Attracting and retaining operators in the freight transport industry is a strategic challenge that must be addressed from a holistic perspective. Organizational culture functions like the company’s DNA, directly influencing results, growth, and organizational stability . Therefore, the daily practice of its values ​​must be a conscious and ongoing exercise, initially carried out periodically and systematically until it becomes a habit and integrated into the organization’s daily operations.

Every organization has a culture that originates from its founders, but it isn’t always given the importance it deserves. Consequently, it becomes distorted when its interpretation and correct practice are left to the discretion of leaders, losing strength when it is precisely the fundamental source of organizational energy. This is only true if the correct interpretation is maintained and disseminated primarily through the behavior of its leaders, until it becomes the good operating habits of organizational behavior. From an axiological perspective, a virtue is a good operating habit, and a vice is a bad operating habit. What kind of habits are you promoting in your organization?

How organizational DNA is formed

Culture is built upon beliefs, values, attitudes, behaviors, and habits. This diagram explains how individual behaviors transform into collective practices that define an organization’s identity.

Beliefs → Values ​​→ Attitudes → Behaviors → Habits

Beliefs are assumptions formed from the experiences we have in community and always from the statements that a leadership figure repeatedly mentions and instills in the rest of the organization the ideas about those experiences, that is, the beliefs and their favorable or unfavorable effects when they are not respected.

This is when beliefs become values, which are the virtues or positive qualities that guide people in distinguishing right from wrong, and predispose behavior toward correct action (a good operating habit). We can call this predisposition an attitude.

Attitude precedes behavior, so it is important and key to be aware of this process because they are the basis of organizational behavior. That is, to the extent that we focus our efforts and programs on establishing what the belief system behind organizational success is, we will be able to achieve a standardization of behaviors in all members of the organization.

As the above is repeated, encouraged and rewarded, its practice will become a habit (a virtue and not a vice) and when this happens, its daily exercise is done unconsciously and permanently, and it is at this moment that it becomes integrated into the culture.

Therefore, the organization must be aware of what it is promoting through its daily behavior, not just what it says on its promotional posters. This is where the phrase “the noise of your actions prevents me from hearing what you say” comes into play .

If a company aims to be people-oriented, management should focus first on analyzing organizational behavior and then on the numerical analysis of results, since these results largely reflect its cultural system.

Organizational integration

In the transport industry there are two worlds: the one experienced by the operators and the one experienced by the administration , and integrating them requires a 360-degree vision that aligns emotions, results, strategies and working conditions.

First, we must understand the lives of our employees as individuals, whether they are young people, parents, or family members, with aspirations for self-improvement in every sense, and join them in their daily efforts to achieve their personal goals and aspirations. Few leaders understand that work is the means for personal fulfillment and must be valued and respected.

To dignify means to emotionally connect with everything people seek beyond the economic, everything that gives profound meaning to their lives. Otherwise, life becomes a boring and overwhelming routine that quickly drains their energy and empties their sense of purpose.

On the other hand, in the world that administration lives in, there are also people who live different stages and have different needs in life, and with whom the first step is to dignify their work, in order to connect with each of the team members and from this point develop a productive and lasting relationship.

Leadership and alignment

Leaders must prioritize talent management and alignment of wills through a communication process that allows all members of the organization to work towards common goals.

When we connect with each employee’s personal aspirations and goals, it becomes easier to find points of convergence with organizational goals, facilitating their achievement. Organizational goals are only achieved when they translate into benefits that allow each employee to reach their personal goals.

In this sense, leadership with a humanistic approach plays a fundamental role by prioritizing the well-being of its employees , creating an environment where they feel valued within an atmosphere conducive to their personal and family growth.

Factors of permanence

An employee’s retention within an organization depends on much deeper human factors than simple monthly financial compensation. The greatest weight of retention factors lies in more intangible, but highly important human-social factors, such as self-motivation, self-esteem, recognition, and working conditions, which together we can call Emotional Salary .

A positive environment that prioritizes Emotional Salary strengthens employee commitment and gives them a solid vision of their future where their family’s assets are secure.

Paradigm shift

In our industry, it is necessary to take a fundamental step that would take transportation in Mexico to the next level, and this is a change of paradigms that have discredited the profession of Freight Transport Operator for decades.

