By now, it’s no longer just about stolen merchandise or missing tractor-trailers . The true cost of freight theft is measured in fear: the fear of not getting there, of not returning, of being next.
Every 47 minutes, a trucking operator is the victim of some type of attack on Mexican roads . These are shocking figures when they are mentioned, because they are not just about numbers; they are about human lives, about families affected, as Héctor Romero , CEO of Círculo Logístico and member of the educational council of Expo Seguridad , expressed in an interview with T21 .
“It’s no longer just about robberies; the operators are being physically and mentally abused. They’re beaten, abandoned, and sometimes kidnapped,” he stressed.
The red flags are clearly defined: State of Mexico, Puebla, Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Veracruz. The most dangerous routes are familiar to anyone who drives: the Mexico–Querétaro (57D), the Mexico–Puebla (150D), and the stretch from Chalco to San Martín Texmelucan.
The transporters themselves described how some of these robberies occur, which seem like fiction, but are real: pickup trucks or vehicles with tinted windows intercept the tractor-trailer, a car blocks it from behind while another passes it and forces it to stop. Within seconds, armed men surround it. The driver is pulled out, beaten, and/or intimidated.
“One feels powerless and even tempted to take the law into one’s own hands,” one truck driver told T21.
The economic impact is staggering: losses are estimated at seven billion pesos annually . But it’s not just monetary; it’s the human cost, the silent desertion of drivers who abandon the industry out of fear or migrate to the United States in search of safer conditions. There are reports of up to 70,000 operators who have left the sector in recent years, Romero explained.
The consequences extend throughout the entire logistics chain . Rising operating costs force companies to hire security guards, invest in real-time monitoring, and strengthen their internal protocols, the executive noted.
Faced with losses, some insurers have stopped covering certain types of goods or simply canceled policies for high-risk businesses.
All of this directly affects cargo owners, logistics operators, and end consumers, with the impact reflected in delays, shortages, and higher prices.
However, on Monday, May 20, during the biweekly report of the security cabinet presented at the morning conference of the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum , the Major General of the General Staff, Hernán Cortés Hernández, commander of the National Guard , stated that “in just seven months, cargo theft was reduced by 28% , due to the Balam strategy and the operations deployed on 22 highway sections in 12 states.”
But that vision contrasts with what is happening on federal highways , where despite the announced progress, operators continue to face constant attacks.
The impact of road rage is also reflected in the mental and emotional health of road workers. Romero explained that many of them suffer physical and psychological abuse during robberies, which has affected their safety and well-being.
He noted that today, operators face dangerous and violent situations, which has even led some to leave the industry due to job insecurity.
Romero emphasized that they have worked with all three levels of government to promote joint actions. Among the measures promoted are conferences, technological tools, the development of protocols, and training processes. He indicated that these actions must be part of a comprehensive strategy that combines technology with manuals, processes, and the participation of human resources: operators, monitoring areas, and medical personnel.
He also warned that the high demand for stolen goods on the informal market continues to fuel crime. As long as society is willing to buy low-cost merchandise, regardless of its origin, the problem will persist.
This informality has a direct impact on the logistics chain, increases the prices of basic products, and contributes to rising inflation.
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