Houston, TX to San Luis Potosí freight

The Houston to San Luis Potosí 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

Dry van-led, with open deck 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-san-luis-potosi-slp.svg" alt="Houston, TX to San Luis Potosi, SLP 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> San Luis Potosi, SLP</div></div><b>1 day</b></div><div class="trrow tot"><span>Total transit</span><b>3–5 days</b></div></div><div class="lane-viz-title">Typical market range</div><div class="lane-rate-band" style="font-size:1.75rem;font-weight:700;color:#16295c;margin:.15rem 0 .6rem">$1K–$2K</div><a class="lane-cta" href="https://cargado.com/brokers/get-a-demo">Request a demo for detailed rates </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 San Luis Potosí market (San Luis Potosi, Villa De Reyes, Pozos, Mexquitic De Carmona, Soledad De Graciano Sánchez), running southbound from the U.S. Over the past 12 months brokers posted this corridor to the Cargado marketplace regularly.

Recent carrier bids on this corridor typically land in the $1K–$2K range. Request a demo to see detailed, current rates for this lane.

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

Dry van-led, with open deck 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.

On Cargado, this corridor is covered by a marketplace of verified carriers bidding on freight from brokers, with rate context drawn from real bids rather than surveys.

More lanes from these markets

Every lane guide for San Luis Potosi 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

San Luis Potosí, SLP

San Luis Potosí is a central Mexico market for vehicle assembly, auto parts and appliances. The state exported $6,893.2 million in the second quarter of 2026, mostly transport equipment, and ranked ninth among Mexican states. Nuevo Laredo is about 719 km north and is served by highway and by CPKC and Ferromex rail, and rail routes also reach Pacific and Gulf ports.

Industries: Vehicle assembly, auto parts, appliances, logistics and distribution

Vehicle assembly: Vehicle assembly plants in San Luis Potosí. 209,367 vehicles built January to July 2026, 9.1% of Mexico's total (operating). Source
Transport equipment: Transport equipment manufacturing, the state's largest export sector. Exports of $4,934.6 million in the second quarter of 2026, up 9%. Source
Appliance manufacturing: Appliance manufacturing, named the second export pillar after the auto sector. Source
Industrial park with rail: WTC Premium Industrial Park, with a customs office, a free trade zone and a CPKC intermodal terminal. Rail routes to Laredo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Veracruz and Altamira (operating). Source
Logistics park: WTC Industrial Park 3, a logistics and distribution park. 93 hectares (opened March 2026). Source
Bonded warehouse and customs: Strategic bonded warehouses (RFE) and customs sections in the state. 1 contiguous and 4 non-contiguous RFEs, 3 customs sections (operating). Source
Airport: Aeropuerto Internacional Ponciano Arriaga. 15,463.7 metric tons of cargo from January to August 2026, nearly all domestic, down 13.2% from 2025 (operating). Source

Distribution: Rail-served logistics and industrial parks, a strategic bonded warehouse and an airport with cargo operations.

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 San Luis Potosí?

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 San Luis Potosí corridor?

Postings here are mostly dry van, with some open-deck. 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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