SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCÍA, NL.- Mexico ranked as the sixth country with the highest year-on-year increase in weekly cyberattacks in manufacturing, with an 80% increase between 2024 and 2025, according to the Manufacturing Threat Landscape 2025 report by Check Point Software Technologies.

This shows that cybersecurity has ceased to be an exclusive matter for information technology (IT) departments and has become a factor in operational continuity for the manufacturing industry, where an interruption of digital systems can affect everything from production lines to the fulfillment of deliveries .

In the panel “Beyond Cybersecurity: Resilience for the New Technological Era” , held within the framework of the 51st National Index Convention, of the National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (Index Nacional) , representatives of the industry and the public sector agreed that manufacturing companies must strengthen their protection systems, but also develop capabilities to recover their operations in the event of an attack , without compromising production or the security of their facilities.

In her presentation, Rita Ivette Rentería, Global Director of IT & OT Audit at Grupo Bimbo , explained that not all plants can receive the same security controls, particularly when some facilities operate with systems that were designed decades ago and whose modification could halt production.

Before implementing security measures, it is necessary to identify which equipment needs connectivity, what it is used for, and what the consequences would be if it stopped working or was compromised by a cyberattack.

The executive stressed that these decisions are not solely the responsibility of the technology department, but must involve engineering, auditing, cybersecurity, and senior management, so that the business understands the risks it faces and determines how to address them.

For Diego Flores, head of the Electronic and Digital Industry Sector of the Ministry of Economy , it is important that the industry begins to observe that cybersecurity has an effect that materializes when there is an operational direction, that disruption in the supply chains that is so important in the process of integration with the United States.

Manufacturing, among the main objectives

One of the panel’s central points was that protecting industrial facilities requires a differentiated strategy. Network segmentation makes it possible to prevent an incident originating in administrative systems from spreading to the equipment that controls production.

Heidy Rocha, Director General of Cybersecurity at the Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications , explained that corporate and industrial networks have different priorities. While a temporary interruption of an administrative service might be tolerable, a similar decision in a factory could halt a production line or compromise physical security .

Therefore, he recommended getting to know the equipment and its connections, limiting communications between systems to what is strictly necessary, and making security changes gradually, with testing and coordination between the operations, engineering, and cybersecurity areas.

The scale of the problem also affects production continuity. A Minsait study on cybersecurity in OT (Operational Technology) environments indicated that nearly 25% of the country’s industrial organizations suffered attacks that caused a disruption to production and operations during 2024.

Another point addressed was the need to raise cybersecurity requirements for suppliers involved in supply chains.

In the case of Grupo Bimbo, Rita Rentería explained that the evaluation depends on the type of service offered by each provider.

He believed that companies should review the compliance of their business partners and, when they do not meet the established requirements, request that they correct their gaps or seek alternatives that offer adequate security conditions.

This is particularly relevant given Mexico’s trade integration with the United States and the ongoing relocation of production chains. Cybersecurity becomes a key element in building trust among manufacturers, customers, and suppliers, as well as facilitating participation in increasingly demanding markets.

Resilience, beyond avoiding an attack

According to the panelists, preventing an intrusion is not enough. Organizations must also demonstrate their ability to recover when an incident affects their systems.

Resilience begins with understanding a company’s critical processes , how long they can remain down, and what resources are needed to restore them. This involves having backups, establishing recovery times, and conducting regular tests to ensure procedures are working.

In an industrial plant, they warned, it is not enough to recover files or servers: it is also necessary to verify that the machinery and production processes operate correctly before resuming activities .

Artificial intelligence (AI) was also part of the discussion. Panelists noted that this technology can accelerate and refine attacks, with unpatched vulnerabilities, outdated systems, and unauthorized access remaining some of the main entry points.

At the same time, they acknowledged its usefulness in analyzing large volumes of information and strengthening defense capabilities, provided there is human oversight and a clear strategy for its use.

Regarding the National Cybersecurity Plan, the importance of establishing maturity assessments was highlighted, enabling organizations to identify their current conditions and build a roadmap for improvement.

“In the National Cybersecurity Plan, what we really want is to collaborate very closely with the entire industry, both manufacturing and other types, and that is what a national strategy on the matter is deployed from there,” Rocha said.

The message for industry is that cybersecurity must be integrated into business decisions, from plant operations to supplier selection. In an increasingly interconnected supply chain environment, protecting production and ensuring its recovery are also key to Mexico’s competitiveness.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Humberto Cruz Moya  / Sent / @GrupoT21

El cargo Cyberattacks threaten the continuity of manufacturing in Mexico apareció primero en T21.

“A lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth ,” goes a popular saying attributed to Joseph Goebbels. Beyond the historical accuracy of the quote, its meaning remains fully relevant in an era marked by information overload, or when attempts are made to alter reality for political, economic, or media interests, ultimately shaping collective perception and distorting the facts.

