Stay ahead of market shifts with this week’s cross-border intelligence. Our experts break down capacity trends, volume patterns, and carrier activity across Mexico and Canada lanes to help you price competitively and serve customers better.
Post your spot and dedicated freight on Cargado to tap into current market conditions.
Cross-border Mexico
Carrier engagement is heating up. February is off to a strong start with overall percentage of postings with bids up 3 percentage points compared to January, surpassing 60% for the month. Post-holiday capacity has fully recovered and carriers are hungry for loads.
Northbound
Northbound remains strong. 71% of northbound postings are receiving bids. Origins out of the Bajío and Northern Mexico are driving the strongest carrier response, with lanes into the Southeast and Midwest consistently above 80% posting with bids. If you have customers moving freight north out of these regions, post it. Carriers want it.
Northbound dry van spotlight
Hot lanes where we’re seeing high bid rates and multiple bids per posting. If you have a customer moving freight out of one of these origin markets to one of these destinations, you have a very good chance of getting it covered. Go ask for the freight.
- Matamoros, TAM, to Elizabeth, NJ; McAllen, TX
- Tijuana, BCN, to Ontario, CA; Tulsa, OK; Concordia, KS; Lakeland, FL; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Columbus, OH; Kansas City, MO; San Francisco, CA; Breckenridge, CO
- Saltillo, COA, to Detroit, MI; Fredonia, NY; Wichita, KS; Houston, TX; Toronto, ON; Fort Worth, TX; London, ON; Dallas, TX
- Santiago de Querétaro, QUE, to Atlanta, GA; Seymour, IN; Columbus, OH; Toledo, OH; Columbia, SC; Laredo, TX; Evansville, IN; McAllen, TX; Greenville, SC; Detroit, MI; Calhoun, GA; Toronto, ON
- Mexico City, CMX, to Elizabeth, NJ; Laredo, TX; Louisville, KY
Expect to pay $2.50–$3.50/mile on most northbound dry van lanes. The January rate spike has normalized, and current pricing reflects balanced capacity conditions heading into late February.
When the Demand Index is trending above the Supply Index, we have tight capacity in a given marketplace. This is an indicator that freight posted may struggle to receive bids.
Southbound
Southbound is gaining momentum. The percentage of postings with bids climbed 11 percentage points during the holiday period. The Bajío and Guadalajara regions are the standout destinations, and Baja lanes are heating up too. If you’ve been holding back on posting southbound freight, now’s the time to test the market.
Southbound dry van spotlight
Hot lanes where we’re seeing high bid rates and multiple bids per posting. If you have a customer moving freight out of one of these origin markets to one of these destinations, you have a very good chance of getting it covered. Go ask for the freight.
- Fort Wayne, IN, to Cuautitlán Izcalli, MEX; Aguascalientes, AGU
- Laredo, TX, to Santiago de Querétaro, QUE; Saltillo, COA; Irapuato, GUA; Aguascalientes, AGU; Monterrey, NLE; Morelia, MIC; Leon, GUA; Torreón, COA; Puebla, PUE; Mexico City, CMX
- El Paso, TX, to Puebla, PUE; Chihuahua, CHH; Ciudad Juárez, CHH;
- Guadalajara, JAL; San Luis Potosi, SLP; Leon, GUA; Mexico City, CMX
- Saginaw, MI, to San Luis Potosi, SLP; Toluca, MEX; Aguascalientes, AGU
- Pittsburgh, PA, to Monterrey, NLE; Delicias, CHH
Domestic Mexico
Domestic Mexico freight is matching better when postings are concentrated in core carrier markets. Recent activity skewed toward Northern Mexico and the Bajío, and that mix aligned with where carriers are most willing to engage right now.
Coverage improved meaningfully week-over-week. The share of domestic postings receiving bids climbed into the mid-70% range last week, up sharply versus the prior week.
Dry van is doing the heavy lifting. Dry van coverage remained strong, reaching the mid-80% range last week, and continues to be the most reliable equipment type for consistent bids.
Straight truck is showing recovery signals. Coverage rose to around 60% last week, suggesting metro and short-haul distribution lanes are starting to attract more consistent participation.
Reefer remains the biggest gap. Coverage improved to roughly 50% last week, but overall participation is still thin, so temperature-controlled domestic freight will remain harder to cover consistently. Onboarding Mexican reefer carriers remains a priority for our Domestic Mexico team.
What this means for shippers and brokers: If you are posting domestic Mexico freight, prioritize dense origin markets, lead with dry van where possible, and plan extra lead time or flexibility for reefer and open deck.
Dry van spotlight
Hot lanes where we’re seeing high bid rates and multiple bids per posting. If you have a customer moving freight out of one of these origin markets to one of these destinations, you have a very good chance of getting it covered. Go ask for the freight.
- Santiago de Querétaro, QUE, to Monterrey, NLE; Xalapa, VER; Tijuana, BCN; Saltillo, COA
- Chihuahua, CHH, to Reynosa, TAM; Monterrey, NLE; Irapuato, GUA; Guadalajara, JAL
- Monterrey, NLE, to Monterrey, NLE intra-market; Cuautitlán Izcalli, MEX; San Luis Potosi, SLP
Canada
Capacity remains tight across Canada. Multiple factors continue to impact capacity throughout the Canadian market:
- Extended driver vacations: Capacity constraints are expected to persist through February into early March. Smaller carriers report up to 50% of drivers out of the market from January through March.
- Weather disruptions: Although no major snowfalls occurred last week, impacts from recent storms and extreme cold continue to affect overall capacity.
- Regulatory pressures: Tighter compliance regulations are pushing fleets out of the market and drivers toward alternative careers. This includes the closure of multiple trucking schools across the country.
- Immigration policy changes: Stricter enforcement and policy changes mean fewer new drivers entering the market.
With tighter capacity, many carriers have adjusted rates to current market conditions. Be prepared to negotiate for available trucks. Carriers remain active in pursuing recurring freight. If you have repeat lanes, post them as lanes (not individual loads) to show your volume and commitment to ongoing capacity. Lead time is critical during this period.
Carriers are actively seeking loads in these regions (U.S. to Canada)
Based on truck list submissions for the first part of the month, these are the top U.S. origin markets where carriers are actively looking for freight into Canada:
- FL – Dry Van → ON/QC
- GA – Dry Van → ON/QC
- TX – Reefer → ON/QC/AB
- IL – Dry Van → ON/QC/AB
- TN – Dry Van → ON/QC
Dry van spotlight
Hot lanes where we’re seeing high bid rates and multiple bids per posting. If you have a customer moving freight out of one of these origin markets to one of these destinations, you have a very good chance of getting it covered. Go ask for the freight.
- Laredo, TX, to Toronto, ON; Montreal, QC