Cabotage enforcement tightens at the Mexico border, and carriers want it applied evenly

Cabotage enforcement on the U.S.-Mexico border was the main topic at a cross-border trucking forum in Cancún this week, and the message from both sides was the same: tougher checks are coming, and how evenly they are applied will decide whether freight slows down. FreightWaves reported on the sessions on October 18.

The panels were held by the International Road Transport Union during the CANACAR national convention. Speakers included Derek Leathers, chairman and CEO of Werner Enterprises, Bob Costello, chief economist at the American Trucking Associations, and CANACAR president Augusto Ramos Melo.

What changed

Cabotage means hauling domestic freight between two U.S. points. Foreign drivers generally may not do it, though they can carry qualifying international loads in and out of the country. According to FreightWaves, panelists said enforcement against violations is rising, with closer attention to drivers on B-1 business visitor visas, driver qualifications and English proficiency.

The machinery behind it is not new. Transport Topics reported in July that the Department of Transportation now shares FMCSA inspection records with Customs and Border Protection, so agents at the crossing can see a driver's earlier violations and, in those cases, revoke a visa or bar entry. The same report put the number of Mexican carriers active in the border commercial zones at 5,232 in FMCSA data from May 15, down 4.3% from 5,467 on December 26, 2025. Costello attributed the decline mainly to cabotage and English-proficiency enforcement.

Leathers backed stricter federal action on B-1 drivers. The concern raised on the panels was consistency. Costello said some enforcement personnel may not fully understand cabotage rules, which creates uncertainty for Mexican carriers that are operating legally. Ramos said added inspections and paperwork could complicate driver scheduling, equipment positioning and delivery times.

Costello also said North American cross-border trade rebounded in 2026 after a slight dip in 2025. CBP's Del Rio port director, Liliana Flores, urged Mexican carriers to join the agency's CTPAT program and its Electronic Export Manifest pilot, which is scheduled to end October 23.

What it means for carriers

Carriers that move freight across the border should confirm that drivers and units are in the right status for the lane, and that dispatchers are not routing foreign-domiciled equipment onto U.S. domestic legs. A single violation can now follow a driver to the next crossing.

What shippers and brokers should watch

Brokers who use Mexican carriers for cross-border loads should ask for current authority and driver documentation, and should expect some added dwell at the border. Shippers with tight delivery windows into Texas and California may want more buffer, since the panelists warned that uneven enforcement could reduce available drivers. Neither the FreightWaves report nor the panelists gave a figure for current border delays.