The freight transport sector in Mexico faces a critical juncture marked by high accident rates and cargo theft . This situation not only threatens the integrity of the supply chain but also endangers human life.

According to Raymundo Mancera Sandoval, president of the Mexican Association of Private Security and Satellite Industry Companies (AMESIS) , accidents are the result of a combination of factors, where the human element is crucial. The main causes range from the absence of prior risk analysis for each route to the lack of adequate training for operators , who sometimes lack basic skills due to the high demand in the sector.

One factor exacerbating the situation is the informality within the satellite tracking services sector . Several trucking companies, in their efforts to reduce costs, hire uncertified or informal monitoring providers , which poses a risk to their operations.

“Companies are trying to save costs by hiring informal tracking services, but this only makes the problem worse,” Mancera warned in an interview with T21, alluding to deficient response protocols in the security chain.

The informal nature of these companies also impacts cargo security , as informal tracking companies are a potential source of leaks of sensitive information about routes and goods, and even operator data. This situation “generates impacts on cargo and a loss of credibility for formal firms,” the specialist noted.

To minimize the risks this represents, AMESIS promotes a security vision that integrates intelligence, logistics, preventive monitoring and inter-institutional coordination , seeking to ensure continuous cargo traceability.

Insecurity trends in critical corridors

The security trends show an increase in events with greater violence and the expansion of risk corridors, particularly in the Puebla-Veracruz and Guanajuato-Querétaro sections, where highway incidents have increased, and others have decreased.

“On the contrary, the number of incidents has been decreasing in the State of Mexico, where some important strategies are being implemented to reduce robberies, but the Puebla-Veracruz and Mexico-Puebla sections are extremely high, and the Guanajuato-Querétaro section is already experiencing a very high incidence,” Mancera pointed out.

In that regard, he said that satellite technology plays a crucial role, not only in recovery but also in crime prevention , as it allows for proactive measures, and in the case of incidents, “you can anticipate them a little.” “There are already some companies working with very advanced systems, even integrating artificial intelligence and predictive alerts that allow them to anticipate an event before it happens,” he added.

According to Overhaul , freight carriers felt the brunt of organized crime groups in Puebla, Mexico State, Guanajuato, Michoacán and Veracruz, which together account for 80% of the incidents.

At AMESIS, the creation of intelligent monitoring centers with high-availability infrastructure and direct connection to the authorities is being promoted to handle emergencies, where reactions can be guaranteed in the shortest time, even in minutes, “and have total traceability of the event, that helps the authority a lot so that they can also carry out their prevention and recovery strategies, and in that synergy, minimize impacts.”

These practices have allowed the organization to have a high recovery rate when an accident occurs and is reported immediately; however, there are also some challenges.

“The recovery rate we have at AMESIS is above 90%-95% when the report is made within the first 30 minutes of the event beginning, that is, when the robbery starts; the percentage is very high. When this time frame is exceeded and more than an hour or two has passed, the recovery rate drops dramatically to less than 50%,” he pointed out.

Coordination with the authorities has been vital in addressing accidents in the freight transport sector. The National Guard is one of the institutions with which AMESIS maintains close ties.

“They give us support at practically a national level, because they have influence on all the highways, and working particularly with the State of Mexico, with whom we have a very good relationship with the General Directorate of Cargo Theft, and above all looking at how we are closing links with cargo theft in Querétaro, Puebla, and Pachuca, which are the borders of Mexico City, and it is through here that 80% of the cargo that goes out passes,” Mancera indicated.

Cyberattacks: New Frontiers of the Threat

In addition to traditional theft, there are technological threats such as cyberattacks , which aim to steal sensitive information related to the merchandise being transported and the routes, making it a growing threat in road transport.

To combat cybercrime, data encryption , redundancy in communication channels, and the use of secure cloud backups are vital , said Raymundo Mancera.

Trucking operators are also exposed to crimes involving jammers , devices that inhibit the signal of satellite tracking systems.

According to Overhaul data, it is estimated that between  80% and 85% of cargo thefts in Mexico  involve the use of  jammers . The firm also revealed that from January to July 2025, the use of these devices was concentrated in the central region (66%) and the Bajío region (27%). For Mancera, part of the solution regarding these signal blockers is for authorities to stop allowing their importation into the country, as well as their use.

To ensure safety, AMESIS, which has 32 affiliated companies, recommended that carriers require their suppliers to have certifications such as ISO 27001. Mancera emphasized the importance of transportation validation tools with the National Guard, linked to the LAICA platform (Immediate Alert Line Against Assaults) , which ensure that vehicles have the necessary safety measures in place.

According to the specialist, an effective security strategy is based on three pillars:

• Prevention: Route evaluation, operator selection, continuous monitoring.
• Response: Clear emergency protocols, direct communication with authorities, 24/7 monitoring centers.
• Technology: Certified devices, redundant connectivity, and predictive analytics.

The specialist also emphasized that the Single Point of Contact (PUC) has been developed , which is a tool that concentrates emergency information from associated companies to channel it to the corresponding authority.

The fight against accidents, insecurity, and the informality of tracking companies demands prevention, response, and certified technology. As Mancera concludes, AMESIS not only advises and trains, but also fosters a measurable safety culture for the trucking industry.

