The process of marking federal transportation units continues to raise doubts almost a month after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) .

While companies are moving forward with implementation, there are still questions about the actual costs , the durability of the materials and the feasibility of meeting the deadline set by the authority.

Before the approval of the markings, in the preliminary project presented to the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (Conamer) , the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) estimated that the cost would be 250 pesos per unit.

This calculation was based on a vehicle fleet of more than 316 thousand units, which would give a total cost of 79.1 million pesos for the implementation of the measure.

However, Patricia Vizcaya, Legal and Regulatory Director of the  National Association of Private Transport (ANTP) , in conversation with T21, warned that in reality the costs are higher , without giving figures.

He explained that the actual price of marking exceeds that stipulated in the draft , since it depends on suppliers, quality of the material and necessary replacements, which can represent a much higher expense for transporters.

“It doesn’t cost 250 pesos, it doesn’t cost 300 pesos. It’s a significant cost for companies and it will depend on the provider they choose,” Vizcaya explained.

He also warned about the quality of the materials , since if they are not strong enough, they could require constant replacements, further increasing the expense.

In addition to the cost, another aspect that has generated concern is the application of beacons on units with specific designs or corporate colours.

“If the color scheme is getting in the way and you cannot put it exactly where it says, the recommendation is to place it in another space without affecting the company’s image,” said Vizcaya.

Vizcaya also pointed out that the 90-day deadline for compliance with the markings may seem short , but stressed that dialogue is ongoing with the authorities to achieve greater flexibility in its implementation.

“The three months they are indicating may seem short, but they are three months that we can surely promote so that there is an extension and that we continue with these important extensions while they finish with the entire fleet,” he explained.

He added that ANTP will continue working with SICT to extend deadlines so that companies can adapt without affecting their operations.

He suggested that fleets prioritize marking vehicles that circulate on routes with a higher incidence of crime, since this measure is part of the Balam Strategy, promoted by the National Guard .

Vizcaya stressed that marking is part of a national security strategy that seeks to facilitate the identification of vehicles in the event of theft, speeding up their possible recovery.

In light of this, the ANTP has requested that the SICT and the National Guard complement the markings with technological tools such as GPS and panic buttons , so that it does not depend solely on visual identification.

Will there be penalties for not marking?

One of the issues that has generated controversy is whether there will be sanctions for those who do not implement the markings.

Vizcaya clarified that, so far, there have been no fines or inspection operations. However, it warned that the sector must remain attentive to how the implementation of this measure will evolve and its impact on the operation of companies.

It is important to remember that marking consists of identifying vehicles using alphanumeric characters visible at different points on the vehicle. Depending on the type of vehicle, it should be placed on the sides, roof and rear, using reflective materials to ensure visibility.

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El cargo Beacons on transport, is it true that it costs 250 pesos? ANTP resolves the doubt apareció primero en T21.

The proposal of the General Directorate of Federal Auto Transport (DGAF) , presented to the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (Conamer) , which proposes the marking of federal auto transport units, is beginning to generate comments and concerns among transporters and actors in the sector. As of Sunday, January 19, eight comments were registered on the Conamer platform, which reflect the existing concern about the viability and effectiveness of this measure.

Patricia Vizcaya, Legal and Regulatory Director of the National Association of Private Transport (ANTP) , highlighted in her comment that the measure requires longer periods for its implementation , suggesting a minimum of 180 calendar days to guarantee the adaptation of companies.

He also proposed alternatives such as allowing companies to relocate the beacons so as not to interfere with the corporate colour scheme of the units and analysing solutions for platforms that transport goods that do not require tarpaulin, such as ceramic floors or water in jugs.

Patricia Vizcaya also pointed out the need to clarify whether the marking applies to platforms with or without loads and to configurations such as lowboys and dump trucks.

For its part, the National Chamber of Cargo Transport (Canacar) presented a detailed analysis of the implementation costs, pointing out that the economic impact estimated by the DGAF is underestimated.

Canacar estimated that the real cost could exceed 900 million pesos , considering a vehicle fleet of 1.8 million units. In addition, it questioned the lack of mention of auxiliary services such as cranes and package transport, and emphasized that the measure does not consider the wear and tear of the tarps due to weather conditions or the risk to operators when placing them.

