Cross-Border Logistics

Non-asset-based third-party logistics (3PL) services providers recently received good news, with the announcement that United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has introduced a five-year pilot program, which, for the first time, includes freight brokers and warehouse-based 3PLs to be able to be part of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program.

Taking steps to further expand its United States-Mexico border operations and presence, Eden Prairie, Minn.-based global third-party logistics (3PL) services provider and freight forwarder C.H. Robinson said this week it has added more than 450,000 square-feet of warehousing and cross-border docking space in El Paso, Texas, which it said brings the company’s U.S.-Mexico logistics footprint to more than 2 million square-feet.

Echo said its Mexico services include options for dry van, temperature-controlled shipping, flatbed, LTL, intermodal, and managed transportation. And it added that with its integrated cross-border transportation technology and a team of bilingual experts, Echo provides shippers with what it called a seamless experience for navigating trade and customs regulations.

In a Form 8-K statement issued last week, UPS said that it terminated its plans to acquire Estafeta due to the inability of all closing conditions to be satisfied.

Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently caught up with Doug Waggoner, CEO of Chicago-based 3PL Echo Global Logistics. Waggoner offered up insights on various logistics and supply chain trends and themes, including: freight economic conditions, capacity and rates, M&A, technology, and cross-border logistics, among others.

North American cross-border freight is facing renewed uncertainty as U.S. tariff policies shift and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) heads for renegotiation in 2025. This feature explores how changing trade dynamics, proposed tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, and geopolitical tensions are impacting cross-border logistics. With U.S.-Mexico-Canada freight volumes continuing to grow—reaching $134.4 billion in early 2025—shippers and carriers are closely monitoring policy changes that could affect trucking, rail, and multimodal transport. Experts warn that new...

This follows a March 2024 effort, in which Echo expanded its cross-border services in Mexico, following eight years of managing southern border shipping services.

The company said this lane is based around a freight consolidation at its Cincinnati terminal, coupled with shipments routed to Laredo, El Paso, McAllen, Brownsville, Eagle Pass, and Del Rio. And for the final mile delivery to these cities, Pitt Ohio said it will work with its southern U.S. partner carrier Averitt Express.

Company said that opening these new outbound lanes reinforces the company’s confidence in its service capabilities and the growing demand for reliable LTL transportation.

Hub officials explained that the partnership will significantly enhance Hub’s intermodal and transportation solutions business. EASO’s customer base, which includes blue-chip companies across various modes, will help strengthen Hub’s offering.

For the first half of 2024, the Census Bureau reported a record breaking $415.4 billion in goods flowing between the U.S. and Mexico, but many American companies still allow transportation challenges to stop them from crossing over.

The facility includes 73 dock doors, two ramps for oversize cargo, and 116 truck yard spaces, according to Maersk, with the company adding that the multiclient facility is designed for efficient receiving, separation and consolidation of cargo and also the distribution of freight across North America using its ground freight network.

Motive began producing this report a little more than a year ago. The report’s findings are based on aggregated and anonymized insights from the Motive network and publicly available government data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S. Census, and U.S. Department of Transportation, according to Motive.

Coupled with the threat of further increases in tariffs, ongoing geopolitical issues, and long, risky supply chains, many manufacturers have turned their manufacturing interests from China to Mexico. Here are a few issues to consider before your organization does the same.

UPS officials said that this deal represents what it called an evolution of a commercial agreement between UPS and Estafeta that began in 2020, adding that together these companies’ customers can rely on UPS’s integrated solutions, linking small package, healthcare logistics, and end-to-end supply chain solutions, for what it called a differentiated ‘One UPS’ advantage.