Some of these paradigms include thinking that the operator is a driver, a trucker, or a lorry driver, with many bad practices and negative attitudes, who must be kept at a distance and treated roughly, because that is how they respond to the demands of their work to barely reach the minimum productivity standards, and we have repeated it so many times that we no longer need to say it, just by believing that this is the way, the attitude is generated and with it a behavior that reinforces their place in the organization day after day.

The pressure to “meet the numbers” can lead to disregarding the dignity of the people behind every position in the organization and every truck driver.

This is a decision for each transport business owner; it’s not easy, but you have to take the first step. If you want to grow your business through increased sales volume, this can only be achieved with better service and a strong focus on productivity. But above all, you must treat all your employees like customers—there’s no difference. Treat your employees the way you treat your best customers.

Training and future

There is certainly a real condition that will worsen if no action is taken in time, and that is the growing disinterest in being a Professional Freight Transport Operator, but there is the option of training operators and changing the focus in their organizational environments.

Out there is a large population of Mexican men and women with great potential for world-class talent, as has been demonstrated in all the industries in which Mexican entrepreneurs have invested and excelled internationally, and transportation does not have to be the exception, but we must inspire and train them, starting by dignifying the profession under a humanistic leadership that considers within its management all the human, technical and administrative aspects that are required under a comprehensive approach.

The solution to the challenge of attracting and retaining staff, especially professional operators, is cultural and strategic, and requires leadership with a humanistic approach and a long-term vision that gives each employee certainty in their future and wealth creation.

Our youth need opportunities, and the transportation industry can provide them; they just need training . Human beings learn to love things when they understand them, and when they understand them, they master them with expertise, and when they reach this level, it becomes a vocation.

*Sergio Hernández is the Human Capital Director of Trayecto , a company that is part of Drive Is Great , the ecosystem that gives visibility to best practices in operator management .

Connect and comment with Sergio Hernández on LinkedIn .

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El cargo Attracting and retaining freight transport operators apareció primero en T21.

Trucking is an essential activity for the Mexican economy and for daily life in the country: more than 80% of domestic goods are transported by road, it accounts for more than 57% of total trade, and it contributes 3.7% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, one of its biggest challenges remains the recruitment and retention of drivers.

The International Road Transport Union (IRU) estimates that by 2025 there will be a shortage of 99,000 operators in Mexico, resulting from multiple structural factors affecting the sector.

Based on this reality, the Drive Is Great certification , created in 2023 by VI-Human and Grupo T21 , recognizes organizations that have developed strong cultures and effective operator management models.

Its objective is to recognize companies that have successfully strengthened internal trust, consolidated institutional practices, and promoted the comprehensive development of talent as a strategic focus.

Companies that share a commitment to professionalization, quality service, and the consolidation of models focused on the well-being of their employees.

The certification assesses four main areas:

– Development of new workforce.
– Operator retention strategies.
– Employer brand strengthening.
– Training, development, and safety plan.

In its third edition, and within the framework of Transportation Awards 2025 , Drive Is Great recognized the following companies according to the areas evaluated:

MexAmerik Group :
– New Operator Development.
– Operator Retention Strategies.
– Employer Branding Development.

Trareysa :
– Development of New Operators.
– Training, Capacity Building and Safety.

Pathway :
– Operator Retention Strategies.
– Training, Development and Safety.

Xihutec :
– Development of New Operators.
– Training, Capacity Building and Safety.

501RT Revolutionizing Transportation :
– Training, Education and Safety.

Gomsa :
– Operator Retention Strategies.

HG Transportaciones :
– Development of New Operators.

Companies that were recertified in 2025 were also recognized ; that is, those that obtained their certification for the first time in 2023 and again met the criteria of the model:

García’s Trucking Transport :
– Training, Development and Safety.
– Employer Branding Development.

Career path:
– Development of New Operators.
– Development of Employer Branding.

Zinergia :
– Training, Development, and Safety.
– Employer Branding Development.

In addition, the following companies with current certification were recognized :
– Super International Transport .
– FEMA Transport .

With this edition, Drive Is Great reaffirms the importance of building environments where operators can develop with stability, security and professional growth, while reinforcing the competitiveness of the trucking industry in Mexico.

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Freight trucking is a fundamental activity in the Mexican economy and also contributes to society. More than 80% of national merchandise is transported by this mode of transport, while it accounts for more than 57% of total trade, in addition to contributing 3.7% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) .

Freight trucking companies and participants recognize that one of the main challenges is recruiting new trucking operators or retaining this workforce. In fact, the International Road Transport Union (IRU)  estimated that there will be a shortage of 99,000 trucking operators in these jobs by 2025.

