Xalapa, Veracruz to McAllen, TX freight

The Xalapa to McAllen corridor runs northbound from Mexico into the U.S. and typically crosses at Laredo (World Trade Bridge). On Cargado, multiple carriers bid here in the past year.

Direction

Northbound (Mexico to U.S.)

Equipment on this lane

Reefer-led, with dry van and open deck demand

Carrier availability

Multiple carriers bid here in the past year

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/xalapa-ver-to-mcallen-tx.svg" alt="Xalapa, VER to McAllen, TX 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">Xalapa, VER <span class="arr">→</span> Nuevo Laredo, TAM</div></div><b>2 days</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> McAllen, TX</div></div><b>1 day</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 Xalapa market (Heroica Veracruz, Xalapa, Naolinco, Oriental, Valente Díaz, Chignahuapan) with the McAllen market (Brownsville, Mcallen, Pharr, Hidalgo, Mission), running northbound from Mexico into the U.S. Over the past 12 months brokers posted this corridor to the Cargado marketplace. Multiple carriers bid here in the past year.

What ships from Xalapa

Freight out of the Xalapa market leans toward food and beverage, machinery and industrial equipment and metals and building materials based on what brokers actually post there. You can read more about moving these goods on the freight types pages.

Equipment on this corridor

Reefer-led, with dry van and 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

Xalapa, VER

Xalapa is the capital of Veracruz, with a commerce, services and light manufacturing economy and a wholesale produce market that supplies the metro area. Its export freight, mainly coffee, citrus and spices, moves by road to the Port of Veracruz, which handled 30.0 million metric tons and 1.3 million TEU in 2025. The port has direct rail access from two railroads and a new customs facility.

Industries: Coffee and agricultural exports, retail and wholesale trade, services and government, light manufacturing, port-linked logistics

Seaport: Port of Veracruz. 30.0 million metric tons and 1,299,337 TEU in 2025 (operating). Source
Customs: Port customs facility with new lanes. Throughput raised to 120 vehicles per hour (operating as of January 2026). Source
Seaport: Eastern breakwater expansion at the Port of Veracruz. Three-year build, more than 7 billion pesos (under construction as of January 2026). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: Port rail bypass with direct entry for the two main railroads. 19.5 km double track (opened October 2021). Source
Distribution center: Xalapa central wholesale market (Central de Abastos). 100 warehouses and more than 120 businesses (operating). Source

Distribution: Wholesale food distribution at the Xalapa central market, with export freight moving through the Port of Veracruz.

Destination market

McAllen, TX

McAllen and Pharr are the Rio Grande Valley's cross-border freight gateway, built around the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, which the bridge operator calls the number one border crossing in the U.S. for produce. Its top imports include fresh fruit, insulated wire and cable, and TVs and computer monitors. In 2026 the bridge doubled its capacity with a second structure that adds four lanes.

Industries: Fresh produce, electronics and electrical equipment, auto parts, southbound fuels and petroleum gases, pork

Customs bridge: Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, with a second structure. Adds four lanes, a 100% increase in bridge capacity (opened 2026). Source
Customs bridge: Anzalduas International Bridge, which opened in 2009 and has allowed only empty southbound cargo, with new commercial inspection stations being added for northbound cargo. Six new commercial inspection lanes (under construction as of May 2026). Source
Industrial park: Capote International Park next to the Pharr bridge. More than 1.1 million sq ft of buildings, primarily distribution centers (operating). Source
Cold storage: Cold storage units at the Pharr port of entry to keep produce fresh for distributors on both sides of the border (operating). Source
Foreign-trade zone: McAllen Foreign Trade Zone #12 with warehouse, third-party logistics and rail-side service. Source
Airport: McAllen International Airport air cargo building at 2201 Uvalde Avenue. Source
Seaport: Port of Brownsville, with Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 and rail service. Source

Distribution: Produce cold storage at the Pharr port of entry, bridge-adjacent distribution parks, and a foreign-trade-zone operator offering third-party logistics and rail-side cross-docking.

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 Xalapa to McAllen?

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

What equipment is available on the Xalapa to McAllen corridor?

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

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