mexican trucks in america are a fact.

paullud

Veteran Expediter
Yeah and I'll bet the first OTR carriers will be American ones...:eek:...like Swift and Warner.....they'll just transfer trucks to Mexico and plate them there...and hire Mexican drivers. It is what I would do...

That is my thought and I may even become Mexican myself. I want to look into using a dual citizenship to run from point A to B in the US during the nice driving season then just winter in Mexico and get those nice runs through Texas. Notice there are no smiley faces inserted in here because I am serious.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
 

turritrans

Expert Expediter
Well that's the problem, no one really knows and it is a bunch of opinions floating around.

Like the costs don't magically vanish because someone is operating from another country.

.

Yes..lots of assumptions right now till we see what really happens. I will say this, since 99% of the Laredo and El Paso team loads do final in Mexico, that means the Mexicans carriers "could" do those loads as well and compete with the domestic expeditors. Also these same carriers that were picking up the shipments in the borders then taking them into Mexico may in fact take the loads for origin to destination on one truck. So yes there is a lot of theories right now, but I think it's safe to say there will be competiton for the business the US based carriers now have control of.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
But see here is the problem I am seeing - expedited loads are not the target of those who are trying to get into this form south of the border because there are too many variables involved with it - like return trips at LTL rates.

Take in account that much of the work is TL work coming out of these areas, it is those big box carriers like Swift, the pumpkin and others who will face the competition. Panther, Load-1, etc.. may see a reduction in work but that may be limiting that spill over stuff that is missed or can't get on one truck and not regular work as many have been expecting to get all the time.

Many want to lump all of this all together and say it will gut the industry where I see it hitting one segment in the industry while just barely effecting all the others. That segment is the one where they have the revolving door and problems with drivers which is not this one.
 

turritrans

Expert Expediter
But see here is the problem I am seeing - expedited loads are not the target of those who are trying to get into this form south of the border because there are too many variables involved with it - like return trips at LTL rates.

Take in account that much of the work is TL work coming out of these areas, it is those big box carriers like Swift, the pumpkin and others who will face the competition. Panther, Load-1, etc.. may see a reduction in work but that may be limiting that spill over stuff that is missed or can't get on one truck and not regular work as many have been expecting to get all the time.

Many want to lump all of this all together and say it will gut the industry where I see it hitting one segment in the industry while just barely effecting all the others. That segment is the one where they have the revolving door and problems with drivers which is not this one.



The Big 3 is already hip to outsourcing to Mexico. Why wouldn't they solicit Mexican carriers to compete with US/Canadian expeditors in order to lower transportation costs? They already have relationships with Mexican carriers to get the product from the border to the plants down there, all they would need to do is change the model a little bit and turn the expedites into dedicated team milk runs from Detroit, Toronto, Chicago, etc to Mexico and have the Mexicans bring the racks back north, drop and hook to a loaded trailer and do it all over again. Will this affect all expedites...of course not, and there will be a need for expedites down there on NA carriers. This model plays right into the North American Super Highway they envisoned when NAFTA was first rammed down our throats.

It's going to happen, it will affect expeditors; just how much remains to be seen.
 

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
The Big 3 is already hip to outsourcing to Mexico. Why wouldn't they solicit Mexican carriers to compete with US/Canadian expeditors in order to lower transportation costs? They already have relationships with Mexican carriers to get the product from the border to the plants down there, all they would need to do is change the model a little bit and turn the expedites into dedicated team milk runs from Detroit, Toronto, Chicago, etc to Mexico and have the Mexicans bring the racks back north, drop and hook to a loaded trailer and do it all over again. Will this affect all expedites...of course not, and there will be a need for expedites down there on NA carriers. This model plays right into the North American Super Highway they envisoned when NAFTA was first rammed down our throats.

It's going to happen, it will affect expeditors; just how much remains to be seen.