The national trucking strike on October 26 not only brought the grievances of the truckers to the forefront, but also raised a series of questions about the true scope of the mobilization, the reasons that led the sector to halt operations, and the involvement of the companies . Amid official statements, figures pointing to different scenarios, and organizations with differing positions, accounts emerged that did not always coincide regarding what happened on Mexican highways.

A protest over tax breaks?

The controversy gained momentum when President Claudia Sheinbaum stated during the morning press conferences on October 26 and 27 that the majority of transport workers were not mobilizing and linked the protest mainly to a tax modification that “would affect a small group of companies . ”

However, the leaders who spearheaded the strike maintained that the grievances went beyond taxes and included problems of insecurity , extortion , conditions that, they claim, affect their operations daily, and most worryingly, the deaths and violent robberies of operators.

Recently, representatives of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) indicated that around 15 operators had been murdered in the country during that year, of which three corresponded to Veracruz and two to San Luis Potosí, according to their respective delegations.

When T21 asked several business owners why criminal gangs have increased the level of violence, murdering their operators, the answer was emphatic: “They kill them because they know they are above the law, because they know the law cannot reach them, that it will embrace them,” said one of the business owners consulted.

This insecurity on the roads was one of the main demands of the members of the organizations calling for the strike, Canacar, the Mexican Federation of Transporters (FEMATRAC), the Honorable Mexican Alliance of Transport Organizations (HAMOTAC)  and the Integrating Organization of Conventional Rights (INDECO).

“We cannot continue to tolerate more highway robberies, more loss of property, more murdered operators,” stated Lauro Rincón Hernández, national president of FEMATRAC.

In addition to the complaints about insecurity, there is the fear among operators and business owners of filing complaints due to possible reprisals, as well as the difficulties in recovering stolen units, even after they are located, situations that the leaders explained during the meetings following the mobilization.

Affecting only 170 companies 

Speaking on the country’s highest platform, Claudia Sheinbaum stated during the morning press conference on October 26 that it was a “very small” sector and explained that the reduction from 300 to 250 million pesos in the billing limit to access a tax incentive for toll payments would only affect 170 companies.

The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) specified that, of the 2,580 taxpayers who use this benefit, 170 would stop receiving it in 2027 , while the remaining 94% would retain the incentive.

However, this figure corresponds to the companies, according to official figures, that were affected by the tax modification, not to the number of participants in the strike .

In contrast, carriers estimated, based on figures from the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) from August 2026, that up to 6,996 medium and large companies could be excluded from the benefit. Their calculation considers 5,450 companies with fleets of 31 to 100 vehicles and 1,546 with more than 100 units, under the assumption that the incentive would cover companies with up to 30 tractor-trailer trucks.

The large companies in Canacar did not participate 

On October 27, one day after the start of the national freight transport strike, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reiterated that the majority of transporters had not participated in the mobilizations.

“Most truckers are not mobilizing. It’s a sector of Canacar,” he stated during his morning press conference. Even after meeting with members of Concamin, he emphasized: “The large companies in Canacar did not join in.”

This is indeed a truth that could be corroborated by T21, when consulting some of the companies with the largest vehicle fleet in Mexico and members of Canacar, it was confirmed that they were not part of the demonstration, and although some of their units were detected in some images, it was because they remained inside the blockades.

However, Augusto Ramos Melo, president of Canacar, emphasized that the benefits achieved from these demonstrations have an effect on all service providers, where freight transport represents about 3.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), so there will also be an effect on the national economy. 

The organizations refused to participate in the dialogue tables

Although the federal government assured that it was keeping the channels of dialogue open with the trucking industry, the leaders who called for the strike pointed out that the working groups were not new and that the meetings held previously had not yielded the expected results .

Therefore, they demanded dialogue with high-level officials, with the capacity to make decisions and address the demands of the sector, particularly regarding road safety, extortion, and tax conditions.

On Sunday night, the president of HAMOTAC, Carlos García Álvarez, shared a video on social media in which he rejected participating in the dialogue tables proposed by the federal government, precisely because they would be held with second or third level officials, who did not guarantee results to their requests.

On Monday the 26th, at the invitation of the head of the Ministry of the Interior (Segob), the Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, as well as federal undersecretaries of Transportation and Security, were present and met with members of Concamin , ANTP , Canapat and Conatram .

Following the October 26th protests, representatives from Canacar, HAMOTAC, FEMATRAC, and INDECO reached an agreement with the Ministry of the Interior to establish working groups with various federal agencies, with defined deadlines and follow-up mechanisms. The leaders clarified that these meetings would be parallel to and independent of those held by other transportation organizations, although some demands might overlap.

