Baja for the next year or so. Our home will be in LaPaz, Baja Sur.

We will be bringing down our semi-truck/horse trailer and a couple of Siberians. Besides our passports, the visas and vet documentation, what else do we need to bring?

[briansue]

Interesting that more and more of the new readers are taking to PMs instead of posting.

Anyway, just received an PM saying Mexican trucks have been allowed in the US since 2009 . . . http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2011/07/u-s-mexico-to-allow-cross-border-trucking-begin-to-lift-mexican-tariffs/ . . . so I went to the link and noted it was dated July 6, 2011 and talked about how they are going to start letting Mexican trucks into the US. A one line quote "The signing ends a two-year stalemate that began in March 2009" which appears to be where the PMer go the 2009 from. The article states the agreement was just passed on Wednesday so probably whatever Wednesday before the article was written on July 6, 2011. Maybe my PMer does not know the definition of "stalemate"?

Another quote "Department of Transportation (DOT) officials could not say Wednesday how soon companies might be certified, only that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would begin taking applications from Mexican carriers." AGAIN - READ the article and look at the date - July 6, 2011 - that is not 2009!!

Why not post the correct info on the forum? Why the need for PMs?

The point to my earlier posts on this topic were in response to the original poster commenting about unsafe Mexican trucks in the US. I posted the information about when the trucks started crossing and what the requirements are to help the OP to understand some of the facts and what is going on along the US/Mexico border. It is certainly easy to see how so much misinformation finds its way all over the internet. There has probably never been so many misinformed people in the history of the world - thanks to the internet.

PLEASE - I do not respond well to PMs - a forum is for posting for all to read.

[rocmoc]

ghostrider421 wrote:

rocmoc wrote:
And this is the entire Private Message I received from ghostrider421,(copy & pasted)"p*ss off". (had to change 1 letter) Sadly those of us who have traveled repeatedly to Mexico try hard to help people cross the border as prepared as possible. Sometime all the questions that need to be asked are not because of lack of or understanding of what to ask. We try to fill in the gaps from our experiences and do our best. Sorry if you felt you were not helped ghostrider! Good luck in Baja.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

Bad form to post pm's - or didn't you know that - cuz I was chastised by Moisheh for doing the same time. If you had answered my questions, I wouldn't have sent that pm. What I do or who I work for is none of anyone's business. I mentioned it only in passing. My husband would like to rip you a new one. Thanks for your assistance YR2017 - your help was over the top.

Nuf said - we're already in LaPaz with no hassles at the border and so is our rig.

Very pleased you made it to La Paz easily & safely. If you had mentioned that the rig was needed for the work stated I would not even had mentioned the possible issue with the rig as it does change what the Mexican Government allows into the country. Clearly stating a situation does help receive the best answer / information. Both Moisheh and myself did the best we could with the information provided. Good luck!


rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[ghostrider42]

moisheh wrote:
Only on the internet does a poorly written question get 3 pages!!! The OP asked a question with very little information. Then he got snarly because I thought he was bringing horses. DAH! Usually a horse trailer is used for horses! Then this fellow from Montana gave us a bunch of false information on Mexican trucks. They do not buy new trucks in the USA nor do they export trucks to Canada or the USA. Rocmcoc may not have answered all the OP's questions but he did give the OP a heads up on importing the truck and trailer and also provided a link for further information. This is an RV forum and the OP is not a tourist nor an RV'r looking for RV info.

Moisheh

That was my sister you were addressing.

Where else would a person who has been rv'ing since 1958 go for that information?

I hauled horses for a living in a 53' semi - not a horse trailer. She happens to own a very nice LIVING QUARTERS trailer. Probably more valuable than 80% of the 5ers on the market today - two marine toilets, marble counters, full size double door refrig, real wood cabinets and floor - no veneers, sleeps six not including the truck.

YR2017 answered all her questions. I went to Canada and drove the rig to the border last week - Pemex contact drove it from there.

I told her this was the forum she wanted to be on. I was wrong.

