Celadon Group has prepared for the U.S.-Mexican border to open to commercial truck traffic for years and is well positioned for an expanded agreement between the two countries, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
The truckload carrier has set up terminals in Laredo and El Paso, Texas, and even hiring some Mexican drivers on work visas, Bloomberg said.
President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon last week agreed in principle to end a ban on Mexican trucks in the United States.
Celadon CEO Stephen Russell told Bloomberg the Indianapolis-based company “would bring our Mexican trucks into the U.S.” and that the move would give it more capacity.
The current cross-border trucking system involves superfluous warehousing and use of transfer trucks that adds $400 million a year to the price of Mexican imports, Bloomberg reported, citing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
A typical shipment from Mexico now involves three trucks: one close to the border, a second drayage truck to carry it across and a third long-haul operator to bring freight to its destination, Russell said, adding that opening the border would improve efficiency, Bloomberg reported.
Celadon Group is ranked No. 42 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
