Los Angeles
It depends on where in Mexico the load is going, and on Cargado the crossing is your call on the posting. Tijuana runs from Los Angeles and the Inland Empire stay close, and Baja California freight posts through Otay Mesa and Calexico East. For long hauls to Monterrey, Mexico City and Cuautitlán Izcalli you choose between crossing in California and hauling to Texas first, and Los Angeles to Laredo also posts as a U.S. haul.
Mostly dry van on both the short and long runs, with reefer freight posting out of the U.S. West and Baja California.
California
United States
Short Tijuana runs and long hauls to central Mexico
What drives freight here
Southern California freight to Mexico splits two ways: short Tijuana runs and long hauls to Mexico City, Cuautitlán Izcalli and Monterrey. Loads post to and from Los Angeles and Ontario, California, with carriers based statewide.
The nearshoring picture
Los Angeles and the Inland Empire trade dry van freight with Tijuana, and Baja California freight posts through Otay Mesa, Calexico East and Tecate. Long hauls to central Mexico can cross in California or run to Texas first, and Guadalajara ships north to Los Angeles.
Two kinds of Mexico freight out of Southern California
Southern California freight to Mexico splits in two. Loads are posted to and from Los Angeles and to and from Ontario, the Inland Empire city, and carriers are based across California.
The short kind goes to Tijuana. Los Angeles to Tijuana and Ontario to Tijuana are posted, and Tijuana sends freight back to Ontario. At the regional level, the U.S. West and Baja California trade dry van freight in both directions, and reefer freight posts out of both.
The long kind reaches deep into Mexico: Los Angeles to Mexico City, to Cuautitlán Izcalli on the metro's north edge, and to Monterrey. Guadalajara sends freight north to Los Angeles. Los Angeles to Laredo posts as well, a U.S. haul that ends at the Texas border.
Short or long, it is mostly dry van.
California crossing or Texas crossing
For Tijuana the answer is close to home. Baja California freight posts through Otay Mesa, Calexico East and Tecate, and the Otay Mesa page covers that short run in detail.
For Mexico City, Cuautitlán Izcalli and Monterrey, the crossing is a choice you make on each load. Either route is open: cross in California and run south through Mexico, or haul east to Texas and cross there. The posted Los Angeles to Laredo freight is one form of the second plan. Settle it with your customs broker, then set it on the posting, or apply the crossing most used on that lane.
Los Angeles and Ontario are well outside the border commercial zones. A Mexican carrier needs an MX number and OP-1 authority to pick up or deliver there; OP-2 authority limits it to the border zones.
Los Angeles and the Inland Empire in brief
- Carriers: based across California.
- Short runs: Los Angeles and Ontario to Tijuana; Tijuana to Ontario.
- Long hauls south: Mexico City, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Monterrey.
- Northbound: Guadalajara to Los Angeles.
- U.S. haul: Los Angeles to Laredo.
- Crossings for Baja California freight: Otay Mesa, Calexico East, Tecate.
- Trailer: mostly dry van; reefer posts out of the U.S. West and Baja California.
Posting Southern California freight on Cargado
For a Tijuana run, post the actual plant or warehouse in Tijuana and the Los Angeles or Inland Empire dock, plus the crossing. Carriers based in Baja California declare dry van and carriers are based across California, so suggested carriers can come from either side of the border. For a long haul to central Mexico, post the final Mexican destination rather than a border yard, choose who handles the crossing, and expect bids that price the U.S. leg, the crossing and the Mexican leg separately. If you only need the California to Laredo haul, post just that and it goes to U.S. carriers. Pricing in dollars or in pesos works.
At a glance
Freight posted on Cargado
- Freight is posted to and from Los Angeles and Ontario, California, and carriers are based across California.
- Freight from Los Angeles and Ontario to Tijuana, and from Tijuana to Ontario, is posted mostly for dry van.
- Freight from Los Angeles to Mexico City, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Monterrey and Laredo is posted mostly for dry van.
- Freight from Guadalajara to Los Angeles is posted mostly for dry van.
- The U.S. West and Baja California post dry van freight to each other, and reefer freight is posted out of both; California is the app region the evidence calls the U.S. West.
- Baja California freight is posted through Otay Mesa, Calexico East and Tecate; carriers based in Baja California declare dry van.
How the marketplace works
- Mexican carriers need OP-1 for the U.S. interior; OP-2 limits them to the border commercial zones.
- Postings and bids can be in USD, MXN or CAD; bids can price each leg.
More questions
What equipment do Southern California cross-border loads use?
Dry van, mostly. Each Los Angeles and Ontario corridor to and from Mexico posts mainly for vans. Reefer freight posts out of the U.S. West and out of Baja California, so a refrigerated load fits the region; set the trailer and temperature on the posting.
Does freight move from Guadalajara to Los Angeles?
Yes, mostly in vans. You set the crossing: name it on the posting or leave the border to the carrier and ask each bidder for its route.
Common questions
How do I find carriers for Los Angeles freight to and from Mexico?
Post the load with the true Los Angeles or Inland Empire address, the Mexican city, the trailer and the crossing plan. Carriers are notified by saved lane, service area or an open truck near the pickup, and you see suggested carriers with the reason each was picked.
Which carriers run between the Inland Empire and Tijuana?
Carriers based in Baja California declare dry van, and carriers are based across California, so this short run has carriers at both ends. Freight posts from Ontario to Tijuana and back. A Mexican carrier needs OP-1 authority to deliver to Ontario, which sits outside the border zone.
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