Mexicali, Baja California to San Francisco, CA freight

The Mexicali to San Francisco 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 and reefer 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-san-francisco-ca.svg" alt="Mexicali, BCN 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">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> San Francisco, CA</div></div><b>2 days</b></div><div class="trrow tot"><span>Total transit</span><b>4–6 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 Mexicali market (Mexicali, Batáquez, Fraccionamento Bugambilias Jardines, Parque Industrial Valle Del Puebla, Ejido El Choropo, Puebla) 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 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 and reefer 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.

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

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

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 Mexicali 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 Mexicali to San Francisco corridor?

Postings here lean dry van-led, with open deck and reefer 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?

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