Mexico is experiencing a period of growth in its foreign trade, driven by nearshoring and a greater volume of goods in transit, which translates into the need to protect each shipment .

Given this scenario, SafeLink , a Mexican company specializing in insurance for the logistics industry, is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its operations to reduce certificate issuance time, simplify access to cargo insurance, and help its clients make better coverage decisions.

Benjamin Estrella, CEO of SafeLink, described the strategy in concrete terms: “ To make the insurance process simpler for logistics operators , freight forwarders and customs agents.”

This is particularly relevant given the constant growth of Mexican foreign trade. In the first half of 2026, Mexican exports reached $389.723 billion, a 24.6% year-on-year increase, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

For Benjamin, this increased movement of goods coexists with a risk scenario that generates the need to protect shipments and expand the penetration of cargo insurance , especially among companies that still perceive the process as complex or inaccessible.

Customer solutions

It is precisely at this point that SafeLink has focused part of its technological investment. The company incorporated AI tools into its platform and application to reduce the time it takes to issue a cargo insurance certificate . What previously took two minutes now happens in 10 seconds.

The platform allows the client to upload their logistics documents, invoice, waybill, bill of lading or an import declaration, and uses AI to automatically extract the data and preload the fields required to issue the certificate.

SafeLink also developed a bulk issuance feature: the platform processes up to 100 certificates in under three minutes using pre-designed templates. It also uses machine learning to analyze data and show its clients which shipments are covered, which are not, and how to increase the cargo coverage they are providing for their clients.

Internal operational efficiency

Technological development is not limited to customer-facing processes. According to Benjamin, 97% of SafeLink employees use AI tools at least once a week , and two-thirds save more than two hours a day.

As part of this adoption, the company identified internal processes that could be automated. Two of them went from requiring around 10 hours of work to being completed in approximately 10 minutes, making the return on investment in technology clear.

However, SafeLink has maintained a stable number of employees while its sales and profits have grown by more than 25 percent. “This time saved allows us to focus the team on providing higher-value service and personalized customer attention,” Benjamin noted.

SafeLink’s strategy includes three stages: the adoption of AI tools among all its employees; the identification of internal processes that can be automated; and the advancement towards an operation in which certain transactional decisions are made automatically through these technologies.

The customer, the focus

SafeLink’s technological approach stems from a premise that Benjamin Estrella considers crucial: it must address a real customer problem . A tool fails when it forces a change in behavior without resolving a specific need.

Therefore, the company is committed to incorporating AI with direct application in daily operations . “If you develop a solution without identifying a real customer problem, it will never work,” he stated.

This technological evolution is also taking place in a market where cargo theft continues to pose a risk to supply chains.

According to the Mexican Transportation Institute (IMT) , approximately 84% of goods transported within the country are moved by road, making road transport the main supply link for industries such as manufacturing, automotive, mining, and agri-food.

“Mexico is moving more cargo than ever before, reaching record figures in exports and foreign direct investment. However, the problem our industry is addressing is that theft remains a serious concern. Eighty-two percent of thefts are concentrated in 10 states, led by the State of Mexico with 19%, followed by Puebla and the central corridor. Furthermore, in the Bajío region, which accounts for 30% of incidents, we’ve detected a 4% increase, driven by the arrival of new investments and industries,” explained Benjamin Estrella.

The executive detailed a change in the criminal modality: although traditional highway robbery continues, the theft of entire units during overnight stays or by diverting routes has increased, with special impact on high-value and easily marketable goods such as copper, aluminum and steel.

Faced with this problem, SafeLink plans to continue incorporating artificial intelligence into internal processes and expand the capabilities of its platform with a clear objective: to democratize access to cargo insurance in Mexico .

Low penetration of cargo insurance

Despite operational risks, cargo insurance penetration in Mexico remains low. According to industry estimates, only one in three shipments in the country has any type of coverage .

The total annual loss due to cargo theft is estimated at approximately seven billion pesos (mdp), of which the companies that own the cargo end up absorbing between 70% and 90% due to the lack of adequate insurance.

Benjamin Estrella attributes this gap to three factors: the lack of a culture of prevention and insurance in the sector; policies with inadequate coverage for the country’s operational particularities; and the scarcity of simple , robust and cost-accessible products for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

To address the lack of insurance culture in the merchandise sector, in 2025, SafeLink provided more than 1,500 training sessions to its clients .

“Today we work with more than five main insurance companies, with whom we already have very robust programs and more than 60 coverages that perhaps an international program doesn’t have in Mexico. We cover issues such as loading and unloading maneuvers, stays in customs areas, VAT on temporary imports , which is a very particular issue here in Mexico,” Estrella pointed out.

Following this logic, SafeLink is committed to a clear model: insurance for those who master logistics, not insurance itself . The company offers free cargo coverage advice , both for those who already have insurance and for those who have not yet insured their cargo.

Charting the roadmap 

SafeLink plans to expand the functionalities of its platform. Among the projects under development is the integration of a multi-shipping portal , which will allow logistics operators to track maritime shipments from a single interface, identifying in real time which cargo volume is insured and which remains at risk.

