Laredo – World Trade Bridge

The World Trade Bridge is the main artery of U.S.-Mexico trucking. The span is restricted to commercial vehicles, according to the City of Laredo, and it ties the I-35 corridor on the Texas side to Mexico's Federal Highway 85D toward Monterrey, Saltillo, and the Bajio. Laredo has ranked as the top U.S. gateway for international merchandise trade in recent years, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, and most of that freight rolls across this bridge.

What brokers should know

• Commercial only. Passenger cars use the downtown Gateway to the Americas Bridge, so trucks are not sharing lanes with tourist traffic.
• FAST lanes. Four dedicated FAST lanes opened in 2023 to speed northbound processing for shipments that meet the FAST program's requirements, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.
• More capacity coming. A second span dedicated to northbound commercial traffic is planned, according to the City of Laredo.

Operationally, Laredo is transfer country. Most loads run door-to-door on a through-trailer, with a transfer driver shuttling the trailer across the bridge while linehaul tractors swap on each side. Full transloading, where freight physically moves to a new trailer, is the exception here rather than the rule. See transbordo for how the two models differ. Mexican customs must clear at the port of entry, and customs brokers cluster on both sides of this crossing, so confirm yours works Laredo before you dispatch. If the lane is new to you, start with Mexico 101.

On Cargado, the World Trade Bridge is the deepest market on the network, with more vetted carriers than any other crossing. The city of Laredo itself runs on this freight, with one of the largest warehouse and drayage ecosystems on the border.

What does crossing at the World Trade Bridge add to cost and transit time?

For a shipper, the bridge is its own line on the quote and its own block of time in the transit plan. A Laredo crossing usually adds four things:

• Customs brokers on both sides. A Mexican customs broker (agente aduanal) files the export pedimento and a U.S. customs broker files the import entry. Each charges its own fee per shipment, and both need clean commercial documents before the truck moves.
• The transfer leg. A transfer carrier shuttles the trailer across the bridge between the Mexican and U.S. linehaul carriers, usually billed as a separate charge per crossing.
• Bridge tolls. The City of Laredo charges commercial vehicles $4.75 per axle, about $25 for a five-axle truck. Increases of 50 cents per axle are scheduled each January from 2027 through 2029, reaching $6.25 per axle.
• Waiting and inspection time. Queues on both sides and any secondary inspection are the least predictable part of the crossing, and the one most likely to push a load past its delivery appointment.

Plan around the bridge hours. The World Trade Bridge is open to commercial traffic from 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Saturday hours run 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. during a three-month pilot that began September 5, 2026, instead of the usual 4 p.m. close. A load that reaches the border after the last crossing window generally waits until the next day, so a transit estimate that assumes a same-day crossing should account for the cutoff.

Popular lanes through the World Trade Bridge

Every Cargado lane that routes through Laredo carries a border-aware route map and a day-by-day transit estimate, with the Mexican leg and the U.S. leg broken out at the crossing. A sample of the busiest:

• Monterrey → Laredo
• Monterrey → San Antonio
• Monterrey → Dallas
• Monterrey → Houston
• Monterrey → Chicago
• Monterrey → Atlanta
• Saltillo → Laredo
• Saltillo → Dallas
• Saltillo → Chicago
• San Luis Potosí → Laredo
• San Luis Potosí → Houston
• Aguascalientes → Atlanta

Browse all Mexico & Canada freight lanes →

On the Cargado network

Carrier capacity at Laredo

The app lists two Laredo ports, the Laredo international bridge (Nuevo Laredo on the Mexican side) and the Laredo Colombia bridge (Colombia, Nuevo León), and offers a single "Laredo, both bridges" choice. Carriers pick the Laredo crossings they use when they set up their profile, so capacity on this page covers Laredo as a whole. The Colombia-Solidarity page covers that bridge on its own, including its role for hazmat freight.

Every equipment family has freight posted through Laredo, and carriers with each family declare it. The Mexican side is not only Nuevo León: loads between the U.S. and the State of Mexico, Jalisco and Guanajuato cross here, so Laredo freight runs from short Nuevo Laredo moves to hauls out of the Bajío and Guadalajara.

On the driver and credential side, U.S. carriers with B1 and CDL drivers, Mexican carriers with import and export and drayage drivers, and C-TPAT, FAST, OEA and bonded-for-Mexico carriers all bid on Laredo freight.

Laredo in brief

• Bridges: the international bridge and the Colombia bridge, grouped as "Laredo, both bridges".
• Hazmat: the Colombia bridge has its own page and role.
• States behind the crossing: Nuevo León, the State of Mexico, Jalisco, Guanajuato.
• Equipment posted: all four families.
• Who bids: B1 and CDL carriers from the U.S., import and export and drayage carriers from Mexico, plus C-TPAT, FAST, OEA and bonded-for-Mexico carriers.

How to reach Laredo capacity on Cargado

Name Laredo as the crossing and give the Mexican plant and the final U.S. consignee, so carriers can price the Mexican leg, the crossing and the U.S. leg separately on their bid. Choose who handles the border: transfer by the carrier, or a pre-set transfer with your own crossing carrier. C-TPAT, FAST and OEA can be required on the posting. A bond for Mexico, a minimum cargo insurance, team drivers on the transit and CDL drivers (which limits the load to U.S. carriers) can be required too. Because Laredo carries freight from Nuevo León through the Bajío, read the suggestion reason on each carrier: a saved Laredo lane, service areas that cover the origin state, or an available truck near the pickup.

At a glance

Freight posted on Cargado

• Freight is posted through Laredo for dry van, reefer, open deck and straight truck, and carriers with that equipment declare the crossing.
• Freight is posted between the U.S. and Nuevo León, the State of Mexico, Jalisco or Guanajuato through Laredo.

Carriers bid on it

• Carriers with B1, CDL, import and export, and drayage drivers bid on freight through Laredo.
• C-TPAT, FAST, OEA and bonded-for-Mexico carriers bid on freight through Laredo.

Carriers declare it

• The app lists the Laredo international bridge and the Laredo Colombia bridge as separate ports and offers a grouped 'Laredo, both bridges' choice.

How the marketplace works

• A bid can price each leg of a cross-border load; brokers choose transfer by carrier or a pre-set transfer; FAST, OEA, C-TPAT, bonds, cargo insurance, team drivers and CDL can be required.

More questions

What is the Laredo World Trade Bridge and how is it different from the Colombia Bridge?

They are two Laredo crossings with different Mexican sides: the international bridge connects to Nuevo Laredo, and the Colombia bridge to Colombia, Nuevo León. Cargado lists both and groups them as Laredo. The Colombia-Solidarity page covers that bridge, including its role for hazmat freight.

Can I require C-TPAT, FAST or OEA on a Laredo load?

Yes. Each certification can be required on the load. A bond for Mexico can be required separately. Carriers declare these credentials and our team reviews the documents on file.