Based on this reality, the Drive is Great certification , an initiative jointly launched in 2023 by VI-Human and Grupo T21 , aims to recognize organizations that have managed to develop a successful culture and good institutional practices, centered on the comprehensive development of its operators as a strategic basis for its operations, based on building trust among all collaborators, who enjoy winning through their roles.

Since this certification was launched in 2023 , a growing community has emerged, including the following companies:

• Pilot Auto Transport .
• García´s Trucking .
• Direct Express Group .
• STI Group .
• FEMA Transports .
• Trareysa .
• Route .
• Zinergia .

These companies are part of a group of organizations that maintain a commitment to their employees and their customers, which is why they have strengthened and sustained the constant development of their quality and service policies, and in particular, those focused on their human capital .

“Drive is Great honors organizations that have achieved organizational capabilities and competencies that lead to models for developing new talent, strengthening their employer brand, and retaining their operators, as well as their focus on establishing alternatives for operator development through ongoing training and awareness-raising to prioritize safety and well-being,” highlighted Einar Palomino, president of Drive is Great.

Drive is Great certification evaluates four major areas: new workforce development, operator retention strategies, employer branding, and training, education, and safety plans .

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Because the operator shortage doesn’t start when the engine is started, but long before, with insufficient training rooms, delayed licensing, and training that fails to keep pace with the industry. 

“The reality is that it’s a beautiful, exciting industry. And it’s very noble,” says Einar Palomino, CEO of  VI Human  and president of Drive Is Great, the certification of best practices with operators promoted by Grupo T21 and VI Human. 

Palomino acknowledges that fewer and fewer young people are attracted to professional driving. “This also has a part to do with why there’s a shortage of operators , because driving is no longer attractive to young people,” he explains. 

The problem is structural. While freight transport is consolidating as the backbone of the economy, contributing 5.9% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generating more than 2.3 million direct jobs, according to the 2024 Basic Statistics on Federal Trucking published by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) , the pace of training new operators continues to fall far short of the sector’s demands. 

According to the same document, more than 222,000 general and specialized cargo trucking permit holders were registered in 2024. However, the issuance of licenses has not grown at the same pace. “The sector is growing tremendously. It’s growing very strongly. But there are no operators because there’s no one to train them,” warns Palomino. 

This highlights a gap between the sector’s operational demand and the institutional capacity to incorporate new drivers. 

“One company in every 200 has a unique training project,” he warns. The rest compete for the same available operators, without investing in training new profiles.

In some isolated cases, companies have begun to adopt and sponsor Industrial Work Training Centers (Cecatis), allowing students to access practical classes and graduate with guaranteed formal employment. However, these efforts remain the exception rather than the norm nationwide.

“There are training centers that take an operator with 30 years of experience and appoint him as an instructor, even if he doesn’t have teaching skills,” warns Miguel Guzmán Negrete, general director of PISVI Mobility , a center for comprehensive road safety planning studies. 

“Not every excellent driver is a good teacher,” he adds. Most training programs continue to teach using traditional approaches, failing to adapt to changes in mobility or integrate approaches to road safety, risks, and new technologies. 

If you wish to continue reading this text, we invite you to consult the July 2025 edition of T21 magazine,  clicking here to review the electronic version .

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El cargo The silent shortage in trucking apareció primero en T21.

Trareysa is undergoing one of its most ambitious stages: consolidating its position as the leading hydrocarbon transportation company in Mexico , under the leadership of Felipe Emmanuel García Hernández, its General Director of Transformation.

With nearly 600 units in operation , a national presence, and an international division with 40 units in Texas under the name Trareysa LLC , the company plans to grow 30% by 2025 and climb positions in the national ranking of the sector.

“We are laying the foundation to achieve a very aggressive goal: to be among the top 15 transportation companies in Mexico by 2030,” García said.

With more than two decades of history , the company seeks to continue evolving. In 2024, Trareysa managed to reduce its accident rate by 40% thanks to a strategy that combined operational, technological, and organizational actions.

This was complemented by the implementation of preventive methodologies and the refinement of operator profiles. Furthermore, the road safety committee, which previously met only after an accident, now meets weekly to anticipate risks.

“We don’t just look for drivers; we look for the best. Today, more than a license, we require experience and commitment. That has been key to changing the culture,” García explained to T21.

