Mexicali, Baja California to Ontario, CA freight

The Mexicali to Ontario corridor runs northbound from Mexico into the U.S. and typically crosses at Calexico East – Mexicali.

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/mexicali-bcn-to-ontario-ca.svg" alt="Mexicali, BCN to Ontario, 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">Mexicali, BCN <span class="arr">→</span> Mexicali, BCN</div></div><b>1 day</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">Border crossing</div><div class="trroute">Mexicali, BCN <span class="arr">→</span> Calexico, CA</div></div><b>1–3 days</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">U.S. leg</div><div class="trroute">Calexico, CA <span class="arr">→</span> Ontario, CA</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">$6K–$7K</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 Mexicali market (Mexicali, Batáquez, Fraccionamento Bugambilias Jardines, Parque Industrial Valle Del Puebla, Ejido El Choropo, Puebla) with the Ontario market (Ontario, Perris, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, Fontana, Rialto), running northbound from Mexico into the U.S. Over the past 12 months brokers posted this corridor to the Cargado marketplace.

Recent carrier bids on this corridor typically land in the $6K–$7K range. Request a demo to see detailed, current rates for this lane.

What ships from Mexicali

Freight out of the Mexicali market leans toward metals and building materials, automotive parts and food and beverage 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 Calexico East – Mexicali. 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 Calexico East – Mexicali crossing page.

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

The markets on this lane

Origin market

Mexicali, BCN

Mexicali is a border manufacturing city whose merchandise exports are mostly computing and electrical equipment, with farm products making up the rest. Freight crosses at the Calexico East truck port and continues by road or by Ferromex and Union Pacific rail. The local maquiladora association counts 250+ member companies and 91,000 direct jobs.

Industries: Computing equipment, electrical equipment, maquiladora export manufacturing, agriculture

Customs: Calexico East cargo port of entry. 446,835 truck entries from Mexico in 2025 (operating). Source
Plant: Maquiladora export plants in Mexicali. 250+ member companies (IMMEX exporters and supplier allies) and 91,000 direct jobs, per the maquiladora association. Source
Plant: Computing and electrical equipment manufacturing for export. 96 percent of merchandise exports, which totaled US$3,776.4 million in the first quarter of 2025; farm products 4 percent. Source
Customs office: Aduana Sede Mexicali II, import Mon-Fri 8:00 to 20:00 and Sat 10:00 to 14:00, export Mon-Fri 7:00 to 20:00 and Sat 10:00 to 17:00 (operating). Source
Rail: Ferromex and Union Pacific train service in Mexicali; the railroads and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agreed to adjust rail schedules in April 2024 (operating). Source
Airport: Mexicali International Airport. 2,601 m runway (operating). Source

Distribution: Warehouse, trucking and transload operations serving the Calexico East crossing, the Mexicali customs office and its rail customs section.

Destination market

Ontario, CA

Ontario is an Inland Empire air cargo and warehouse market. Ontario International Airport grew its air cargo volume 5.3% in 2025, two Class I railroads run intermodal terminals nearby, and the city counts 133 million sq ft of industrial space. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handled a record 20.1 million TEUs in 2025.

Industries: Port-fed import warehousing and distribution, express and e-commerce air cargo, ocean container imports, rail intermodal, large-format fulfillment

Airport: Ontario International Airport, with express carrier operations on site. Cargo volume up 5.3% in 2025 (operating). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: Union Pacific Inland Empire Intermodal Terminal in Bloomington, a container-on-flatcar terminal. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week (operating). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: BNSF San Bernardino Intermodal Facility. Direct service to Chicago (operating). Source
Industrial park: The HUB, an airport-adjacent logistics park within Foreign-Trade Zone 50 (operating). Source
Seaport: Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. 20.1 million TEUs in 2025, a record (operating). Source
Industrial park: Foreign-Trade Zone 50 sites in Ontario. Granted by the Port of Long Beach in 1979, with designated magnet sites (operating). Source

Distribution: Warehouses of 200,000 to 930,000 sq ft in the airport area, plus express parcel operations at Ontario International Airport.

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 Mexicali to Ontario?

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 Mexicali to Ontario 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 Calexico East – Mexicali, 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.

Get a demo Request access See shipper rates