Most likely, you have a passenger car with fairly limited luggage space. This means that every major purchase becomes a small logistical problem. If you are buying something bulky, in particular a new refrigerator, table or building materials, you need to ask the store if they have delivery, or ask someone you know to bring it from the store.
The store delivery option is not always suitable because it can be expensive and not the fastest. At large chains like Home Depot or City Club, delivery often takes several days, sometimes even a week. For a person who wants to immediately install new furniture or complete renovations, such a wait seems like an eternity. There is also the possibility of not being familiar with a large car and free time.
The solution may be very simple. In the parking lots of large stores, it is almost always possible to see small trucks or pickups with the words «Fletes» (freight transportation) or «Mudanzas» (transfers) on the body. Usually these are private drivers or small family companies who make money by transporting furniture, household appliances, building materials and other large items.
Such cars are literally waiting for customers. The buyer leaves the store with a sofa, refrigerator or boxes of tiles, and there is already a person nearby ready to take it all home. The whole transaction takes a few minutes: you agree on a price, load your purchase, and the truck drives behind your car or with you.
Larger carriers always have websites on the Internet or social networks, which can be easily found in Google using the phrase Fletes y Mudanzas. Then you can order a car in advance, even before going to the store.
For transportation from stores, this service looks almost ideal. Firstly, delivery occurs immediately, without waiting. Secondly, drivers usually help not only load things, but also bring them directly into the apartment or house. And finally, the price of such services is often quite reasonable, at least compared to official delivery, especially if you haggle a little. Sometimes transportation can cost only a few hundred pesos, including assistance with loading and lifting things.
Price negotiations — a distinct part of Mexican culture. Unlike many countries where the price of services is fixed, here it is customary to discuss the price. In Mexico, small negotiations are considered a completely normal part of the transaction. The total amount depends greatly on the distance, the size of the cargo and how convincingly you can negotiate.
Of course, as in any situation involving private services, it is useful to exercise basic caution. Many local residents try to use carriers recommended by stores or friends. This reduces the risk of misunderstandings. In addition, it is wise to write down the driver's phone number and make sure it works so that you can contact him along the way. Some people even take a photo of the truck and license plate, just in case something goes wrong. Such measures may seem unnecessary, but they make it possible to feel calmer.
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The inscription «Fletes y Mudanzas» It was not by chance that it appeared on pickups and small trucks in Mexico. This is a reflection of how the transportation market in the country works. It is largely informal, local and very small in scale.
Firstly, in Mexico a huge part of the services operate at the level of small family businesses. Many pickup or small truck owners simply turn their vehicle into a source of income. A man buys a used truck, writes on the side «Fletes y Mudanzas» and begins to offer transportation services. There is often no complicated registration of a business or large company behind this. This can be one driver, sometimes with an assistant from the family.
Secondly, the transportation market here is very different from other countries. There, the transportation of furniture or household appliances is usually organized through large delivery companies or specialized moving companies. In Mexico, many people prefer a simpler and cheaper option — hire a driver with a truck right outside the store. Consequently, such cars are often on duty in the parking lots of construction hypermarkets, furniture stores and markets.
The inscription «Fletes» shows that the driver is ready to transport individual large items — say a refrigerator, a sofa, building materials or household appliances. And the word «Mudanzas» added in order to attract another category of clients — those who are moving entirely and want to move furniture, boxes and belongings from one house to another. In fact, the inscription «Fletes y Mudanzas» means: we will transport anything — from one closet to an entire apartment.
In addition, in Mexico, many areas are designed in such a way that large transport companies simply do not work on small orders. And people constantly need to transport something small: building materials after purchase, furniture from the market, a refrigerator from the store, a sofa from relatives. Private carriers fill exactly this niche.
Therefore, in almost any city — from large cities to small provincial villages — You are allowed to see old pickups or trucks with a large "Fletes y Mudanzas" inscription. It is one of the most recognizable elements of everyday city life in Mexico. In practice, such transportation works surprisingly efficiently. Private drivers are interested in a good reputation and regular customers, therefore they try to get the job done quickly and accurately. Over the years of living in Mexico, we have seen hundreds of these small trucks almost everywhere.