The national strike ended on October 27, but the demands that led the transport workers to mobilize remained subject to the agreements reached with the Ministry of the Interior and the results of the working groups with the various federal agencies.

Leaders preliminarily estimated that it could take up to six months to see results, although they clarified that this was not a definitive timeframe. For now, the organizations remain hopeful that the commitments made will translate into concrete solutions to the problems of insecurity, extortion, and tax conditions that motivated the protest.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Karina Quintero  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Truths and lies about the transport strike apareció primero en T21.

An international shipment may have its transport arranged, its documentation prepared, and its route defined. However, a regulatory change , an unforeseen tariff, or port congestion can alter an operation that seemed to be under control. 

Cargo continues to move, but doing so has become more complex. Today, in addition to coordinating its transport, it is necessary to anticipate risks in an environment marked by longer transit times, new regulatory requirements, and geopolitical events. 

This scenario is also transforming the work of freight forwarders , who can no longer limit their role to simply coordinating the movement of goods. According to Griselda Padilla, managing partner of Trade the World , knowledge of international trade is becoming an indispensable skill for freight forwarders. 

“Today we are also foreign trade advisors. Today we have to be trained,” he stated. 

The change can be seen even on a common trade route between Asia and Mexico. Griselda Padilla recalled that previously, Shanghai-Mexico maritime transits could take around 18 days and were almost always respected, but now a shipment from China can take between 25 and 30 days. But time is only part of the problem.    

“You can no longer just be trained in Mexico, you have to be at the forefront, know what is happening in the world,” he explained.

In this new logistics, one of the risks can appear even before the merchandise leaves its origin: not knowing what the product really requires to enter a market. 

Griselda Padilla warned that one of the persistent errors among importing companies is focusing on costs and basic shipping documentation, without knowing in depth the conditions that their goods must meet, an omission that can complicate the operation from its planning stage. 

“You can no longer import just for the sake of importing. You have to know what your product is, what its regulations and non-tariff restrictions are when importing and when exporting,” he said. 

This lack of knowledge can translate into costs or requirements not considered during the planning stage. Therefore, the challenge begins before the ship, the plane, or the truck. 

“Everything can be imported. As long as you check and comply with the regulations,” he summarized. 

Making it easy to understand what happens behind the scenes of a shipment 

An international logistics operation can involve suppliers at origin, brokers, shipping lines, airlines, carriers, customs agents, and insurers. According to Griselda, a client may interact with up to 16 people to coordinate a shipment from origin to destination. 

The complexity lies not only in moving the merchandise, but in connecting all those pieces. 

Therefore, when asked to define in one sentence what Trade the World seeks , he responds with the company’s mantra: ” Make it look easy .” 

Not because international logistics is inherently complex. The intention, he explained, is to avoid passing that complexity on to the customer. To achieve this, the company assigns an executive who centralizes the coordination of the operation, regardless of whether the shipment is by air, sea, or land. 

Added to this demand is the need for visibility. Just as a person can track a purchase on a digital platform, importers and exporters want to know what is happening with their merchandise without having to become specialists. 

Trade the World is currently developing its own platform so that clients can check the status of their shipments. According to Griselda Padilla, technology will become increasingly necessary for freight forwarders , but it doesn’t replace expertise. 

“Nowadays you can’t coordinate without knowledge,” he stated. 

Therefore, the company trains its executives in foreign trade, tariff classification, certificates of origin and regulatory changes, in addition to developing a legal area focused on the subject. 

Communication to navigate complexity 

Along with technology and knowledge, Griselda Padilla places another tool at the center of the operation: communication. 

According to the management, maintaining effective communication involves adapting to the needs of each client and clearly conveying what happens during an operation, especially when setbacks arise that require timely attention. 

“Everyone communicates, everyone talks, but there must be effective communication, trying to say things as they are,” he said. 

That principle also permeates his leadership style. When asked what is essential in his management, he mentions effective communication, ongoing training, and passion for what he does. 

And its relationship with logistics has a particularity. 

“If there are problems, I’m happy. When things are too quiet, I get bored,” he said. 

The phrase makes sense in an industry that in recent years has accumulated precisely that: problems to solve. Tariffs, regulations, and geopolitical events have brought foreign trade into discussions where it was practically absent before, and at the same time, have made the work of those behind imports and exports more visible. 

The challenge for the freight forwarder will be to combine responsiveness, knowledge, technology, and communication in an environment where the demands of international trade continue to evolve. 

Behind a shipment that seemingly only travels from point A to point B, there are decisions, documents, regulations, and people working to make it possible. 

And therein lies the transformation: the value of the freight forwarder is no longer limited to moving goods, but also to anticipating risks and resolving the complexity behind each operation. 

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Karina Quintero  / @GrupoT21

El cargo Moving cargo is no longer enough: the new challenge for freight forwarders apareció primero en T21.

SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCÍA, NL – The modernization of Mexican customs stems from the authority’s own acknowledgment that its processes need improvement. Amidst the strengthening of its oversight powers, the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) is focusing on better data, new technological profiles within its ranks , and greater international information sharing. The remaining question is how these capabilities will translate into more agile and predictable procedures for foreign trade.

During the panel “Moving the world: logistics, infrastructure and resilient supply chains”, held within the framework of the 32nd Mexican Foreign Trade Congress , organized by the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) , Estefanía Capdeville, general director of Customs Attention and International Affairs of ANAM, stated that digitization requires first reviewing the operation.

“Our processes are not working ,” he acknowledged, explaining the need to identify redundant activities and transform procedures before incorporating them into a system.

The accusation places direct responsibility on the institution. If the problem also lies in the design of the processes, demanding higher-quality information from users is insufficient : the authority must specify which procedures it will eliminate, how it will simplify validations, and what improvements will be obtained by those who properly certify their operations. The official’s statement did not detail time reduction targets or indicators to evaluate those results.

Capdeville explained that ANAM’s transformation includes incorporating specialists in digitization, systems, and data science. His own arrival, he recounted, was a response to this shift in profiles , following a career in international cooperation, telecommunications, and digital issues.

“I, Estefanía, am the consequence of the change we are experiencing,” she stated from the beginning of her speech.

The incorporation of technological capabilities can strengthen customs analysis, but it also demands knowledge of the processes it aims to transform. “I had never been inside a customs office before ,” Capdeville confessed.

The challenge is to integrate both experiences so that the design of customs systems responds to the conditions of dispatch and the diversity of foreign trade operations.

According to the official, one of the main obstacles is the quality of the information . Uploading an image or a scanned document to a platform, she explained, is not the same as providing data that the systems can use.

“This is a shared responsibility of both foreign trade users and foreign trade authorities,” he stated.

This shared responsibility requires verifiable conditions from both sides. Companies must provide consistent information; the authority must establish clear specifications , facilitate its transmission, and prevent the same data from being requested repeatedly without operational justification. Digitizing a redundant requirement retains its cost, even if the means of fulfilling it changes.

The discussion also showed that having more information does not automatically solve the problem of how to use it. Addressing ANAM’s priorities, Capdeville identified the declared value of goods and verification of their origin as central elements in combating practices that harm Mexican producers.

“ It’s not about raising revenue , it’s about protecting the national industry,” he argued.

The official linked this priority to the current customs reform and highlighted the interest in expanding information exchange with Asian countries, especially those in Southeast Asia. The goal is to understand the characteristics and history of the cargo before it is dispatched.

This approach can strengthen the early identification of risks. However, its effectiveness will depend on whether the information allows for better selection of operations requiring review and facilitates the verification of those that demonstrate compliance. Accumulating data without streamlining procedures can expand oversight capacity while simultaneously perpetuating administrative hurdles.

The proposal comes after Congress finalized the approval of changes to the Customs Law . The Senate endorsed the reform on October 13, and the decree was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on October 23, with its entry into force scheduled for January 1, 2027.

The modifications strengthen the review of declared value and eliminate the 50% threshold that previously conditioned the grounds for precautionary seizure due to discrepancies in declared customs value between similar goods. The text incorporates provisions to differentiate the application of this ground through subsequent rules, which the authority must publish before the end of this year. Their implementation will be crucial in determining when a discrepancy warrants review and under what conditions the goods can be seized.

With greater powers comes increased importance for consistent criteria and timely mechanisms to resolve discrepancies. Combatting undervaluation requires evidence and analytical capacity; for operators, it also demands knowing how to substantiate their transactions and how to resolve disputes without unnecessarily prolonging uncertainty about the cargo.

Adriana Huerta, executive vice president of the Confederation of Customs Brokers Associations of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) , explained during the panel that the sector is working on the materiality of transactions, risk analysis, and the use of technological tools. Part of this effort involves guiding clients on what information they should share and how to back it up.

The task, however, extends beyond the file compiled by the customs agent. Silvia Armendáriz, manager of Livingston International , warned that the information can originate at another link in the chain : “Sometimes our data doesn’t even originate with us, but with our supplier.”

Therefore, he emphasized the need to connect systems to reduce manual data entry and errors . He also pointed out that having efficient platforms in different countries does not guarantee that they can communicate or transmit complete information.

The problem necessitates evaluating modernization as a coordination process. If suppliers, importers, customs brokers, and authorities cannot exchange data consistently, the additional requirements may translate into new data capture and reconciliation tasks.

