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Kei trucks for the pits, plants and ranches of the Permian Basin

The Permian Basin carries 88 active surface mines and quarries on MSHA's list across 15 counties in Texas and New Mexico, 72 of them stone, sand and gravel, beside 12,172,573 acres of ranch and farm land. Texas titles a kei truck 25 years or older for the road, and a newer governed truck takes an off highway vehicle title or registration. New Mexico has not settled road use for kei trucks, and a newer governed truck works farms and private land.

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Walker CountyBrooks CountyDeaf Smith CountyHockley CountyShackelford CountyTom Green CountyWise CountyCottle CountyTaylor CountyArmstrong CountyHutchinson CountyIrion CountyMitchell CountyYoakum CountyChildress CountyGillespie CountyDickens CountyLa Salle CountyHansford CountyPotter CountyFalls CountyHamilton CountyRunnels CountyHale CountySan Jacinto CountyDuval CountyMoore CountyMartin CountyLimestone CountyZavala CountyCochran CountyFisher CountyBaylor CountyPanola CountyJack CountyCoryell CountyLipscomb CountyDonley CountyAtascosa CountyBriscoe CountyGoliad CountyGray CountyHall CountyBrown CountyGaines CountyBell CountySutton CountySan Augustine CountyKing CountyUvalde CountyWilson CountySchleicher CountySwisher CountyMotley CountyLynn CountyMenard CountyNolan CountySterling CountyGarza CountyCallahan CountyStonewall CountyFranklin CountyVan Zandt CountyHunt CountyMadison CountyHood CountyMason CountyGregg CountyHemphill CountyCastro CountyUpton CountyJim Hogg CountyLavaca CountyMidland CountyKimble CountyCarson CountyPalo Pinto CountyLamb CountyEastland CountyKerr CountyLubbock CountyErath CountyUpshur CountyBlanco CountyAndrews CountyJeff Davis CountyKnox CountyLlano CountyWheeler CountyCrosby CountyMcMullen CountyRoberts CountyKent CountyComal CountyZapata CountyAransas CountyOrange CountyWinkler CountyJones CountySherman CountyChambers CountyHardin CountyHill CountyWilliamson CountyKinney CountyCalhoun CountyEllis CountyClay CountyKaufman CountyFoard CountyCollin CountyComanche CountyConcho CountyCrane CountyJasper CountyGonzales CountyJefferson CountyDimmit CountyBowie CountyBrewster CountyDallam CountyCass CountyFayette CountyBurnet CountyRefugio CountyOchiltree CountyMatagorda CountyThrockmorton CountyAnderson CountyCaldwell CountyMedina CountyGlasscock CountyKenedy CountyWood CountyLiberty CountyTravis CountyMontgomery CountyHoward CountyBastrop CountyTrinity CountyMcLennan CountyMcCulloch CountyBrazoria CountyBailey CountyHouston CountySan Saba CountyPresidio CountyNacogdoches CountyWashington CountyCooke CountyWilbarger CountyLeon CountyKarnes CountyRandall CountyDeWitt CountyWard CountyWichita CountyWillacy CountyShelby CountyKendall CountyMorris CountyHopkins CountyRockwall CountyHudspeth CountySmith CountyHidalgo CountyBrazos CountyBurleson CountyDelta CountyCrockett CountyLee CountyRobertson CountyMills CountyLoving CountySabine CountyAustin CountyReagan CountyReeves CountyTarrant CountyHays CountySan Patricio CountyOldham CountyPecos CountyReal CountyDallas CountyNueces CountyRed River CountyColeman CountyRusk CountyTerrell CountyTyler CountyVictoria CountyWebb CountyWharton CountyKleberg CountyHarris CountyHardeman CountyNewton CountyNavarro CountyMontague CountyFrio CountyHarrison CountyLamar CountyFloyd CountyStarr CountyStephens CountyParmer CountyMarion CountyVal Verde CountyEl Paso CountyCoke CountyCameron CountyWaller CountyBee CountyTitus CountyCamp CountyGrimes CountyScurry CountyJim Wells CountyEctor CountyRains CountyParker CountyYoung CountyPolk CountyAngelina CountyLive Oak CountyDawson CountyHaskell CountyTerry CountyArcher CountyHenderson CountyBosque CountyHartley CountyCollingsworth CountySomervell CountyColorado CountyFreestone CountyBorden CountyCulberson CountyGalveston CountyLampasas CountyEdwards CountyGuadalupe CountyCherokee CountyFannin CountyFort Bend CountyMilam CountyBexar CountyJohnson CountyDenton CountyBandera CountyMaverick CountyJackson CountyGrayson CountyLuna CountyTorrance CountyGrant CountySierra CountyUnion CountyDe Baca CountyValencia CountySan Miguel CountyOtero CountyHidalgo CountyCibola CountyEddy CountyRio Arriba CountyMcKinley CountyLincoln CountySocorro CountyTaos CountySan Juan CountyCatron CountyLos Alamos CountySanta Fe CountyMora CountySandoval CountyQuay CountyDoña Ana CountyLea CountyCurry CountyBernalillo CountyChaves CountyHarding CountyColfax CountyGuadalupe CountyRoosevelt County

The ground

The work, counted.

Each figure opens the dataset it was counted from.

3,504farmsUSDA National Agricultural Statistics Service2022 Census of Agricultureread 28 October 20261,231cattle operationsUSDA National Agricultural Statistics Service2022 Census of Agricultureread 28 October 202612,172,573acres of land in farmsUSDA National Agricultural Statistics Service2022 Census of Agricultureread 28 October 2026933operations with horsesUSDA National Agricultural Statistics Service2022 Census of Agricultureread 28 October 202688active surface mines and quarriesMine Safety and Health AdministrationMines data setread 28 October 202672of them stone, sand and gravelMine Safety and Health AdministrationMines data setread 28 October 202619.7 percentof people outside urban areasUS Census Bureau2020 urban and rural countiesread 28 October 2026

The road, both lanes

What each state allows.

Texas titles a kei truck 25 years or older for the road, and a newer governed truck takes an off highway vehicle title or registration. New Mexico has not settled road use for kei trucks, and a newer governed truck works farms and private land.

New MexicoRoad use unclearPrivate land onlyTexasOpen to road useOff highway vehicle

The counties

The counties of the Permian Basin.

Eddy, NMLea, NMAndrews, TXCrane, TXEctor, TXGaines, TXHoward, TXLoving, TXMartin, TXMidland, TXPecos, TXReeves, TXUpton, TXWard, TXWinkler, TX

Questions

Asked about the Permian Basin.

Can I drive a kei truck on the road in the Permian Basin?

Texas titles and registers a kei vehicle that complies with federal law as a motor vehicle. Once titled and registered it may use any public highway where it can operate in compliance with the traffic laws. New Mexico has no kei truck law. The MVD's written procedure for a vehicle built for sale abroad asks for conformity to federal safety and emission standards and a NHTSA bond release letter, and it has no lane for a vehicle imported at 25 years under the federal age exemption. Each state page gives the full rule.

What about a newer truck governed to 25 mph?

It enters the country as off road equipment, governed to 25 mph. In Texas it works farms, ranches and private land. Public land OHV areas with a Texas Parks and Wildlife OHV decal. In New Mexico it works privately held land and agricultural operations. Each state page has the rest of the rule.

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