Cross-Border Freight
Driver and visa constraints keep North American cross-border capacity tight
· Source: FreightWaves
TRAFFIX's October cross-border index remained above 50 for Canada and Mexico, indicating continued cost and capacity pressure. FreightWaves reported that driver shortages, visa withdrawals, border restrictions and expensive truck financing are limiting carrier growth even with soft demand.
Summary and practical context by RoadHouse Recruiting · Reviewed
Mexico capacity faces driver and visa pressure
Citing Mexican trucking association CANACAR, C.H. Robinson reported that U.S. authorities had withdrawn visas from roughly 25,000 Mexican freight drivers. Temporary empty-truck restrictions also forced equipment repositioning through Laredo.
Canada lanes face directional imbalance
TRAFFIX executives said strong Canada-to-U.S. demand and weaker northbound freight are making return loads harder to find. They reported increases of 25% to 35% on some corridors, but did not identify lanes or provide a marketwide average.
The outlook is a forecast, not a guaranteed rate path
TRAFFIX expects constraints to persist into 2027, citing 8% to 9% equipment-financing costs and regulatory barriers. Actual conditions vary widely by crossing, direction, commodity and carrier.
Understanding the update
The October 12 report combines a proprietary index, company interviews and other market data. Its forward outlook is analysis, not a government rule.
What it means for drivers and carriers
Cross-border shippers should secure qualified drivers early, price empty repositioning and maintain alternate gateways and carriers.
Questions to consider
- Which lanes have the highest empty-repositioning risk?
- Are assigned drivers and equipment authorized for the border crossing?
- What alternate gateway is available if restrictions tighten?
Read the original reporting
This page provides an original summary and practical commentary. The linked source contains the full reporting. Older stories reflect information available on their published dates.
Read the source at FreightWaves ↗ (opens in a new tab)