ANAM acknowledged the need to transform its processes and is seeking tools for more precise oversight. The next step is to make this transformation verifiable . Data quality must translate into better-supported decisions, fewer redundant procedures, and greater certainty in dispatch. Otherwise, digitization risks becoming yet another layer of requirements on top of an operation whose shortcomings the authority itself already recognizes.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Enrique Duarte Rionda  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo More data and controls: customs modernization faces its own bureaucracy apareció primero en T21.

While in the United States and Canada 120 intermodal trains circulate daily and about 51,000 53-foot containers are loaded onto the rail network each day, in Mexico only about 1,700 units are moved, a difference that reflects both the lag and the growth potential of the sector.

“In Mexico, it would take us more than three weeks to load onto the train what they load in just one day,” said Javier Vera, president of VMODAL , during the panel “Tracks and Boxes: The Intermodal Shift” held within the framework of Container Week organized by the Mexican Association of Intermodal Transport (AMTI)  .

In this context, he pointed out that currently 81% of the country’s industrial plants do not have a rail connection, which makes intermodal service the main bet to expand the presence of the railway.

“Those companies that don’t have rail spurs are the ones that can use intermodal transport; there are even companies that do have rail spurs but have large volumes of raw materials and want finished products, they can also use it,” he said.

Vera pointed out that only between 10 and 12% of 53-foot containers in Mexico are moved by rail , while in the United States the share of rail in land freight movement reaches significantly higher levels.

He mentioned that intermodal traffic alone registered a growth of close to 10% during the last year , even in a context where the national railway system reported a general contraction in volume, which means that containerized cargo continues to find an increasingly competitive alternative in the train.

Furthermore, he explained that on long-distance journeys, particularly those exceeding 800 kilometers, rail can generate savings of between 5% and 15% compared to road transport , in addition to offering advantages in terms of safety and sustainability.

However, he mentioned that the challenge for the railway industry is not necessarily about building new tracks, but about increasing the share of trains compared to trucks.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Intermodal has a “free pass”; 81% of Mexican industry is not connected to the train apareció primero en T21.

Some business stories begin with a million-dollar investment, a family tradition, or a carefully crafted plan. The story of Carlos Zavaleta , CEO of Transportes GLIZIM , began far from highways, tractor-trailers, and container yards. His first foray into the working world was as an assistant in a dental office, never imagining that a seemingly ordinary conversation would end up changing the course of his life.

Coming from a family that, as he himself describes, had had to get ahead from the bottom, Carlos Zavaleta grew up with an aspiration that seemed simple, but which over the years would become the driving force behind his decisions: “to build a different future.”

Although there was no tradition linked to transportation in his family environment, from an early age he developed a concern that would end up marking his trajectory: the desire to improve himself and build a future with better opportunities .

“The aspiration to always grow, to always achieve and obtain something better to give a better life. That’s what drove me to keep going,” she shared in an interview with T21.

It was during his early working life that one of the patients at the dental office where he worked asked him a question that, without knowing it, would open a new stage: why not try something different?

That man invited him to work with his wife, who was the finance director at an agency connected to the customs sector. Carlos Zavaleta accepted and started as a billing assistant, a position from which he gradually became familiar with foreign trade processes, customs operations, and land transportation.

Over time, he took on responsibilities in the accounts receivable department. It was precisely from this position that an unexpected opportunity arose. One of the agency’s clients contacted him because they needed to find transportation in Veracruz . The provider they were working with had stopped meeting their needs, and they required an alternative. Carlos Zavaleta decided to help!

Through a friend, he met a young transporter who began to teach him how the business worked: getting cargo, identifying available units, and connecting those who needed to move goods with those who could do it.

What began as a solution for a client sparked a concern that grew until it became a decision that would change his life completely: to buy his first truck .

“And from there, everything else has gradually taken shape,” he said.

That first vehicle represented much more than the start of a business . It was the possibility of building something of his own in an industry he was just beginning to understand, but in which he had found an opportunity to grow.

When the road forced a change of direction

Without an inherited company or a family structure dedicated to transportation, Carlos Zavaleta began to develop the project that would give rise to Transportes GLIZIM.

Its initial operations were concentrated in the port of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, where the company was involved in the transport of fertilizers using flatbed trucks. However, the path of business does not always unfold according to plan.

Following the explosion at the Pajaritos petrochemical complex, the company decided to close its base in Coatzacoalcos and relocate its operations to the port of Veracruz. This decision marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, this time in an environment where container shipping would ultimately become its primary activity.

In Veracruz, the opportunity arose to join the group of suppliers of a company in the sector, which allowed GLIZIM to expand its participation in containerized cargo transport.

Over the years, the company specialized in the transport of containers in simple and full configurations, in addition to incorporating services through platforms for loose cargo, oversized goods and vehicles of lesser capacity.

Currently, Transportes GLIZIM operates around 85 units in the port of Veracruz , through a scheme that combines its own fleet with contracted carriers, a strategy that allows it to respond to the availability needs of its clients.

