The shortage of license plates for federal motor carriers , along with delays and other issues, dates back several years. However, in October 2025, this problem intensified, and the sector began reporting a lack of metal license plates for new vehicles and replacement applications. Carriers say the complications persist, although the problem now centers on the delivery and tracking of documents .

Several operators reported delays in the issuance of federal license plates, forcing the authority to maintain provisional schemes to avoid major disruptions to operations.

However, according to Eucario Reyes, president of the National Association of Representation in Motor Transport (ANRA) , there are currently cases in which carriers request their license plates and receive the response that they have already been delivered, even though they claim not to have received them.

“You request it and they tell you: I already delivered it. Where? To whom? At what time?” the sector representative pointed out.

The situation has generated discontent among some concessionaires , who claim that they must restart administrative processes to obtain replacements or clarify the status of their procedures.

According to Reyes, when a temporary permit expires and the carrier must restart the process to recover a license plate they haven’t received, the process can take between five and 15 days . During that period, a vehicle may stop generating income.

“A 15-day delay can represent losses of close to 30,000 pesos, not considering the additional costs associated with replacements and administrative procedures.

The leader indicated that the problem mainly affects companies dedicated to general cargo transport , a segment that concentrates an important part of the mobility of goods in the country.

Given this scenario, representatives of the sector held meetings with officials from the General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport (DGAF) to present various cases and request a review of the procedures related to the delivery of license plates and other procedures.

As a result of these meetings, the authorities suggested that complaints be submitted to the appropriate oversight bodies to follow up on each case.

The discontent reached such a level that members of the sector considered holding a protest to demand answers regarding the issuance of license plates and other procedures. However, prior to the mobilization, representatives of the trucking industry held a meeting with officials from the General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport, which resulted in a working agreement and a commitment to forward the complaints to various review bodies.

Although the demonstration was suspended, Reyes asserted that the problems denounced by the sector remain unresolved .

Although license plate production began this year following the allocation of federal resources and the participation of Talleres Gráficos de México, according to Reyes, there are still operational challenges to ensure that the documents effectively reach the concessionaires and that pending procedures can be resolved without further delays.

The license plate crisis in data

• More than eight months of complaints about federal license plates.
• 130 million pesos were authorized for the purchase of license plates, but in many cases they still haven’t arrived, according to ANRA.
• According to ANRA, a replacement can take up to 15 days.
• Up to 30,000 pesos in damages per vehicle.

Thus, the problem that originally focused on the lack of available license plates has evolved into questions about the delivery processes, administrative tracking and handling of incidents within the federal motor transport system.

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El cargo Eight months in, the license plate crisis continues to generate costs for the trucking industry. apareció primero en T21.

Terminal Marítima Mazatlán (TMAZ) , operated by SAAM Terminals , reported a positive year-end balance for 2024, marked by a sharp 20% increase in merchandise transfers , according to a press release shared by the company.

TMAZ General Manager Mauricio Ortiz said, “We have positioned ourselves as a reliable ally for our clients. Thanks to our investments, today we offer more than 20 thousand square meters of bonded warehouses, which translates into cost savings and a competitive advantage. At TMAZ we enable merchandise to be dispatched in a timely manner, with solutions adapted to the needs of the market.”

In the automotive sector, the terminal stood out as the second vehicle operator in the Pacific. During the year, a transfer of more than 160 thousand units was achieved .

“Today, the terminal has diversified its clients and has importers from Asia thanks to the more than five kilometers of railway tracks inside the terminal that allow us to move steel, containers and vehicles with a high level of productivity,” added Ortiz.

In the case of steel, cargo in which TMAZ is positioning itself as a key player for the chain, more than 580 thousand tons were mobilized with a growth in 2024 of more than 100 percent. The terminal has a specialized warehouse for handling steel, of 5,300 m2 with two traveling cranes. Going forward, an increase in this type of cargo of at least 5% annually is projected.

TMAZ is preparing for 2025, when it hopes to increase vehicle transfer by more than 5%, steel by more than 10% and continue consolidating its experience in loose cargo handling.

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El cargo TMAZ Closes 2024 with Sustained Growth in Vehicles, Steel, and Loose Cargo apareció primero en T21.