For his part, Guillermo Rosales Zárate, executive president of the Mexican Association of Automobile Distributors (AMDA) , said that the analysis of the moderate regulatory impact of the notice raises legal uncertainty , since it refers to an annex that could be modified without the corresponding procedure. In addition, he requested the exception of Transfer Plates from the new regulation, since their itinerant use would render the provision inoperative.

The debate is still open

Although the proposal for beaconing is in a consultation stage , the comments registered in Conamer have already begun to show the challenges that this measure could face for its implementation. Among the recurring concerns are:

• The lack of clarity regarding sanctions and their application in different vehicle configurations.
• The technical and operational feasibility of placing identification tarps on trailers such as nurse ships and hoppers.
• The absence of security guarantees that allow the beaconing to fulfil its objective.

This issue continues to generate interest and concern in the trucking sector , particularly at a critical time for the safety of goods and units in the country.

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El cargo Debate Intensifies Over Marking of Freight Transport Units apareció primero en T21.

Cargo transportation in Mexico is facing the most severe moment in the theft of goods and vehicles. Given this situation, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) has identified that marking vehicles would allow users to be protected on roads and bridges under federal jurisdiction.

According to data from various organizations, in 2024 there would have been nearly 16 thousand incidents against motor transport , which meant an increase of more than 9% compared to what happened in 2023.

For this reason, the General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport (DGAF) proposed the “marking” of federal motor transport units in their different modes, where the permit holders who circulate on highways and bridges under federal jurisdiction must attend to it.

On January 8, the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (Conamer) presented the preliminary draft in which the marking of the auto transport units for the different auto transport configurations is proposed, such as the single-unit truck (to refer to trucks and vans), articulated tractor truck (sic) – TS, bus and sedan car.

In the case of the TS configuration, it is exemplified with a dry box, however, for other configurations they are considered in the “general specifications” category, where applications such as containers or trailers that do not have a canopy such as hoppers, platforms, nurses, cages, vehicles under a leasing scheme and/or vehicles for temporary internment from the United States to Mexico are contemplated.

For the above considerations, the draft of the DGAF in Conamer states: “a banner with the identification number (sic) must be placed.”

Through his LinkedIn account, Román Mendoza, a transporter from the Puebla area, expressed various concerns about the complexity of some vehicle configurations such as containers or godrinas, “will they be subject to sanctions?”, which is not specified in the information shared by the DGAF.

At the same time, the carrier expressed whether this beaconing strategy will be accompanied by infrastructure from the competent authority, such as the National Guard , to react to a situation and that can be supported by the identification of the units.

Meanwhile, Román Mendoza expressed his concern about covering stolen vehicles with a tarp, thereby preventing the identification of the marked vehicle, “we would be falling into the ineffectiveness of said obligation, generating an expense for the permit holders.”

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El cargo Proposed Vehicle Marking for Freight Transport Raises Concerns apareció primero en T21.

The Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT)  announced the Integration and Operation Guidelines of its Infrastructure Committee , a body whose purpose is to integrate and coordinate the priority strategies and actions of the sector, in order to consolidate the connectivity of the modes of transport. communications and transportation, maximize the economic and social benefit of the projects and optimize investments.

According to the document sent to the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (Conamer) , said regulation has the purpose of complying with the powers conferred upon it, so the Committee must contribute to the development of a comprehensive planning , programming, budgeting, evaluation and monitoring of infrastructure plans, programs and projects under the responsibility of the Secretariat.

As well as giving opinions regarding plans, programs and projects, monitoring their development and, where appropriate, requesting the necessary adjustments; follow up on studies and projects to guarantee their execution in a timely manner; give opinions regarding the programming and allocation of resources and seek their development in a balanced manner between the different modes of communications and transportation.

Also analyze the evaluation of the results, the economic, social and regional impact of the works, that the new projects meet the country’s infrastructure needs to make operating costs more efficient and raise the levels of service to users, as well as strategies that allow the SICT to meet its guiding objectives, to mention a few.

The committee will meet regularly at least four times per fiscal year, on a quarterly basis, although it may hold extraordinary meetings as required.

“The information and documents received, presented, generated or distributed in the Committee sessions will be confidential, reserved or public,” said the SICT.

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El cargo SICT Presents Guidelines for the Integration and Operation of Its Infrastructure Committee apareció primero en T21.