Interviewing Movers

Our house in the U.S. is in escrow, so it's time to get serious about finding an international mover. Relocating to Mexico requires more than packing boxes and loading them into a U-haul. It's a tedious process. First, we have to apply for residency in order to move our goods duty free. Then we have 6 months to move before the "free" part expires. Of course, this is Mexico, and we can't just pack our stuff into boxes and go... that would be too simple. For some reason each box has to be labeled, numbered, AND...each box has to contain like items. We can't put shirts in the blanket box, or that extra pair of shoes in the box containing books. Unlike items cannot travel with each other. Sounds like Monk had a hand in writing this policy!

To make matters even more difficult, we have two types of items to transport. Our used household goods, and new items (windows, solar, doors etc.) to be used in the construction of the house. New and used items fall under different guidelines and, of course, cannot be transported across the border together. The used items have to cross in one truck, the new items in another, then the load has to be combined in a warehouse in Tijuana for the final trip to our house in Southern Baja. Now here's the tough part...finding someone reliable to make this happen. We have interviews with two movers this week. One sounds more promising than the other. We already ruled out the third option.

After reading an ad on a Baja bulletin board, I gave the third guy a call. I always play dumb and ask what I need to do in order to import our goods. I know what I need to do; I just want to make sure the guy moving our stuff does.

I started out by asking what type of truck he has (I'm trying to distinguish between bobtail truck or semi with trailer). He answered that he "has an S.U.V." Thinking we have a bit of an English/Spanish language barrier I ask again "No, not your car. Do you have a truck and trailer you transport with."

"Oh, yes I have two trailers"

"Great" I say, "now lets talk about your warehouse in Tijuana. How large is it?"

"Ohhh...It's big, but it's not so much a warehouse, it's my garage. It's very big though, my house is above it"

Ok, now I'm loosing confidence, really nice sincere guy, but his garage? Well, after a long conversation I discover that his trailers are a 4' x 5' open utility trailer and a 12' x 6' closed cargo trailer that he hauls with his S.U.V. I don't think a condo full of furniture, appliances, 18 windows, 14 solar panels and 8 large batteries will fit.

"But we can make many small trips"

He has no idea where we're going.

Nice guy though.