When in Mexico, Conduct Business Like Your Hosts

(Michael James - Transport Topics) CFAL drivers Luis Sanchez (left) and Juan Manuel Silva (right) check paperwork with Monterrey, Mexico, terminal manager Gabriel Hernandez.

Differences in regulations, paperwork requirements and enforcement can pose dilemmas for U.S. carriers attempting to compete in Mexico, say carriers that operate in both countries.

First of all, for crossing freight into or out of Mexico, officials show no leniency for incomplete or incorrect paperwork, said Brian Hickert, division manager of Consolidated Freightways’ Mexico division.

“Documentation is paramount. You must make sure all the paperwork is done right or loads are impounded from a day to three or four days,” he said.

Mike Gamel, president of Mexpress, a Santa Clarita, Calif.-based less-than-truckload carrier partnered with Overnite Transportation in Mexico, agreed with Hickert’s assessment.

For the full story, see the July 2 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.