Yep, low overhead, stockholders love it, CEO's love it( more bonuses),charge us more for our cars, wow, what a deal.:rolleyes:
 

HHDLLC

Seasoned Expediter
Mexican Truckers Verse American Cry Baby Truckers (New School Drivers)

Two countries, two approaches. You can blame our government for making us mindless wonders.

By Timothy D. Brady

Mexican Truckers’ regulations are consequence regulations. If a Mexican trucker makes a mistake–consequences: the Mexican government will take away his ability to operate a commercial vehicle for a period of time. If he causes an injury in a preventable accident–he will lose that privilege for the rest of his life; if there is a fatality–the trucker goes to jail for years. Mexican truckers are required to have work visas to drive in the US; the cost and time it takes to get one in itself becomes a deterrent for being unsafe.

In contrast, the U.S. babysits its truckers and attempts to micromanage every 15 minutes of a trucker's life through the Hours of Service, EOBRS etc. It is a different view of how to manage the safety of truckers.

I find it interesting that the quality and skill of truckers in the U.S. has steadily declined ever since the FMCSA entered into their regulation marathon. Truckers are now demanding to be home far more often than ever before. They’re not wanting to do anything that doesn't involve driving, and frankly, they are not provided the tools or lessons that develop the real skills required to be a trucker. The U.S. FMCSA and large carriers are leaning on technology to replace skill and common sense. By doing this, they have lowered the common denominator of intelligence required to be a trucker.

It absolutely amazes me how many new drivers I talk with have no idea how the air brakes on their truck actually work. Or how many have no clue on how to read a map or calculate the number of hours of driving they have left to complete a run. Just look at the number of truckers going down the Parkways in NJ or NY removing the roofs of their trailers. This is all the result of removing consequential responsibility, common sense and the ability to think for oneself from the skill set of the U.S. trucker.

The whole point of the U.S. FMCSA paying for EOBRs for the Mexican trucks is to placate and pacify the side of the trucking industry who believe every trucker is an irresponsible adolescent who needs to be baby-sat every hour and mile they drive. And the side that’s drunk the Kool-Aid that says just because a country doesn’t regulate their truckers in the same micro-management manner the US does, they must be unsafe and dangerous. This lacks logic and common sense. Anyone knows the more you try and control any segment of the population, the more you will either dumb down the quality of those individuals - or they will revolt.
 
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greg334

Veteran Expediter
The Big 3 is already hip to outsourcing to Mexico. Why wouldn't they solicit Mexican carriers to compete with US/Canadian expeditors in order to lower transportation costs? They already have relationships with Mexican carriers to get the product from the border to the plants down there, all they would need to do is change the model a little bit and turn the expedites into dedicated team milk runs from Detroit, Toronto, Chicago, etc to Mexico and have the Mexicans bring the racks back north, drop and hook to a loaded trailer and do it all over again. Will this affect all expedites...of course not, and there will be a need for expedites down there on NA carriers. This model plays right into the North American Super Highway they envisoned when NAFTA was first rammed down our throats.

It's going to happen, it will affect expeditors; just how much remains to be seen.

Well hate to break the news to you but with the rates being **** low from NLM and other auto freight sources, there won't be much missed if at all. Companies like GM already use Canadian and Mexican trucking companies, I do work for one every other week and it seems they are fully aware of the "savings" or lack of that this can produce for them. BUT really how much lower do you guys actually think they are going to bring the rates down to?

40 cents a mile for vans?

Seriously you ever see what these loads are going for now and why they sometimes sit until they are dumped onto a large truck for ltl movement?

How much "expedited" freight do you all honesty think there is?

Maybe John from L-1 can give us all an insight to the amount of freight that is actually moved via NLM that is actual "Expedited" freight?

IF GM and Ford and Fiat were really really smart here is what they could do - ready for this?

They could negotiate with the US and Mexican government with the rail lines and move mass amounts of freight without the worry of trucks losing out.

Opps ... they are already moving things by rail.
 

turritrans

Expert Expediter
Well hate to break the news to you but with the rates being **** low from NLM and other auto freight sources, there won't be much missed if at all. Companies like GM already use Canadian and Mexican trucking companies, I do work for one every other week and it seems they are fully aware of the "savings" or lack of that this can produce for them. BUT really how much lower do you guys actually think they are going to bring the rates down to?