[ghostrider421]

rocmoc wrote:
And this is the entire Private Message I received from ghostrider421,(copy & pasted)"p*ss off". (had to change 1 letter) Sadly those of us who have traveled repeatedly to Mexico try hard to help people cross the border as prepared as possible. Sometime all the questions that need to be asked are not because of lack of or understanding of what to ask. We try to fill in the gaps from our experiences and do our best. Sorry if you felt you were not helped ghostrider! Good luck in Baja.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

Bad form to post pm's - or didn't you know that - cuz I was chastised by Moisheh for doing the same time. If you had answered my questions, I wouldn't have sent that pm. What I do or who I work for is none of anyone's business. I mentioned it only in passing. My husband would like to rip you a new one. Thanks for your assistance YR2017 - your help was over the top.

Nuf said - we're already in LaPaz with no hassles at the border and so is our rig.

[rocmoc]

And this is the entire Private Message I received from ghostrider421,(copy & pasted)"p*ss off". (had to change 1 letter) Sadly those of us who have traveled repeatedly to Mexico try hard to help people cross the border as prepared as possible. Sometime all the questions that need to be asked are not because of lack of or understanding of what to ask. We try to fill in the gaps from our experiences and do our best. Sorry if you felt you were not helped ghostrider! Good luck in Baja.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[moisheh]

Only on the internet does a poorly written question get 3 pages!!! The OP asked a question with very little information. Then he got snarly because I thought he was bringing horses. DAH! Usually a horse trailer is used for horses! Then this fellow from Montana gave us a bunch of false information on Mexican trucks. They do not buy new trucks in the USA nor do they export trucks to Canada or the USA. Rocmcoc may not have answered all the OP's questions but he did give the OP a heads up on importing the truck and trailer and also provided a link for further information. This is an RV forum and the OP is not a tourist nor an RV'r looking for RV info.

Moisheh

[yr2017]

rocmoc wrote:
If you read the OP's question there is NOTHING about what kind of work. Makes a difference!!!!!!! YES I did answer the original question!!!!!! Did YOU read?????rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

I read it several time and wrote her directly. You oth didn't pay any attention -

This what she wrote:

ghostrider421 wrote:
Besides our passports, the visas and vet documentation, what else do we need to bring?

The gentleman from Vancouver, Wa answered correctly, as did the response above.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

May I address an entirely different aspect of the OP's post.

La Paz gets hotter than the hinges of hell in summer for your two Husky's. They need shade and they need air movement and even then they are going to be miseable. It isn't just the bouts of 110F heat, it is high heat plus high humidity.

I don't have an answer for you as to how to go about fixing the problem. Electricity in DAC can get stupidly expensive per kWh. DAC is DATA ALTA CONSUMO.

I wish your pooches the best...

[rocmoc]

yr2017 wrote:

rocmoc wrote:

ghostrider421 wrote:

yr2017 wrote:

Building the new docks in La Paz?

Yes, exactly that's the job. The semi-truck and seismic trailer left this morning. We are just waiting for the go-ahead.

Should have said that upfront, will change everything. Keep us updated of how it goes. Good luck!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

If you read the OP's question - did you answer it?

If you read the OP's question there is NOTHING about what kind of work. Makes a difference!!!!!!! YES I did answer the original question!!!!!! Did YOU read?????

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[yr2017]

rocmoc wrote:

ghostrider421 wrote:

yr2017 wrote:

Building the new docks in La Paz?

Yes, exactly that's the job. The semi-truck and seismic trailer left this morning. We are just waiting for the go-ahead.

Should have said that upfront, will change everything. Keep us updated of how it goes. Good luck!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

If you read the OP's question - did you answer it?

[rocmoc]

ghostrider421 wrote:

yr2017 wrote:

Building the new docks in La Paz?

Yes, exactly that's the job. The semi-truck and seismic trailer left this morning. We are just waiting for the go-ahead.

Should have said that upfront, will change everything. Keep us updated of how it goes. Good luck!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[ghostrider421]

yr2017 wrote:

Building the new docks in La Paz?