Regarding the coverage options, the company has launched specialized products such as policies for the e-commerce and parcel delivery sector with compensation times of five business days, as well as “first risk” coverages tailored to the needs of users.

“Our strategy going forward is clear: to remain 100% specialized in the logistics sector and continue democratizing access to cargo coverage in a simple, efficient way, backed by cutting-edge technology,” concluded Benjamin Estrella.

“Insurance for logistics experts, not insurance experts .” With that premise, SafeLink offers free coverage advice to two types of companies: those that already have cargo insurance and want to know if it truly protects them, and those that don’t yet insure their cargo and need a policy tailored to their operations. If the analysis shows that it’s possible to improve your existing policy, SafeLink offers a 20% discount on the first month’s coverage .

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While goods travel along increasingly congested and dangerous highways, cargo insurance is still progressing slowly in the country. Although Mexico is considered one of the most important markets for cargo insurance in Latin America, only 4% of goods transported by road are insured , according to Esaú Mendoza Hernández, Business Development Director at Keeper Cargo Insurance .

Mendoza Hernández commented that the problem lies not only in the theft of goods, but in the entire ecosystem of risks surrounding freight transport in Mexico.

Speaking from Guadalajara, he warned that states like Jalisco and Guanajuato have climbed the ranks among the hotspots for cargo theft. Jalisco moved from seventh to fifth place nationally, while Guanajuato now ranks third.

Added to this is the operational pressure derived from infrastructure works , port saturation and traffic in strategic corridors for the movement of goods.

This situation, he explained, not only impacts logistical times, but also increases the exposure of the units to theft and raises the physical strain on the operators.

According to the specialist, one of the most concerning phenomena today is armed robberies in storage yards where sensitive merchandise, such as electronics or clothing, is kept while awaiting transfer or shipment. But the risk doesn’t end there. Mexico ranks seventh in the world for traffic accidents, and approximately 30% to 35% of those accidents are related to freight transport, explained Mendoza Hernández. Furthermore, roughly 85% of accidents are attributable to factors related to the operation of the vehicles.

He indicated that the problem is structural : operators subjected to long lines at ports, hours stopped in traffic, operational delays and extended workdays end up increasing the probability of accidents and incidents.

The legal loophole that leaves cargo unprotected

Beyond the insecurity, the sector faces the challenge of a lack of insurance culture .

Mendoza explained that, under Mexican law, if the cargo value was not correctly declared on the Bill of Lading or transport contract, the carrier’s liability can be limited to as little as 15 UMAs per ton transported. This means that a company that loses merchandise valued at thousands of dollars could receive minimal compensation .

Given this scenario, he asserted that the main challenge for the insurance sector remains promoting a culture of prevention and financial protection , particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

He explained that SMEs often consider cargo insurance to be expensive. However, he indicated that the average cost of cargo insurance currently represents less than 1% of the value of the transported goods.

“The problem is not just theft; it’s that a disaster can completely bankrupt a small business,” he stressed.

Mexico under the international microscope

The perception of risk regarding Mexico is already beginning to impact even international insurance policies.

According to Esaú Mendoza, some global insurers have begun to impose higher deductibles or specific limits when goods transit through Mexican territory, due to the levels of theft and accidents.

In some cases, he said, international companies require carriers and freight forwarders to assume direct responsibility for thefts and damages occurring in Mexico as a condition of working with them.

Currently, Mexico faces a shortage of approximately 99,000 freight operators, while the country registers around 150 million journeys per year between local, national and international operations, according to estimates shared by the specialist.

Despite the size of the market, he asserted that there is still a huge gap in assurance and prevention within the logistics chain.

Mendoza Hernández also pointed out that, although there are around 15,000 registered insurance agents in Mexico, only a very small group actually specializes in cargo and logistics risk insurance.

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In contemporary logistics, cargo insurance has ceased to be a mere administrative formality and has become an essential component of operational continuity. Increased insecurity, market volatility, and the growing complexity of supply chains have redefined how companies and insurers interpret risk, shifting it from the realm of formality to that of strategy.

Juan Carlos Benavides, CEO of BAS Cargo Insurance , clearly summarizes this paradigm shift: insurance is no longer limited to a contractual promise, but is built on understanding, compliance, and evidence. “Logistics moves the world, and we ensure that this movement is insurable and defensible when something goes wrong ,” he states.

For Javier Márquez, marine advisor at BAS Cargo Insurance, this transformation responds to a more demanding operational reality. “Today, companies can no longer rely on merchandise arriving ‘by sheer luck.’ Road violence, infrastructure deterioration, and the increase in accidents have forced them to adopt a true culture of prevention . ”

Risks that define the operation

One of the most significant changes in logistics assurance has been the recognition of vulnerabilities that remained invisible for years. Benavides points out that the first is the accumulation of exposure : concentrating high-value merchandise in yards, border crossings, distribution centers, or narrow operational windows can transform efficiency into a critical point of vulnerability.

“A single incident can escalate into multiple losses. Many companies create potential events without realizing it,” he warns.

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