In April of this year, Deacero Logistics (DAL) embarked on a new venture through its newly created intermodal division by making its first movements on the Mexico City to Mexicali route. This marks its entry into a segment where it not only aims to attract new clients but also intends to shift its own cargo to this mode of transportation.
Luis Felipe González, head of the Intermodal Division at DAL, recalls that as part of Deacero, one of Mexico’s largest steel companies, creating this division was a natural step due to the numerous internal logistics movements for both raw materials and finished products.
“We have a lot of infrastructure, especially in terms of storage. We have distribution centers (DCs) with rail spurs, making us a major user of railways in North America and Mexico. We are one of Ferromex’s largest clients in the industrial segment. What was missing in Deacero Logistics’ services was the intermodal service; it was a natural progression. This project started last year, and we are now offering domestic services using Ferromex for the Interpacific, Internorte, and cross-border routes with BNSF and Union Pacific. Additionally, we provide road transportation as a 3PL. In terms of intermodal rail and storage, we are a direct provider, but in road transportation, we act as brokers,” he explains.
DAL boasts an infrastructure of over 100 kilometers of rail spurs and tracks in the yards of its DCs, as well as more than a thousand of its own railcars. It focuses on various segments, including consulting services, storage, import/export, and transportation.
Regarding intermodal transport, although it is still an emerging project, the past few months have involved planning, establishing strategies with first and last mile providers, and negotiating with the railways. “We just started in April, with our first movements on the Mexico City to Mexicali route,” he affirms.
Therefore, DAL seeks to capture new business opportunities, with six potential projects in the pipeline. Nonetheless, this new segment is offered to external clients or third parties, while also aiming for Deacero to shift its cargo from road transport to intermodal.
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