By Karina Quintero Quintero and Jennifer Galindo Hernández
In the supply chain , many decisions travel by road, but not only in a tractor-trailer truck; they also travel through chats, voice notes, and photos sent via WhatsApp . Despite technological advances across multiple industries, transportation in Mexico still relies heavily on tools like WhatsApp and Excel to coordinate and record logistics operations.
Through this channel, as common as it is risky , key information circulates, such as the route, the number of the cash register to be connected, the arrival of an operator at the yard, authorization to start, or even credit card photos. All it takes is a lost cell phone or a worker’s job change for all this information to be exposed, without traceability or control.
“The vulnerability isn’t in the platform itself being hacked. It’s in the fact that we use personal channels, where information stays on a person’s WhatsApp. If they leave the company, if they lose their phone, if they accidentally forward something, control is lost,” warns Cristina Sánchez, Pre-Sales Engineering Manager at Samsara .
What for many represents agility or practicality, for specialists represents a systemic risk.
“Ninety-five percent of transportation in Mexico operates through WhatsApp groups. From there, the information goes to Excel and, hopefully, to the TMS or ERP. But it’s already been through two manipulable platforms. How accurate is that information? How real-time is it?” asks Enrique Vázquez, CEO of Recurso Confiable .
For Hugo Ruiz, president of the National Council of Logistics and Supply Chain Executives (ConaLog) , this technological informality not only impedes the growth of the logistics business, it also exposes companies to errors, losses, and even cyberattacks.
“WhatsApp has no access policies, no audits, and no backups. And yet, key messages about routes, fares, and delivery times are sent there. If someone infiltrates, they can steal everything,” he warns.
Added to this is the dependence on “information in the heads” of operators or traffic personnel.
“I’ve seen operations where traceability depends on a single text message. If that person isn’t there or makes a mistake, control is lost,” Ruiz adds.
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