Cross border trucking

louixo

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Below is an article written by a trucker, concerning Mexican trucks in the USA. Though this is only part of his article, the author is obviously not a Bush fan. Some of the things in this article I have thought about myself, as possibly happening. I have spent alot of time in Mexico over the years, and have driven extensively in all parts of the country. Now that American trucks are supposedly to be permitted onto mexcian roads during the cross border pilot program, I wonder how many of my fellow truckers will even be interested in driving south of the border after their first curiosity run. There are few roads that are up to American and Canadian standards in Mexico. Truck stops are what you found in the USA 30 years ago, if you can find one. There is only ONE choice for diesel, and that´s the state owned oil monopoly called PEMEX. Toll roads are everywhere, and outrageously expensive, and even some of the "turnpikes" have potholes. You see double 48's being hauled everywhere on two lane backwater roads, including gasoline tankers, and hazardous. Equipment varies, from the newest to antiquated junkers that are pollution belching fugitives from the 50's. There are no HOS rules, so yo can easily imagine an exhausted Mexican or American driver arriving at the border out of hours, but able to continue on thru the USA. The highway police can, and do harass truckers at will. Rest areas for the most part don´t exist. They can impound your truck for sneezing, and if that happens, it will cost you big time to bail it out. They do business differently. Don´t get me wrong, Mexico is a beautiful country, and the people and culture are a wonderful experience. There are a myriad of things to enjoy, and see, but trucking for a living is nothing like the good life on the road you find north of the border.Mexico does things the Mexican way, and it´s NOT a level playing field.

ARTICLE:
This is a reality check from a man who has driven the big rigs across 48 states. As a teacher in the 70s, my salary at $5,400.00 a year, barely kept me above the poverty line. Each summer for 24 years, I loaded, drove 1,500 to 2,000 miles across America, and unloaded for United Van Lines. I busted my hump. I worked 70 to 100 hours a week. Don’t tell the DOT. I earned four times as much money in three months as I made in nine months teaching math and science.

What did I discover? American truckers consist of the finest, most dedicated and outstanding professionals in the world. Their office is America’s Interstates. They’ve got to be 100 percent perfect 10 hours a day as they drive 40,000 pounds of freight down the expressway. “Breaker one nine, you got the Rubber Duck here; what’s your 20?†CB radios make up their communication network. They listen to country and western music; wear cowboy boots and baseball caps. Truckers fill your life with food, clothing, cars, gasoline, mail and everything else. America moves by trucks. I still carry my CDL.

As a teacher and a trucker, you need to know what I know. The average Mexican trucker tops out with a 6th grade education in a foreign language with Third World educational standards. For starters, 63 percent of Mexico’s 104 million people remain illiterate. What does a 6th grader think about? Mostly: me, now and perhaps recess in ten minutes. They lack critical thinking skills and cognitive reasoning of an adult.

That means Bush allows thousands of substandard, uneducated Mexican truck drivers on America’s highways at 70 milers per hour carrying 40,000 pounds of freight. It means that every accident they cause will leave American families as collateral damage.

You can expect the following:

· Bush allows substandard, uninspected 18 wheeler trucks on America’s highways driven by drivers who read and write in Spanish at a 6th grade level, but allows them to give a safety check of their trucks from a Third World perspective. That’s like giving your 6th grader the keys to the car and tell him to be careful as he drives through downtown Denver at rush hour.

· Bush allows thousands of Mexican drivers who have never seen a snow storm or driven in our insane traffic. That’s like giving your 6th grader the keys to your car and have him learn how to drive in a snow storm in downtown Chicago.

· How about Mexican drivers delivering tons of drugs into our country in false bottomed or walled trailers?

· How about Mexican truck drivers delivering even more illegal aliens?

· Mexicans possess an unusual propensity for drinking. How many of you want to drive on the same road as a hung over or drunk Mexican truck driver?

· How about terrorists paying Mexican drivers to carry WMD into the USA?

As soon as Mexican drivers establish themselves, American trucking companies will start hiring them for half or even a third of American wages. The reasoning will be, “Mexican truckers drive cheaper.â€

Soon, Bush will say, “Mexican truckers do the jobs that Americans won’t do.â€

Somewhere in the middle of this little shindig Bush created, American truckers will strike back. Their anger will seethe below the surface as they drive down the Interstate. They’ll see Mexicans at their truck stops. They hear them speaking another language. They’ll see Mexican flags in Mexican trucks. They’ll see baseball caps that read, “Your New America.â€

First you’ll hear of an incident where an American trucker cut the air lines or deflated the tires on a Mexican truck. Then, you’ll hear of huge pileup with a Mexican truck. Later, you’ll hear about American truckers playing cowboy football with their leather boots with Mexican drivers used for the pigskin. Following that, you’ll hear about riots in the truck stops with American truckers busting Mexican heads.
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
>· Bush allows thousands of Mexican drivers who have
>never seen a snow storm or driven in our insane traffic.

The author cites our "insane traffic". I wonder how he would describe traffic in Mexico City?
 

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
I have driven in Mexico City. LA and NYC are tame compared to that mess. One thing I found out is do not ask the Police for help with directions.
From Mexico City I drove to a town called Puebla Puelba then on to Acapulco. Every time I stopped fpr gas the locals were all over me, trying to shine my shoes,clean the car etc. Big time poverty in that country. I went through some villages that were straight out of a John Wayne movie,got to thinking if this VW Bug rental breaks down I am probably dead.
 

joebob1_30132

Expert Expediter
Profetic I think it is closer to the truth that fiction... Being a republican with heavy libritarian leaning Im high p***sed about the real bush who has emerged he is very much a globalist like his father ..i have been hoodwinked...Along with those republicans who are gutless sellouts ...the same...not to make this an repub/Dem thing but notice how the dems are laying low letting the republicans eat their young ... do not let there laying low fool you .they are on the same band wagon as bush... everyone needs to be exposed Rep and dem...remember it was clinton who signed NAFTA...this should not be a party fight ...expose the Dems hillary kennedy ..and the majority of others Dems who are agreeing with Bush... we have areal chance in this fight .... so....fight!
 
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