40 cents a mile for vans?

Seriously you ever see what these loads are going for now and why they sometimes sit until they are dumped onto a large truck for ltl movement?

How much "expedited" freight do you all honesty think there is?

Maybe John from L-1 can give us all an insight to the amount of freight that is actually moved via NLM that is actual "Expedited" freight?

IF GM and Ford and Fiat were really really smart here is what they could do - ready for this?

They could negotiate with the US and Mexican government with the rail lines and move mass amounts of freight without the worry of trucks losing out.

Opps ... they are already moving things by rail.


Rates are down because it's early August, these same rates on the same boards/lanes were soild in June before the shut down.

Both L-1 and my company share some of these same boards so we both see these trends.

I think you nailed it right on the head when you said:
"How much "expedited" freight do you all honesty think there is?

So more competition will only affect rates, being the stock market took a dump today, the economy is slow etc etc etc it is only going to put more pressure on the rates. Rates have been declining in this industry since the mid 90's. Cost of doing business has only gone up. We will adjust, like we always have done.... still sucks tho! LOL
 

RETIDEPXE

Veteran Expediter
One issue I have is the Mexican fuel. Is it correct that the Mexican fuel is 1960's style dirty? If the EPA requires us to burn 25ppm ULSD, then why can the Mexican trucks come across and run our roads with their 665ppm sulphur diesel, belching out pollutants that the EPA deams cancer causing etc. And it's supposed to be a level playing field. Not that anyone plans to go into Mexico any time soon, but, what's the manufacturer going to say when you want a clogged DPF, or anything else warrantied for that matter, when the tanks are full of Mexican fuel?
 

lugnut1

Seasoned Expediter
¿Transportan en camión sus quejas acerca de mexicano a conductores que entran en la América realmente asunto? Te quiero a chavos, con todo su destino y la penumbra. Los saludos, El Lugnut Dorado
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Rates are down because it's early August, these same rates on the same boards/lanes were soild in June before the shut down.

Well I would expect that we would have the typical vacation/change over time in July but I went to a couple plants in the past week and I didn't see the parking lots empty or workers not working. I wonder how much are the traditional things being done and how much work they are trying to get out before the new model year?

Both L-1 and my company share some of these same boards so we both see these trends.

Just curious, how much analytical data do you guys actually get? I mean do you have access to historical data outside your own company's data or are you limited to live data without historic trends that you can use in raw form?

I think you nailed it right on the head when you said:

Yep I know ;)

I wonder how much "expedited" freight do you all honesty think there is?

Not to put bash this niche part of the industry but I feel the answer is maybe less than .0001% of the freight moved is actually true 'need to get there yesterday' freight with the remainder as I said in another thread freight that is deemed expedite by one or any of three parts of the transportation chain - shipper, carrier or consignee, may not be anything but overflow or forgotten freight with the capacity on demand being cheaper than letting it sit on the dock.

So more competition will only affect rates, being the stock market took a dump today, the economy is slow etc etc etc it is only going to put more pressure on the rates. Rates have been declining in this industry since the mid 90's. Cost of doing business has only gone up. We will adjust, like we always have done.... still sucks tho! LOL

Well first the stock market is not the indicator we need to watch but that's mine and a bunch of economist saying it. Second the competition is where? If we are talking about Mexicans and their trucks, I don't see the added competition being as detrimental as say the house cleaning some carriers are going to do over the revised CSA rules. I think adding to this the fallacy of a driver shortage may end up balancing things out to the point that it may not be an issue after all.

I see a bit different problem with the two factors that are involved with the big box carriers - the revolving doors and related liabilities of drivers being employed short term and the issues caused by the feds with their kick of safety this and safety both putting a downward trend on driver qualifications, training and ability to move within the industry out of the traps they set for these drivers. All of which may be a bit more important than Juan coming over here to haul TVs from the LG plant in Juarez to Chicago.
 

turritrans

Expert Expediter
greg334;464952]Well I would expect that we would have the typical vacation/change over time in July but I went to a couple plants in the past week and I didn't see the parking lots empty or workers not working. I wonder how much are the traditional things being done and how much work they are trying to get out before the new model year?



