Travels
I have just returned from a road trip and I thought I would share some observations and experiences.
First of all, have never seen so many 18 wheelers in the highways, nor have I seen so many pieces of retread littering the road.
I traveled from Colorado to Alabama, to North Carolina, back to Alabama, and home to Colorado. I learned to distinguish the NAFTA trucks by the lack of DOT registration on the cabs. The roads were packed with big trucks and with fuel in the $3.00 a gallon range, I was surprised. I saw a lot of NAFTA trucks and very quickly learned not to stop at any rest stops, many were a little too "busy".
Back to the tires. Pieces of retread tires are literally littering the roads, more than I have ever seen and they can cause big damage if you hit one. I had a flat in AK and the only tire place I could find specializes in big trucks. While I waited I struck up a conversation with the guy behind the counter about all of the truck traffic on the roads. He said they are seeing a lot of Mexico truckers, and his shop is doing a big business in replacement tires.
A friend shared with me that a lot of independent truckers are being put out of business by these guys, they drive with up to four drivers in a truck and go straight through. They bid loads for so much less than American truckers can that American truckers get out to places and can't find loads that allow them to get home. Are American Independent truckers yet one more casualty of NAFTA?
I would advise caution on the roads and don't drive between Claton New Mexico and Raton New Mexico, they have set up a speed trap with about 50 miles of questionably marked "road contruction" construction was only in one little spot about 14 miles in the "zone" and the signs go from 45, 55, 65, at intervals of 100 feet or less with double fines. All revenue goes to Clayton.