The company also implemented a demanding recruitment model , requiring extensive operator experience. This strategy is reinforced by a competitive salary structure, above the national average, which has helped reduce staff turnover and maintain an average of five years’ seniority among operators.

In 2024, it also stood out for having key certifications such as the Socially Responsible Company (ESR) , in addition to obtaining the Drive is Great certification, aimed at recognizing those companies that have successfully managed their operators by building solid structures, having qualified talent, organizational capabilities and innovative processes.

The company also promotes preventive maintenance , route optimization, and monthly training on environmental and safety issues. All of this is aimed at minimizing impacts and ensuring compliance with local and international standards.

The company’s operating structure consists of seven divisions : Industrial, Carriers (focused on Pemex interrefineries), Burgos, Derivatives and Lubricants, Pressure and Vacuum (for wells), International, and Marketing. This segmentation has allowed it to diversify its service portfolio, adapt to the challenges of the economic climate, and serve different sectors with specialized solutions.

“Our big challenge this year is to consolidate what we’ve built: to ensure the operation doesn’t get out of hand due to uncontrolled growth. Many are already buying units or gaining customers, but few stop to check if they’re doing things right,” García said.

With operations throughout the Gulf of Mexico and a network spanning from Baja California to Yucatán, the company maintains a presence in strategic terminals in Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Veracruz, Villahermosa, and the Iberian Peninsula, with active operations in Mexico City, Chihuahua, and Coahuila, among others. Currently, 80% of its operations are focused on services for Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) .

Although he acknowledged that economic uncertainty and tariff announcements , such as those promoted by US President Donald Trump, are creating tension in the sector, Felipe García asserted that the diversification strategy and focus on hydrocarbons have partially shielded them.

In the first quarter of 2025, Trareysa is already reporting growth of over 100% in its transportation services. And while other companies in the sector prioritize filling vacancies quickly, Trareysa is committed to raising the bar. The long-term goal is clear: to double its fleet and become the largest hydrocarbon transportation company in the country.

The company continues to adjust its consolidation strategy based on the progress made and future goals set. The path to greater participation in the sector is underway.

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Currently, 80.7% of the freight transport companies registered with the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) belong to the truck driver (from one to five units), this type of entrepreneur accumulates 22.9% of the fleet, according to figures to 2023 from the Basic Statistics of Federal Motor Transport.

Small companies represent 16.4%, medium-sized companies 2.2% and large companies 0.7% of the total number of companies. However, the latter own 30.8% of the total national fleet, which totaled 1,331,921 units at the end of last year.

Due to their nature and creation processes, the vast majority of freight transportation companies are family organizations run by a single person who operates the entire company, either on an empirical basis or through an academic preparation process.

Under the shelter and strict supervision of their founder, many of these companies have achieved financial success and prestige with their clients . Taking this into account, it is “normal” that trucking companies continue to operate as they have done until now, as organizations with a family structure.

Strictly speaking, and if we stick to the results, changing from a family-owned transportation company to one with corporate governance can be considered almost unnecessary.

However, transportation has faced profound changes in recent years. Einar Palomino, CEO of VI Human and President of Drive is Great, commented that this evolution has been stimulated by the ability of companies to establish financial guidelines that help them guarantee healthy finances, and subsequently, guidelines for continuity in terms of their capacity for growth based on controlled leverage.

Palomino explained that the second factor that today forces us to open the window of change is the training of new and good operators . “Transportation per se becomes a financial and people business. Whoever has the ability to have a financial vision, accompanied by the ability to have the right people behind the wheel, has guaranteed continuity,” he said.

Although applying the good practices of an institutionalized company may seem far away for companies under the truck-man scheme, it may not be so far away for small companies that at some point in their history have begun to distinguish the implementation of new structures , the acquisition of digitalization and technology tools.

“These types of companies are the ones that are beginning to be candidates for establishing a different way of working and it is precisely at this point that the transformation of family transport companies into companies under corporate governance can take place. Although strictly speaking there is no defined size of company or fleet for an institutionalization model to be incorporated,” says the general director of VI Human and president of Drive is Great.

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For just over three years, Transportes Garcia’s Trucking (TGT), ranked 87th in the Top 100 of Autotransporte® , has been experiencing a new era led by Florencia Vázquez, the company’s current general manager, who has more than 20 years of experience in logistics and auto transport.

Under Vázquez’s leadership, the company has transitioned from a family business to a company with corporate governance. Among its most recent achievements is the completion of all the Drive is Great certification areas, which is promoted by VI Human and Grupo T21 .