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In an increasingly challenging logistics environment, Onest Smart Logistics shared its expertise in areas such as technology and security during a tour of its facilities in Tultitlán, State of Mexico. José Antonio García Trejo, the company’s Director of New Business Development, noted that security is not only a priority, but an urgent necessity given the increase in cargo thefts in Mexico .

According to figures from the Mexican Association of Private Security Companies and Satellite Industry (Amesis) , in 2024, 15,937 cargo transport robberies were recorded nationwide, which represented an increase of 9.15% and 9.18% compared to 2023. García Trejo pointed out that this phenomenon has directly impacted the company and its transport partners, which has motivated a profound transformation in its reaction and prevention capabilities.

Among its strategies are partnerships with technology developers to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its operations. These tools enable predictive routing, machine learning, and safer guidance for operators . Additionally, units have been equipped with smart sensors capable of blocking power flow, automatically closing doors, and issuing SOS alerts without human intervention, all of which seek to reduce risk in critical situations.

Beyond merchandise, the company has expanded its focus to protecting physical assets and, above all, operators, as insecurity has discouraged new generations of operators, he said.

“Each lost unit represents millions of pesos and an operational tragedy, especially in a country with a shortage of operators,” García emphasized.

With more than 40 partner transport lines, equivalent to a fleet of approximately 250 vehicles, Onest Smart Logistics makes nearly 3,000 trips per year . Although this figure represents a fraction of its installed capacity, the company is determined to scale its transportation operations proportionally to its 600,000 square meters (m²) of warehouse space, always with safety as its fundamental pillar.

Security in three parts

For his part, Carlos Gutiérrez Chávez, Transportation Security Manager at Onest Smart Logistics, presented the comprehensive protection model that the company has developed to address the challenges of freight transportation in Mexico, and explained that it is based on an 80-15-5 approach: 80% prevention, 15% reaction, and 5% recovery .

He also noted that security is a joint effort and emphasized the importance of collaboration with the C5 (National Guard), the National Guard , and municipal police. However, he indicated that public patrols are not enough: the key is to anticipate by analyzing routes, schedules, types of cargo, and crime patterns by area .

Regarding the highest-risk routes, he indicated that although the so-called “red triangle,” which encompasses Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz, continues to be mentioned, the State of Mexico currently represents the main source of danger.

“Security is not reaction, it is prevention, intelligence, and humanity,” Gutiérrez Chávez emphasized.

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Tick, tock… the clock ticks, and as each minute ticks by, a unit is ambushed , a driver is robbed, a load disappears. On Mexican roads, time isn’t just precious; it can mean the difference between recovering or losing everything.

“Today, Puebla has surpassed the State of Mexico in robberies against transporters. A few years ago, it didn’t even appear on heat maps. Now, it accounts for 27% of the incidents,” said Ricardo Bustamante , former president and current board member of the Mexican Association of Private Security Companies and the Satellite Industry (Amesis) .

During the association’s assembly, which marked the change of presidency at Amesis, Bustamante revealed that in April 2025 alone, 124 thefts were recorded from cargo vehicles affiliated with the organization. The figure represented a 20% increase compared to the same period the previous year . However, he also shared a reassuring statistic: 96% of those cases were successfully resolved .

How? With technology, but also with speed. Amesis boasted a national average of 45 minutes for vehicle recovery , and in the center of the country, that figure dropped to 37 minutes . But none of that is worth it, Bustamante warned, if the authorities don’t arrive in time.

“We depend heavily on the authorities arriving at the scene of the incident,” he insisted.

The map of violence has been redrawn. In addition to Puebla (27%), the State of Mexico (20%) and San Luis Potosí (10%) remain hotspots.

Guanajuato, Querétaro, Michoacán, and Veracruz follow. The Mexico-Querétaro , Querétaro-San Luis , and Mexico-Puebla highways top the list of the country’s most dangerous highways. In Celaya and some municipalities in Puebla, the risk is constant.

Criminals don’t distinguish between day and night. But they do know the clock. 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.  are the peak times for crime, according to the specialist.

They attack with “jammers,” signal-inhibiting devices, which deactivate systems and disappear in seconds. Forty-three percent of stolen vehicles are tractor-trailers , followed by trucks, trailers, and pickups, Bustamante said. The most coveted merchandise is groceries, pharmaceuticals, food, and liquor.

“Organized crime is increasingly turning to transportation as a source of income. This isn’t paranoia: it’s a reality confirmed by figures and testimonies. Hydrocarbon trafficking, the financing of illicit activities, the use of routes for other crimes—everything is intertwined,” Bustamante warned.

For his part, Raymundo Mancera , who assumed the presidency of Amesis, during his first message in office emphasized that companies must take an active role in the face of insecurity:

“Everything revolves around the level of risk and the probability of occurrence. Investment is needed to minimize the impact of crime,” he noted. He also acknowledged that authorities are making significant efforts, but insisted that the work must be joint and ongoing. “We need to strengthen this collaboration to close the loop on prevention and effective response,” he commented.

Mancera assumed the presidency of Amesis with the commitment to strengthen collaboration with authorities and promote investments that strengthen the sector. His administration, he said, will seek to translate experience into tangible solutions.

The clock is ticking, and on the roads, every minute that passes can decide the fate of an operator, a load, or an entire company.

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