Mexico ↔ United States

What actually happens at the border

A typical northbound movement involves at least three carriers: a Mexican motor carrier running the domestic leg to the border, a drayage carrier moving the trailer across the bridge, and a U.S. motor carrier taking it onward. Southbound is the mirror image. Between them sits a customs broker on each side, a transfer yard, and a documentation package that has to be right before any of it moves.

Every one of those handoffs is a place the shipment can stop. Our job is to make sure the handoffs are scheduled against each other rather than discovered in sequence — and that when something does go wrong, you hear about it from us before you hear about it from your customer.

• Domestic leg in Mexico with an authorized Mexican motor carrier
• Drayage across the bridge
• Transfer or transload at the crossing where the lane requires an equipment change
• Customs entry filed by the licensed customs broker on the relevant side
• U.S. linehaul with a vetted, authorized motor carrier
• Final-mile delivery to the receiver’s appointment

Documentation is the usual point of failure

In our experience the shipments that stall are rarely stopped by inspection — they are stopped because the commercial invoice disagrees with the packing list, a value is missing, a description is too vague, or a certificate arrived after the broker needed it.

We assemble the documentation against the shipment reference and check it for internal consistency before the equipment is anywhere near the bridge. It is a dull discipline and it is the single highest-leverage thing anyone does on this lane.

• Commercial invoice — values, descriptions and quantities consistent with the physical load
• Packing list — piece count and weights that match the bill of lading
• Bill of lading for each leg
• Certificates of origin and any product-specific permits
• Customs instructions delivered to the broker inside their filing window

Cargo insurance on Mexico movements

This one is worth reading carefully, because it is the point most often misunderstood.

Mexico shipments must be insured by the customer unless cargo insurance is arranged by DCI Logistics LLC at the customer’s express request.

If you would like us to arrange cargo insurance, say so explicitly — there is an option for exactly that on our quote form. Making the request is a request. Cover exists only once DCI Logistics LLC confirms it in writing. Nothing about selecting an option on a web form, by itself, places cover on your freight.

Where we coordinate

Our operating centre is Laredo, and the Laredo – Nuevo Laredo crossing is the corridor we work most. We also coordinate movements through other crossings where the lane calls for it. If your lane runs through a crossing not listed here, tell us — the question is whether the lane works, not whether it appears on a map.

Crossings

• Laredo – Nuevo Laredo

  Texas · Tamaulipas

  The busiest inland port in the United States and our operating centre.

• Otay Mesa – Tijuana

  California · Baja California

  The western gateway, serving southern California and the Baja manufacturing base.

• El Paso – Ciudad Juárez

  Texas · Chihuahua

  Serving the Chihuahua and central-corridor manufacturing belt.