Houston, TX to Irapuato, Guanajuato freight

The Houston to Irapuato corridor runs southbound from the U.S. into Mexico and typically crosses at Laredo (World Trade Bridge).

Direction

Southbound (U.S. to Mexico)

Equipment on this lane

Open deck-led, with dry van demand

Carrier availability

Vetted carriers cover this corridor

Marketplace activity

Posted by brokers on the Cargado marketplace

<div class="lane-viz"><div class="lane-viz-mapwrap"><img class="lane-viz-map" src="https://cargado-lane-maps.pages.dev/houston-tx-to-irapuato-gua.svg" alt="Houston, TX to Irapuato, GUA freight route map on Cargado" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="620"></div><div class="lane-viz-panel"><div class="lane-viz-title">Transit time</div><div class="tr"><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">U.S. leg</div><div class="trroute">Houston, TX <span class="arr">→</span> Laredo, TX</div></div><b>1 day</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">Border crossing</div><div class="trroute">Laredo, TX <span class="arr">→</span> Nuevo Laredo, TAM</div></div><b>1–3 days</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">Mexico leg</div><div class="trroute">Nuevo Laredo, TAM <span class="arr">→</span> Irapuato, GUA</div></div><b>1 day</b></div><div class="trrow tot"><span>Total transit</span><b>3–5 days</b></div></div><a class="lane-cta" href="https://cargado.com/brokers/get-a-demo">Get a Rate <span class="arw">→</span></a><div class="lane-viz-fine">Estimated drive time by road, split at the border. Border dwell varies with documentation and crossing.</div></div></div>

This corridor connects the Houston market (Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, La Porte, Freeport, Rosenberg) with the Irapuato market (Irapuato, Silao, Celaya, Guanajuato, Apaseo El Grande, Salamanca), running southbound from the U.S. Over the past 12 months brokers posted this corridor to the Cargado marketplace.

What ships from Houston

Freight out of the Houston market leans toward plastics and packaging, chemicals and additives and fresh produce based on what brokers actually post there. You can read more about moving these goods on the freight types pages.

Equipment on this corridor

Open deck-led, with dry van demand. Browse equipment definitions in the glossary if a term is unfamiliar.

Border crossing

Most freight on this corridor crosses at Laredo (World Trade Bridge). Loads either run direct with a through-trailer or transload at the border, and the transfer step is priced into carrier bids. See transloading and the Laredo (World Trade Bridge) crossing page.

This corridor is one of many corridors with real bid history on Cargado, the marketplace connecting brokers with verified Mexico and Canada carriers.

More lanes from these markets

Every lane guide for Irapuato is listed on its lane hub, by direction and destination country.

The markets on this lane

Origin market

Houston, TX

Houston is the Gulf Coast's main gateway for containers, refined fuels, petrochemicals, steel and project cargo. The Houston Ship Channel is the nation's largest port by waterborne tonnage, and Port Houston's two container terminals handled a record 4.3 million TEUs in 2025. Freight moves on to Texas and the U.S. interior by Union Pacific, BNSF and CPKC rail and by truck, and toward Mexico on US 59 to Laredo.

Industries: Refined fuels, petrochemicals and plastics, containerized imports and exports, steel and project cargo, warehousing and distribution

Seaport: Two public container terminals on the Houston Ship Channel (Barbours Cut and Bayport), including a Bayport berth completed in late 2025. 4.3 million TEUs in 2025, a record (operating). Source
Seaport: Multi-purpose terminals for breakbulk, steel, grain and heavy-lift project cargo. Described by the port as the area's largest breakbulk, steel and project cargo complex in North America (operating). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: Union Pacific Settegast intermodal terminal. Container and trailer lifts, open 24 hours (operating). Source
Free-trade zone: Foreign-Trade Zone 84, managed by Port Houston, serving Harris, Waller and Wharton counties. 1,708.58 acres activated; 40 active sites (operating). Source
Airport: George Bush Intercontinental Airport cargo centers. Two cargo centers on 120 acres; more than 564,000 metric tons of air cargo handled by Houston Airports in 2025 (operating). Source
Plant: Oil refining and chemical production in the Houston region. Oil and refined petroleum products are the region's dominant export, followed by organic chemicals. Source

Distribution: Foreign-trade-zone sites in Harris, Waller and Wharton counties, and intermodal lifts at the Union Pacific Settegast terminal.

Destination market

Irapuato, GUA

Irapuato sits in the Bajío auto corridor, where Guanajuato built about 22% of Mexico's light vehicles in 2025. The state's plants make pickups, SUVs and compact cars that ship mostly to the United States, and the corridor also produces auto parts and packaged food. Freight leaves by highway MEX-45 and by Ferromex rail from the Puerto Interior dry port in Silao.

Industries: Vehicle assembly, auto parts, food processing, dry port and logistics services, export manufacturing

Industrial park: Industrial and logistics complex with industrial parks, customs and an intermodal terminal. 1,506 hectares, 140 companies, more than 40,000 direct jobs (operating). Source
Customs office: Interior customs office inside the dry port, Panamericana highway km 160. Import and export clearance inland (operating). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: Ferromex container terminal at the dry port, with non-stop service to Chicago (operating). Source
Vehicle assembly plants: Four light-vehicle assembly plants in Guanajuato making pickups, SUVs, compacts and electrified models. 877,463 vehicles built in 2025, 22.1% of national output; plants averaged 80.2% of installed capacity (operating). Source
Industrial park: Guanajuato's industrial park network, including parks in Irapuato. 48 parks in 17 municipalities, 7,173 hectares of industrial land, 3,650 hectares available (operating). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: Inland rail terminal in Celaya, a development hub declared by the national government in July 2025, to be served by CPKC and Ferromex. 52 hectares (planned). Source

Distribution: A rail container terminal and customs office at the dry port, and a planned inland rail terminal in Celaya.

Market profiles describe industries and facility types from public government, industry, port, railroad and industrial-park sources. They name no shippers, manufacturers, retailers or logistics companies.

Common questions about this lane

How do I find carriers for Houston to Irapuato?

On Cargado, brokers post the corridor and vetted carriers bid on it. Every carrier is verified before it can bid, which replaces cold-calling unknown carriers.

What equipment is available on the Houston to Irapuato corridor?

Postings here are mostly open-deck, with some dry van. If you need a type you do not see, post the load anyway. Carriers with matching equipment get notified automatically.

Does freight on this corridor transload at the border or run direct?

Both happen. Most freight crosses at Laredo (World Trade Bridge), where carriers either transfer the trailer to a cross-border drayage carrier or run direct with a through-trailer. The bid reflects the carrier's setup.

Moving freight on this lane?

Post it to 2,350+ vetted Mexico and Canada carriers, or check market rates built from real carrier bids before you quote.

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