Behind that growth were also investors who decided to support the project through different stages. Some remained and others withdrew their participation, leading to the current structure, in which Carlos Zavaleta continues to lead the company and has his brother as a partner.

But the growth wasn’t limited to adding trucks. As operations increased, new needs and opportunities arose to develop complementary activities.

Over the years, GLIZIM expanded its operations into other activities related to road transport and logistics , including a container terminal, the manufacture of container chassis and dolis, as well as local transport services.

This diversification led to a business structure that currently brings together more than 60 employees , a growth that has also led Carlos Zavaleta to transform his way of directing and managing the business.

“GLIZIM grew in the blink of an eye,” he said. He shared how the business’s own evolution led him to develop new administrative capabilities.

The need to integrate teams, strengthen the human resources area, establish evaluation mechanisms and incorporate control systems became part of a new stage for the organization, which has also begun working on certification processes such as CTPAT and Authorized Economic Operator (AEO).

Beyond metrics and operations, Carlos Zavaleta believes that leadership is also built on close relationships with people. Therefore, he strives to maintain direct communication with his employees, share everyday spaces, and listen firsthand to their concerns. “Empathy and humility. I think these are qualities that have helped me a lot,” he stated, convinced that GLIZIM’s growth must also translate into opportunities for those who are part of the company.

Challenges that also travel by road

But while GLIZIM continues to grow, there are challenges that don’t disappear with experience or the passage of time. One of them is highway insecurity , which has forced the company to strengthen its protocols with a control tower that monitors its vehicles 24 hours a day, both in Veracruz and Lázaro Cárdenas. According to Carlos Zavaleta, these measures have thwarted more than six attempted armed robberies during 2026 , using mechanisms that include immobilizing the vehicles to prevent cargo theft.

However, his biggest concern lies with the truck drivers. “Unfortunately, the generational chain of operators is ending,” he warned, noting that while the most experienced drivers are beginning to retire, new generations are showing little interest in joining an industry marked by insecurity, a lack of infrastructure, and scant recognition for their work. This situation, in his view, threatens the future of an industry on which a large part of the country’s supply depends.

Just over a decade after that first foray into transportation, the young man who started working in a dental office now leads an organization that has grown through opportunities, difficult decisions, and new challenges.

When asked how he would define GLIZIM , he answers with two words: “Dedication and security.” Because after so many miles traveled, he says he understood that building a company is not just about moving goods, but also about taking care of people and maintaining the trust of those who have accompanied him.

Before finding his place in the trucking industry, Carlos Zavaleta had to discover his own path. And that story, which began far from the highways, still has many miles ahead.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @GrupoT21

El cargo GLIZIM, a story that began far from the roads apareció primero en T21.

Highway insecurity was one of the main reasons for the national trucking strike , but the working group established to address it has yet to be scheduled. Although trucking organizations have already begun negotiations with the federal government, the initial meetings focused on tax issues, while labor and infrastructure matters have a defined timeline.

During a press conference held last Tuesday, October 27, representatives of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) , the Honorable Mexican Alliance of Transporters Organization (HAMOTAC) , the Mexican-American Federation of Transporters (FEMATRAC) and the Integrating Organization of Conventional Rights (INDECO) announced the progress of the negotiations after the lifting of the blockades.

The first meeting was held with the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) , with which talks will continue this Wednesday, October 28. A meeting with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) is scheduled for Thursday, October 29 , while on Friday, October 30, they will address infrastructure issues with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) and Federal Roads and Bridges (Capufe) , reported Augusto Ramos Melo, president of Canacar.

However, he acknowledged that there is still no date set for the installation of the security committee , which is expected to include the participation of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) , the National Guard , and the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) .

One of the main proposals will be to strengthen anonymous reporting mechanisms, given the fear of operators and companies of suffering reprisals.

“We are afraid to file a complaint, because when we file a complaint we also face retaliation,” Ramos Melo pointed out, expressing the feelings of the operators.

Added to this is the demand to expedite the return of units recovered after a theft , because carriers reported that the vehicles can remain detained for months, even after they have been located.

For his part, Lauro Rincón Hernández, national president of FEMATRAC , explained that the timeframe for obtaining results will depend on the responses from each agency. He mentioned that periods of three, four, or five months could be expected, although he clarified that these are not yet definitive deadlines.

Division between transport organizations?

Another point addressed was the existence of parallel negotiations with business organizations such as the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) and the National Chamber of Passenger and Tourism Transportation (Canapat) .

Representatives from Canacar, HAMOTAC, FEMATRAC, and INDECO clarified that their working groups are independent and focused on the needs of the freight transport sector, although they acknowledged that there may be some overlap in certain proposals.

