Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments on the earth of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and commerce. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Uber Freight sees earlier peak season, stronger Mexico demand; Mexico freight trucking sector outpaces broader financial system in Q1; and 1.1M-square-foot logistics heart deliberate in Phoenix space.
Uber Freight sees earlier peak season, stronger Mexico demand
Uber Freight says U.S.-Mexico freight markets are tightening quicker than anticipated as robust produce exports, rising gas prices and declining driver availability push cross-border transportation charges greater heading into the summer season delivery season.
The findings have been included in Uber Freight’s Q2 Market Replace & Outlook report launched Thursday, which concluded that a number of market pressures anticipated later in 2026 are already impacting freight networks throughout North America.
The report forecasts truckload spot charges will stay 20% to 25% above 2025 ranges for the rest of the 12 months, whereas contract charges may rise 5% to 10%.
“Peak season seems to be arriving earlier and behaving in a different way than regular,” Uber Freight stated, citing a mix of produce volumes, gas prices and tightening capability.
Mexico produce exports drive demand
One of many strongest themes within the report is the influence of Mexico’s agricultural exports on cross-border freight markets.
Uber Freight stated produce volumes transferring by Laredo are experiencing one of many heaviest seasons on document. March shipments of citrus, fruits and nuts from Mexico have been up greater than 36% in comparison with the identical interval in 2025, whereas whole exports transferring by Laredo elevated 8% 12 months over 12 months.
The surge in agricultural freight has helped pull trucking capability towards key cross-border corridors and produce-growing areas.
In response to the report, carriers have more and more shifted tools to benefit from stronger reefer charges, creating capability shortages for dry van shippers and contributing to broader market tightening.
Uber Freight famous that Fresno-to-Chicago reefer spot charges jumped 43% in a single month, whereas produce transportation charges from California to Chicago elevated practically 25% in latest weeks.
The corporate suggested shippers to tender freight 4 to 5 days prematurely on cross-border lanes and safe reefer capability early earlier than summer season demand peaks.
Cross-border charges climb
Uber Freight stated freight charges between Mexico and the U.S. have risen sharply since February.
The report’s Mexico outlook discovered cross-border charges are up 8% to fifteen% throughout the market, whereas some main corridors have seen will increase approaching 30% in simply two months. Gas inflation, produce demand and driver shortages are combining to create upward stress on transportation prices.
The report additionally highlighted declining availability of B-1 industrial drivers, a pattern that has turn out to be more and more necessary for carriers serving cross-border freight markets. Uber Freight listed falling B-1 driver capability among the many major components tightening Mexico-U.S. freight networks.
Gas costs add new stress
On the similar time, transportation suppliers are going through quickly rising gas prices.
Uber Freight reported the nationwide common diesel worth reached $5.64 per gallon in Might, up from $3.72 per gallon in February. The rise was pushed largely by geopolitical disruptions within the Center East and decreased oil flows by the Strait of Hormuz.
The corporate famous that gas surcharges have gotten a rising problem in cross-border transportation as a result of many Mexico freight lanes should not have standardized gas surcharge applications.
Shippers ought to evaluation gas surcharge agreements, shorten surcharge adjustment cycles and add gas accessorials the place vital, Uber Freight stated.
Capability tightening throughout North America
Past cross-border markets, Uber Freight reported truckload situations are tightening nationwide regardless of what is often a softer seasonal interval.
Van spot charges elevated 24.8% 12 months over 12 months in April, reefer charges rose 26.3%, and flatbed spot charges climbed 23.7%. In the meantime, spot market volumes have been up 44% 12 months over 12 months. First-tender acceptance charges slipped to 82%, whereas route-guide compliance fell to 86%, forcing extra freight into the higher-cost spot market.
Uber Freight stated regulatory modifications are additionally contributing to capability constraints. The corporate estimates the Federal Motor Provider Security Administration’s non-domiciled CDL rule may take away roughly 40,000 drivers yearly over the subsequent 5 years, tightening obtainable capability even additional.
Provide chains stay unstable
Worldwide freight markets proceed to face uncertainty as geopolitical conflicts, tariff coverage modifications and shifting sourcing methods alter international commerce flows.
Uber Freight stated international schedule reliability stays close to 63%, whereas corporations proceed diversifying sourcing away from China and adjusting provide chains in response to altering commerce insurance policies.
For shippers, the message from Uber Freight is obvious: situations that many anticipated to emerge throughout peak season are already right here.
“The window to get forward of those situations is narrowing,” the report stated, urging shippers to safe capability earlier, carefully monitor tender acceptance charges and develop contingency plans for crucial home and cross-border lanes.
Mexico freight trucking sector outpaces broader financial system in Q1
Mexico’s freight trucking sector grew 1.8% within the first quarter of 2026, outpacing each the broader transportation sector and Mexico’s general financial system as cross-border and home cargo demand remained resilient.
In response to knowledge from Mexico’s Nationwide Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), the transport, postal and warehousing sector expanded 0.4% in the course of the quarter, whereas Mexico’s gross home product elevated 0.4% yearly, reported Mexico Enterprise Information.
Freight trucking accounted for 51.4% of the GDP generated by Mexico’s transport, postal and warehousing sector and represented 3.8% of nationwide GDP in the course of the quarter.
1.1M-square-foot logistics heart deliberate in Phoenix space
Houston-based Lovett Industrial and Peakline Actual Property Funds have damaged floor on North Park Logistics Middle, a 1.14 million-square-foot Class A cross-dock industrial facility in Glendale, Arizona.
The mission will probably be developed on practically 56 acres in Metro Phoenix’s Southwest Valley, with direct entry to Northern Parkway, Loop 303 and Interstate 10, based on a information launch.
The speculative growth is designed to serve large-scale distribution customers and can function 40-foot clear heights, 197 dock doorways, 29 knockout panels and in depth trailer parking.
The primary part is scheduled for supply within the second quarter of 2027, with a deliberate second part including roughly 623,000 sq. toes. The mission is being marketed and leased by CBRE.
The put up Borderlands Mexico: Uber Freight sees earlier peak season, robust Mexico demand appeared first on BigRig.