Fleet renewal remains one of the biggest challenges for the trucking industry in Mexico . For carriers, the decision to replace vehicles is not only driven by the operating cycle or contractual obligations, but also by an environment where price, mechanical reliability, and legal certainty don’t always go hand in hand.
For small and medium-sized business owners , the pressure to keep their units in operation often leads them to opt for immediate solutions that may compromise their future performance, according to Alfredo Amador, CEO of Panamotors .
One of the factors that continues to distort the market is the importation of used trucks from the United States. Although these units are highly competitive in price, their mechanical and legal history is not always clear.
Despite the fact that the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) , the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor-Trailer Producers (ANPACT) , together with the Ministries of Economy (SE) and Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), promoted the Agreement on Environmental Conditions in the Importation of Used Vehicles , which seeks to prevent the entry into the country of units more than 10 years old, the market for imported used trucks continues to represent a challenge for the sector , particularly due to the persistence of units with high operational wear and tear and legal and mechanical risks for carriers.
According to Panamotors, many of these vehicles arrive with over a million miles on the odometer, significantly increasing maintenance requirements and post-purchase costs. Added to this is the risk of improper import procedures, which can restrict their use on certain routes or create documentation problems for the carrier.
In this context, the challenge for the sector is not only accessing more affordable units, but also evaluating the viability of the investment in the medium and long term. For large fleets, the challenge lies in maintaining previously budgeted operating costs , where fuel efficiency and maintenance frequency become critical variables. For growing carriers, price remains a determining factor, but it is increasingly important to have certainty about the actual condition of the purchased unit.
Given this scenario, Amador explained that companies in the used truck market have focused their strategy on meeting a wider range of operational needs, from light trucks to tractor-trailers and vocational equipment.
This approach responds to a reality in the sector: carriers do not face the same challenges at all stages of their growth , and the investment decision is often conditioned by the lack of clear information about the history and actual conditions of the available units, the executive explained.
One of the main challenges for the used car market remains raising the standard of an activity that has historically operated with high levels of informality, he added.
The professionalization of processes, the traceability of units, and the certainty regarding the return on invested capital appear as key elements in an environment where the tractor-trailer continues to be a productive asset , whose value depends, to a large extent, on its ability to remain in constant operation.
In a context marked by economic uncertainty and financial pressure on carriers, the discussion surrounding used vehicles is no longer focused solely on the purchase price and is shifting towards factors such as operational continuity, risk management and the economic sustainability of the investment over time.
According to ANPACT, for every 100 newly assembled trucks, 61 used ones enter Mexico, representing a significant safety hazard on the country’s highways, as many of these vehicles have already reached one million miles. The organization reports that between 2022 and 2024, imports of these types of vehicles increased from 8,071 to 29,790, a growth of approximately 269 percent.
Comment and follow us on X: @karinaquintero / @GrupoT21