Carlos García Álvarez, national president of HAMOTAC, defended the unity achieved between Canacar, HAMOTAC, FEMATRAC and INDECO, the four organizations that promoted the national strike, and questioned why the authorities had previously minimized their demands by considering that the sector was divided.

“They minimized us and saw that we were divided and saw that we didn’t have ideals, that we didn’t have the same needs,” he said.

The review of mechanisms for preventing and addressing crimes against motor transport, as well as strengthening coordination between federal and state authorities, are among the demands that will be addressed at the highway safety meeting, said Ignacio Granados Villanueva, vice president of the central region of INDECO.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Karina Quintero  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo These are the trucking negotiations following the national strike; security meeting still without a date apareció primero en T21.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), investments continue to flow into northern Mexico; however, to further capitalize on these opportunities, Mexico must accelerate the development of logistics infrastructure, strengthen its energy supply, and guarantee legal certainty for investors .

Alejandro Doria, president of the Northeast Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (AmCham) , said that the main challenge is no longer just attracting new investments, but providing the country with the necessary conditions to sustain the growth of supply chains in North America.

“We need to continue developing ports, airports, highways, railways and intermodal terminals that allow for more efficient logistics between Mexico, the United States and Canada,” he said in an interview with T21.

He highlighted that various actions have been carried out, such as the entry into operation of the second international rail bridge between Nuevo Laredo and Laredo, as well as the construction of a new multipurpose rail terminal in Pesquería, Nuevo León, a Bulkmatic project , which contemplates an investment of 150 million dollars and a capacity to receive up to 1,400 railcars.

However, he considered it essential to move forward with standardizing customs and inspection processes on both sides of the border. “Any delays at border crossings mean costs for businesses. Trade facilitation must accompany infrastructure investments,” he stated.

Regarding regulatory reforms in Mexico, he considered that some, such as the possible increase in payments for railway concessions, would have a limited impact on end users, although he acknowledged that they generate concern within the sector.

However, he considered the availability of electricity and natural gas, especially in the northeast of the country, to be a more relevant challenge.

Energy, the main bottleneck

According to the executive, the lack of electrical distribution infrastructure currently represents one of the biggest risks to the arrival of new industrial investments.

“More than customs, it’s the lack of infrastructure, for example, energy, that can put a bit of a brake on investment. The Mexico Plan includes a budget section for investing in energy, although most of it doesn’t go to distribution, which is the last mile, and that’s where we have the problem: getting it directly to the industrial parks and factories,” he emphasized.

He also mentioned Mexico’s dependence on natural gas from Texas , a situation that exposes the national industry to disruptions resulting from weather events or problems in the US supply, leading to a halt in production.

“The proposal is that we continue investing in infrastructure; we need more pipelines. It’s already in the budget. We produce enough energy, but we don’t have the infrastructure—cables, transformers—to deliver it directly to where it’s needed. Regarding gas, the government has also proposed investments with the private sector to begin fracking and start producing natural gas on this side,” he explained.

In light of the review of the USMCA, the American Chamber maintains as a priority preserving the essence of the agreement and ensuring a long-term horizon for investments.

The organization is pushing for the treaty to remain in effect for 16 years and for periodic reviews to focus on implementing existing commitments, rather than introducing new trade barriers or modifying rules of origin.

“The United States, Mexico, and Canada need to function as a bloc. The competition isn’t among ourselves, but rather with other regions of the world, particularly Asia. All companies need a long-term perspective to make investments. When we invest, we think in terms of 15, 20, or 30 years. A treaty that doesn’t give us long-term certainty makes it very difficult to continue investing, or we become more cautious because we don’t know if the rules will change next year,” he noted.

Although he acknowledged that, despite the uncertainty, companies continue to invest in Mexico, Doria noted that Nuevo León alone attracted approximately $3.7 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the first half of the year.

He mentioned the investments recently announced by companies such as Volvo , LEGO, and Bulkmatic, as well as additional projects that are yet to be announced.

In addition to infrastructure and energy, the business representative identified security and legal certainty as critical factors for maintaining Mexico’s competitiveness against other markets.

He acknowledged progress in Nuevo León through coordination mechanisms between state and federal authorities and the private sector, and considered that this model should be replicated in other regions of the country.

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El cargo Infrastructure, energy and legal certainty are key to boosting investment in Mexico apareció primero en T21.

The most recent data from the Global Indicator of Economic Activity (IGAE), corresponding to August 2026, shows that this index advanced 0.6% compared to the previous month , which, although a marginal growth, broke a streak of two months without progress, according to México, ¿cómo vamos?

Within this rebound, tertiary activities increased 0.2% on a monthly basis; this is the area where freight transport participates.

From the perspective of Gilberto Palomares, general director of Transportes Pitic , 2026 has been a year that has shown various challenges that were not identified at the beginning of the cycle , which has motivated companies to look to their fundamentals for progress in the market.