Yes, exactly that's the job. The semi-truck and seismic trailer left this morning. We are just waiting for the go-ahead.

[briansue]

For some reason the current US administration was hell bent on opening up the border for Mexican trucks.

There are a number of reasons. NAFTA said it was to be done a long time ago. When the US balked Mexico did something with embargoes or tariffs or whatever so it would cost more for US products to be shipped and sold in Mexico - agriculture in particular. So there was/is/has been pressure from various groups to get this sorted out and taken care of. The US wants Mexico to buy US goods and Mexico wants the US to buy Mexican goods. But the teamsters and others do not want Mexican trucks in the US - which is costing billions in trade. So the administration was "hell bent" to get NAFTA working as it was supposed to be working for a very long time and to get those billions in trade moving into our economy. Yes, it is complicated and probably not something that can be completely explained on this forum. As Moiseh says - the Mexican trucks can only deliver goods to specific customers in the US and only pick up stuff going directly back to Mexico. They cannot pick up and deliver US goods within the US. But if anyone has ever been near places like El Paso or an other major border crossing you have seen all the truck lots and warehouses all along the highway with just about every US trucking company represented. The Mexican trucks drive over the border to the warehouse and drop of goods and pick up goods and go back to Mexico. This is costly. Load and unload and support warehousing etc. So the idea is that Mexican trucks deliver directly to customers in the US to save the costs of unload - warehouse - load - etc. Costs that are added to the price we pay at the store. Yes, we see trucks in Mexico that do not look very safe and we see drivers behaving in ways that are not safe - but anyone who has been on the road in the US knows we have those kinds of vehicles and drivers here too. I was a driver and know that most drivers are good drivers and take care of their equipment but there are always rotten eggs in every business that give that business a bad name. Same with countries - because one guy is a bad guy does not mean the entire country is bad. The US has the highest per-capita number of criminals in prison in the world - but that does not make all people in the US criminals. Same goes for Mexico. One truck does not speak for all trucks.

[moisheh]

I was trucking all summer and really followed what was going on in the industry. Here is the skinny: For some reason the current US administration was hell bent on opening up the border for Mexican trucks. Although many Americans think that the Mexican trucking industry wants to take over trucking in the USA nothing could be further than the truth. The whole experiment has been a huge failure. Something like 12 companies have been approved for entry. BUT of the 800 or so crossings more than 80 % were done by one company. A Mexican cement company. I think it was CEMEX. This makes sense as they are one of the largest cement companies in the world and own batch plants in the USA. Hauling their own makes sense. many US and Canadian trucking companies are twinned with a Mexican company or as in the case of Swift Transportation they just went out and bought a Mexican Company. The US trucks do not go beyond the border area and the same for the Mexican trucks. The drivers I have spoken to do NOT want to travel in the USA. They are afraid of the language barrier and the high cost of eating out. They also do not want to be that far away from their families. many Americans do not understand that the Mexican trucks can only deliver goods to the USA and PU goods bound for Mexico. They cannot PU goods in the USA and deliver to the USA. That is called cabotage. Anyone who thinks Mexican trucks are junk is either blind or has not been to Mexico for 20 years or more. The junk you see at the border are mules that simply cross the border and go a few miles for cross docking or drop and hook. The Mexican trucks are just as nice as the US trucks. They have satellite tracking just like us. The drivers of the newer trucks are as good as any NOB. Some are even better as driving turnpike doubles on those narrow roads is a feat I would never try! There is one huge difference. Mexico has very few DOT inspectors or even weigh scales. So drivers do not have to worry about hours of service. The laws exist but enforcement is haphazard. None of the Mexican trucks meet USA pollution or safety standards. But the US administration says they do! Very few if any US trucks are bought in the USA and brought to Mexico. Lots of used trucks. The dealers go as far as Detroit to drive them back. I se them on I80 all the time. Usually have a Mexican car in tow. BTW: Mexicans who bring back US vehicles and tow a car are known as Towbareros. Spanglish at it's best.

Moisheh