Mexico's trucker strike winds down in two days, but security and toll tax disputes remain

Mexico's national trucking chamber and allied groups called an indefinite strike on Monday, October 26, and by Tuesday afternoon most of them had agreed to stand down. Border crossings kept moving, but the dispute behind the strike has not been settled, and U.S. shippers and brokers with Mexico freight should keep it on the watch list.

What happened

According to FreightWaves, the chamber, known as CANACAR, and other trucking organizations planned actions in Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Monterrey, Tijuana and Mexico City. Their complaints were highway insecurity, cargo theft and extortion, violence against drivers, towing fees, and rising operating costs. They also opposed a change in Mexico's 2027 fiscal package that would shrink eligibility for a tax credit on highway tolls.

Mexico's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday, October 27, that CANACAR and other groups had committed to lift their blockades in exchange for working groups with the government, Cargado reported on October 28. The Latin Times, in its account of the deal, said the groups will meet in five permanent working tables on security, infrastructure, fiscal policy, social security and labor conditions.

The movement was not united. Several associations rejected the blockades and struck a separate agenda with the government, per the Latin Times. Cargado said a Zacatecas group, HAMOTAC, was still holding a toll plaza on federal highway 45 on and off Wednesday morning, with one lane open in each direction.

The numbers, and who is behind them

Mexico's Interior Ministry counted 38 protest points in 19 states as of 9:30 a.m. on October 26, the Latin Times reported. CANACAR disputed that and said protests reached all 32 states. CANACAR's own records, cited by the Latin Times, show about 1,105 stolen truck units and 15 driver deaths since January.

On the cost side, industry leaders told Mexican media the strike could cost up to 21.5 billion pesos a day, a figure the Latin Times converted to roughly $1 billion. That is an industry warning, not a measured loss.

What it means for carriers

Cargado reported no confirmed closure of a border bridge or customs facility. Its table of CBP northbound commercial readings from the morning of October 28 showed 25 minutes in the standard lane at Laredo's World Trade Bridge, 20 minutes at Pharr and 20 minutes at Otay Mesa. Cargado said the World Trade Bridge hit 60 minutes in an earlier reading on Monday evening.

Most of the blockades hit central and southern Mexico, so the main risk for cross-border carriers is late pickups and deliveries on Mexican highways, not a stopped border. Confirm routes with Mexican partners for the next day or two.

What shippers and brokers should watch

- Holdouts: HAMOTAC's protest on highway 45 could spread or flare up again.
- The Senate vote: Cargado said the Senate had not voted on the 2027 revenue law as of Tuesday evening. If the toll credit cut stays, some groups could protest again.
- Appointments: Reset any receiving windows that moved during the strike and confirm new times.
- Capacity: If a carrier drops a load, post it early so more carriers can bid.

The security complaints are the part that did not go away. The Latin Times noted that attacks on highways continued after the strike ended.