This certification recognizes the best practices of the trucking industry and helps in the development of operators. It verifies more than 100 points that companies must meet to be considered an excellent place for operators to work .

In this way, TGT is certified in all areas of Drive Is Great, which consists of the following:

1. Development of New Operators.
2. Training Training and Safety.
3. Operator Retention Strategies.
4. Employer Branding.

This year, TGT has been certified in the development of new operators, operator retention strategies and employer brand development, as well as in the areas of training, capacity building and safety.

Thanks to her career, the general manager of TGT has accumulated a great deal of knowledge in dealing with operators , which has been a fundamental point for the company to draw up growth plans supported by the talent behind the wheel.

“We are developing operators in a well-structured way, focusing on safety and technology. Our school has theoretical and practical training plans, but with a human vision. Currently, 50% of our staff are graduates of our academy,” explained Vázquez.

To date, TGT continues to strengthen its operator retention strategy, which ranges from fair salaries, as well as having a psychology area, family get-togethers, scholarships for children and now the Drive is Great certification.

But perhaps the most interesting aspect of the strategy is the creation of a podcast in which the general manager herself establishes communication with the operators . This has become a space for coexistence, in which topics such as security, health, nutrition, among others, are discussed. This proposal has evolved to become an interview space with some operators, a tool that has stimulated closeness between them and the general management.

“This helps us to be a solid company that is making good progress towards achieving our goals,” said Vázquez.

The company’s medium-term plans are to grow the fleet, going from 200 motor units to 500 , this includes its own fleet and the business model with permit holders who will offer the service with TGT quality.

A transportation engineer by profession, Florencia Vázquez has collaborated with companies such as Walmart and Grupo Modelo , which has provided her with the knowledge and tools to apply her knowledge in planning, dealing with and developing operators, setting up new businesses, logistics, transportation and imports.

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Achieving results in service standards, operator turnover and productivity improvements requires having aligned strategies. This is the path that Transportes García´s Trucking and Samsara have followed , deepening the use of technologies and achieving changes in the mentality of human capital.

In the path that García’s Trucking and Samsara have followed, results have been the key to the long-term relationship, as described by Florencia Vázquez, general manager of García’s Trucking, who says that through Samsara they have been able to identify the needs of their clients in order to exceed service levels, “we have identified what clients need and how we can provide it with Samsara.”

Florencia Vázquez said that the defined route is to have a focus on people, processes and technologies , and where the key has been to integrate technological tools in the three main areas.

“Through technology we have been able to become a reference for clients and operators,” added the general director of García’s Trucking, a member of the Top 100 of Autotransporte® .

Eric Islas, Enterprises Account Executive at Samsara, described how they have been able to become partners for carriers not only through their product portfolio, but also through implementation and achieving the objectives defined with clients, for which the adoption stage is key to taking advantage of the benefits of the ecosystem.

“Being close to our clients allows us to receive their feedback and generate new solutions to what is required,” Islas said.

Among the results that García’s Trucking has achieved with the incorporation of Samsara is reducing its accident rate from 80 to 5%, in addition to being able to increase service levels with customers, which has translated into currently having 70% of dedicated operations, highlighted Carlos Huitrón, Director of Operations at García’s Trucking.

Huitrón highlighted that another of the results they have obtained from the implementation of technology is being able to have a closer and more personalized relationship with operators, factors that translate into operator retention and rotation indicators, “such as being able to serve them with their 10-28 (nickname) that each of them uses.”

To continue strengthening its service standards, García’s Trucking works with Samsara to make more assertive decisions and be predictive, “anticipating problems that may arise in meeting our service standards,” said Huitrón.

Samsara presented the premiere video Spotlight of García’s Trucking, which describes the success story achieved by implementing the Samsara portfolio, and which highlights that adoption by senior management and the Board of Directors has been key.

Martín Ramírez, Finance Director of García’s Trucking, specified that they will continue to deepen technological adoption, such as the link with their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) management system and where, based on the use of technology, it will be possible to have traceability of all operating costs, in order to be more productive and efficient.

García’s Trucking has also taken advantage of technology for the training of its operators, and now with the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) for training,  better results can be achieved in this field.

In its approach to people, Transportes García´s Trucking was one of the first companies to obtain the Drive is Great certification , in the areas of New Operator Development and Training, Capacity Building and Safety.

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