Irapuato, Guanajuato to San Francisco, CA freight

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

Direction

Northbound (Mexico to U.S.)

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/irapuato-gua-to-san-francisco-ca.svg" alt="Irapuato, GUA to San Francisco, CA 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">Mexico leg</div><div class="trroute">Irapuato, GUA <span class="arr">→</span> Nuevo Laredo, TAM</div></div><b>1 day</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">Border crossing</div><div class="trroute">Nuevo Laredo, TAM <span class="arr">→</span> Laredo, TX</div></div><b>1–3 days</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">U.S. leg</div><div class="trroute">Laredo, TX <span class="arr">→</span> San Francisco, CA</div></div><b>3 days</b></div><div class="trrow tot"><span>Total transit</span><b>5–7 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 Irapuato market (Irapuato, Silao, Celaya, Guanajuato, Apaseo El Grande, Salamanca) with the San Francisco market (Livermore, Oakland, Hollister, Los Banos, San Jose, Napa), running northbound from Mexico into the U.S. Over the past 12 months brokers posted this corridor to the Cargado marketplace.

What ships from Irapuato

Freight out of the Irapuato market leans toward automotive parts, food and beverage and pharma and veterinary products 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.

Brokers post corridors like this to Cargado's marketplace, where verified carriers bid and every counterparty has been vetted before the first load moves.

The markets on this lane

Origin 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.

Destination market

San Francisco, CA

The Bay Area is a West Coast gateway built on the Port of Oakland, which handled about 2.25 million TEUs in 2025. San Francisco International Airport moved 541,998 metric tons of cargo and mail in fiscal 2025, and Fremont's advanced-manufacturing cluster and San Joaquin County's logistics sector generate inland freight. Union Pacific and BNSF intermodal rail facilities sit at the port.

Industries: Containerized trade, advanced manufacturing, air cargo, warehousing and distribution

Container terminals: Four active container terminals at the Port of Oakland, plus two more terminals listed as available for lease. Active terminals range from 60 to 290 acres; 18 deep-water berths (operating). Source
Seaport: Port of Oakland container volume. 2,253,976 TEUs in 2025, a 50/50 import and export split (operating). Source
Intermodal rail yards: Union Pacific and BNSF intermodal rail facilities at the port. 110 acres and 87 acres (operating). Source
Seaport logistics district: Gateway Industrial District on the former Oakland Army Base, with public infrastructure completed in 2019 and existing rail crossings, plus planned new rail lines to the port's adjacent rail yard. Source
Airport cargo: San Francisco International Airport. 541,998 metric tons of cargo and mail in fiscal 2025 (operating). Source
Advanced manufacturing: Fremont's advanced-manufacturing cluster, the largest concentration of advanced manufacturers in the Bay Area. Over 900 advanced manufacturing companies; one in every four jobs in the city. Source
Inland logistics: San Joaquin County, where transportation and logistics is the fastest growing industry, with a multi-modal transportation hub. 2nd in the U.S. for concentration of transportation and warehousing employment. Source

Distribution: Distribution is anchored at the port's intermodal rail yards and the Gateway Industrial District on the former Army Base, with inland logistics in San Joaquin County.

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 Irapuato to San Francisco?

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 Irapuato to San Francisco corridor?

Postings here lean dry van-led, with open deck demand. 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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