Just curious, how much analytical data do you guys actually get? I mean do you have access to historical data outside your own company's data or are you limited to live data without historic trends that you can use in raw form?

We get a lot of data, internal reports, reports from the trade organizations we belong to, and also just seeing these trends over the years.

Historically August is not a great month.




Not to put bash this niche part of the industry but I feel the answer is maybe less than .0001% of the freight moved is actually true 'need to get there yesterday' freight with the remainder as I said in another thread freight that is deemed expedite by one or any of three parts of the transportation chain - shipper, carrier or consignee, may not be anything but overflow or forgotten freight with the capacity on demand being cheaper than letting it sit on the dock.


I think the line between truckload and expedite are at time blurred. I am not sure what % of the pie is expedite.


Well first the stock market is not the indicator we need to watch but that's mine and a bunch of economist saying it.

It's an overall gauage of the health of the economy

Second the competition is where? If we are talking about Mexicans and their trucks, I don't see the added competition being as detrimental as say the house cleaning some carriers are going to do over the revised CSA rules.


If you consider all these factors such as the new rules, cost of doing business, less freight opportunities etc. this "could" really be a big blow considering the challenges we already face.

I think adding to this the fallacy of a driver shortage may end up balancing things out to the point that it may not be an issue after all.


There is a shortage of GOOD drivers...LOL


I see a bit different problem with the two factors that are involved with the big box carriers - the revolving doors and related liabilities of drivers being employed short term and the issues caused by the feds with their kick of safety this and safety both putting a downward trend on driver qualifications, training and ability to move within the industry out of the traps they set for these drivers. All of which may be a bit more important than Juan coming over here to haul TVs from the LG plant in Juarez to Chicago.


I could be wrong about this, but I would think the biggest import they have from us is automotive from the NAFTA business that went down there that use to be here. For other goods, Mexico can import them cheaply just as we do for other countries aside from the US.
 

bigshow345

Seasoned Expediter
Its easy as hell leaving the country. Its a pain in the *** coming back. The further south into mexico there are Military check points aka Mexican Weigh stations. The broker I work with in Texas makes my documents in English and Spanish. They also have day laborers who speak both English and Spanish who ride along with you. You pay them say 60 bucks a day which is a ton of money in pesos. They ride along with you and translate from English to Spanish.

One thing you do have to do is lock your trailer or box doors up good and tight with those storage unit locks because people will come in the middle of the night and try and steal whats on the back. If its something like on a flat bed trailer like what I normally haul they leave it alone cause its to big.

Coming back from Mexico is another story. You need passport, social security card, cdl, fast card, and every single scrap of paper work. Then you pull your truck into an inspection station and they scan it with a giant xray machine to see if there are people in your cargo box or if you are smuggling drugs or explosives. When that is over you are ready to roll.

When you cross the border from mexico to the united states its 90 miles to the first border crossing check point.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Why would you need your SS card?

The FAST card is all that is needed when I came back to the states, they didn't even ask for anything else for that matter.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
They may be different in who processes them but they asked for it and I gave it without any problems - all my info just popped up.
 

scottm4211

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Agent in Detroit tried to yell at me for going through FAST lane empty until I showed him the letter they hand out stating it's allowed. Dope.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Agent in Detroit tried to yell at me for going through FAST lane empty until I showed him the letter they hand out stating it's allowed. Dope.

Well I wasn't yelled at, I was ripped into something really bad by the guy in the booth for that even after I told him that they directed me to that land then he had me held up for two hours being "inspected".

I noticed this morning coming back from Sarnia the Canadian customer people were really going over every truck really carefully and they had a line reaching the American side of the bridge. I never seen it that backed up with all the crossings I made.
 
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