2025 started with the brakes on for the trucking industry . Global uncertainty , tightening trade policies, and the threat of new tariffs are keeping those who drive the Mexican economy on edge, according to Fernando Noriega, CEO of Idealease Mexico .
Noriega described a first half of the year marked by a slowdown. “The end consumer in Mexico showed no year-over-year growth, and that kept the sector stressed,” he noted.
Added to this are long-standing challenges such as road safety , he said, and a continuing shortage of operators .
In this context, leasing units, particularly those that include maintenance, has become a viable alternative for maintaining operational flow without compromising the liquidity of trucking companies, Noriega said.
While short-term commercial rent contracted in the first half of the year, long-term contracts gained ground in response to an uncertain economic environment.
The focus, Noriega commented, is to help companies operate without having to invest in their own assets , especially when their business isn’t fleet management. “It allows them to grow without losing capital,” he emphasized.
Telemetry has also become key. All trucks in its fleet, which totals 3,200 units, are equipped with technology to monitor routes, detect faults before they occur, and analyze driving behavior .
“No matter who maintains the truck, there will always be a risk of breakdowns. The important thing is to anticipate them and respond,” he explained.
Noriega emphasized that while the Technology & Maintenance Council (the technical body that issues best practices for vehicle maintenance in the United States) standard allows for up to 10% of roadside failures, at Idealease this figure remains at 6%, thanks to the use of telemetry, which allows for anticipating breakdowns and reducing downtime.
This visibility is also useful for optimizing routes, monitoring fuel consumption, and issuing alerts in areas with high crime rates.
The new heavy vehicle market , for its part, also felt the slowdown, Noriega said.
“Retail placement fell between 20% and 22%,” he explained. However, the company managed to maintain its rental unit placement rate, aiming for growth during the second half of the year, which is traditionally more dynamic thanks to events such as the Buen Fin festival and holiday shopping.
Another issue that has impacted the business is the used market . Upon expiration of contracts, the units are placed on the secondary market, which has also been affected by the import of used vehicles from the United States, he said.
Despite this, the leasing-with-maintenance model continues to establish itself as an attractive option for companies of all sizes, from single-car trucks to large fleets , he explained.
Looking ahead, the company’s goal is ambitious: to increase its production from 3,200 units to 5,000 in the next five years , and in the long term, to reach 15,000 .
But beyond operational growth, for Fernando Noriega, leadership also involves developing better people.
“Our goal is to create mobility solutions so products arrive on time, but also to leave the country with better human beings. And that’s achieved through education, training, and working from childhood,” he reflected.
In a sector where challenges seem relentless, Noriega relies on a simple but powerful philosophy: persist, insist, be consistent, and never lose resilience.
“That’s what we have to do. Adapt to change and move forward,” he said.
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