“The pandemic was a great learning experience that made us work with alternative plans, and respond to any situation that might arise and any business opportunities that could be addressed. And in 2026, it’s no different,” Palomares told T21.

From his perspective, the key to advancing in the market has been to get closer to customers, to understand their needs and translate them into appropriate service solutions. “ It’s crucial to understand where we can add value , but also to recognize where improvements are needed,” added the CEO of Pitic.

This way of working has allowed Pitic to identify priority areas for channeling investments, anticipate needs, and be prepared to provide better service, a situation that is key in times like these in the market.

A key aspect they have focused on, while increasing the customer base, is also increasing the average ticket size with existing accounts , which is achieved through close customer relationships and offering effective solutions, Gilberto Palomares noted.

“The other factor we’ve focused on is financial discipline. It’s an area we’ve been learning and improving over time. We’ve become more analytical about credit lines to keep our portfolio healthy, stable, and also very loyal,” Palomares emphasized.

Several analysts have emphasized that trucking has increasingly become a financial business, precisely because of reduced margins, tariff adjustments, and increased costs.

For Gilberto Palomares,  having financial discipline has allowed him to have the necessary resources to face the challenges imposed by the market, not only of growth or new infrastructure, but also of adjusting to the macroeconomic conditions that the country faces .

A third element that Pitic focuses on to address current market circumstances is its people. “All our employees are committed and aligned with the philosophy, and being close to them allows us to address their concerns, but also to be aware that they are part of a labor market,” he added.

This way of working, the executive considered, is what allows Pitic to have constant progress in the market, facing a market of marginal growth, greater competition and that is combined with the challenges of the activity, such as insecurity, lack of operators, overregulation, among others.

Transportes Pitic’s service focus is concentrated on two verticals: less-than-truckload (LTL) and full truckload (FTL), with the former accounting for 65% of its operations. “Over time, we’ve found that we can generate value in LTL by providing better solutions,” emphasized Gilberto Palomares, highlighting the three key areas mentioned.

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El cargo The chassis on which Pitic bases its advance in the market apareció primero en T21.

The indefinite national strike by truck drivers has ended , but the problems that led the sector to take to the highways remain unresolved. Following a meeting with the Ministry of the Interior (Segob) , the organizations agreed on Tuesday, October 27, to remove the blockades and suspend the demonstrations , in exchange for establishing four working groups to address their demands.

The agreement comes after leaders questioned the stance of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo , who attributed the protests primarily to a change in tax benefits, while the truckers insisted that their demands also include highway insecurity, the murder of drivers, extortion, overregulation, and deteriorating infrastructure .

Augusto Ramos Melo, president of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) , reported that the meetings would begin this Tuesday and would be aimed at obtaining concrete results for the sector.

“In this working meeting we had with the Ministry of the Interior, four working groups were aligned, and in one hour we will be returning to the Ministry of the Interior to begin with the first one,” he said.

For his part, Lauro Rincón Hernández, national president of the Mexican-American Federation of Transporters (FEMATRAC) , confirmed that instructions were given to end the protests.

“All our colleagues on the roads have been instructed. They have broken ranks and are returning to their places of origin. The roads are now clear,” he stated.

The leader indicated that the working groups include the participation of authorities from security , infrastructure, labor , social security , customs , as well as the Ministries of Finance and the Navy , among other agencies.

However, Carlos García Álvarez, national president of the Honorable Mexican Alliance of Transport Organizations (HAMOTAC) , warned about the need to involve state and municipal governments, particularly in the face of problems of corruption and overregulation.

“We are going to work together, including the states, because the problem exists in all states, or at least most of them. So we are involving the states and the municipalities, because the problem is not only federal, it is also state and municipal,” he said.

Representatives from the Integrating Organization of Conventional Rights (INDECO) also participated in the dialogue .

In a statement released on social media, the Ministry of the Interior (Segob) confirmed that the organizations agreed to permanently remove the blockades and suspend the demonstrations . In exchange, the ministry will coordinate working groups on highway safety, infrastructure, tax matters, social security, and labor conditions, with oversight from the Undersecretary of the Interior and the Government Unit.

For now, the concrete result is the lifting of the strike and a commitment to continue negotiating . Neither the official statement nor the leaders’ declarations detail deadlines or specific solutions to the demands raised.

After a day of protests, the organizations agreed to remove the blockades and continue dialogue with the federal government.

However, representatives from Canacar, FEMATRAC, HAMOTAC, and INDECO insisted on the need for the working groups to translate into concrete results to address the problems facing the freight transport industry .

(Main image source: HAMOTAC)

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El cargo Transporters lift strike after agreeing to four working groups with the Government apareció primero en T21.