PLAYA DEL CARMEN.- What do companies like El Palacio de Hierro , Dliver and Alfaro Easy Logistic have in common ? Their representatives recently attended TOP Flotillas and LOGEX , where their main objective was to find the necessary suppliers to apply in their transport and logistics operations.

Both events, held simultaneously, brought together just over 400 negotiators, including representatives of purchasing and supplier companies, who held one-on-one appointments previously arranged , under a versatile dynamic in which, within a set time of 20 minutes between each of them, the first steps for closing a possible business deal are initiated.

“These sessions serve as advice for me to know what I should focus on, what I have to evaluate, how to compare the participating suppliers, and this is a first filter for future business relationships, which are mostly always very good,” Raquel Garcilazo, a buyer at El Palacio de Hierro, told T21.

One of the objectives of the representative of this department store chain was to find telemetry providers for its own fleet transportation operations, a market trend that is becoming increasingly stronger due to the benefits offered by obtaining detailed information on the movement of goods for improved decision-making and, therefore, investments.

For Erik Guzmán, fleet coordinator at Dliver, the logistics and transportation supply unit of Grupo Estrella Roja , this was the first year in which he attended these events organized by RX México , where his goal was also to find suppliers of both heavy vehicle units and telemetry , the latter point focused on strengthening security in their operations.

Dliver is a company that has diversified its markets served. In this case, it has a fleet for refrigerated, dry and fuel transport , and also adds units for last-mile merchandise delivery activities, which in total accumulates around 700 assets.

“(The company) is in full growth and we are renewing the fleet with the new management that arrived (Francisco Toscano). In addition, we have the upcoming opening of a new yard in Tepotzotlán,” said Guzmán, in an interview with T21.

The transport specialist said that the company’s fleet currently has an average age of between seven and eight years, and a renewal of 10 to 15% of it is planned for next year, which will include electric vehicles as part of the trend towards decarbonisation of its activities.

“The company’s intention is to seek renewable options , because our clients, including one of the largest supermarket chains in Mexico, are also already asking us to take these measures,” he said.

Meanwhile, Alejandro Alfaro, partner at Alfaro Easy Logistics, a logistics and transportation services provider, told T21 that the intention of his attendance was also to find suppliers of transportation units “of all kinds.”

This company, focused on providing specialized services for merchandise in international transit, specifically on the northern border of Mexico, has 50 transport units, of which at least 20% are leased , and the idea is to increase this percentage in the near future.

“I have spoken with suppliers such as Volkswagen, Scania and International. The proposals they are offering me are good,” he said.

On the other side of the suppliers, José Manuel Rodríguez, manager responsible for the commercial area and customer service of Mecánica Tek , a company specialized in comprehensive vehicle maintenance for primary and secondary distribution fleets, attends events such as TOP Flotillas and LOGEX is an essential opportunity to expand the presence they have been building in the country.

“There are few of us involved in the maintenance sector and we have been in this segment for more than 15 years , where we have already developed an infrastructure and capabilities that allow us to offer these services,” said Rodríguez, who indicated that his main bet has been to install his operations within the workshops of the transport companies themselves, where there is a lack of trained personnel.

This specialization of technicians has become even more complicated given the introduction of new technologies into the market , as well as the incorporation of companies of Asian origin into the country.

“The issue of spare parts is critical when talking about the maintenance issue in a comprehensive manner (…) we try to find the way to better optimize the response time. However, with so much variety, we suddenly find that it has to come from China or from the other side of the world,” he told T21.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Q. ROO.- What is a business meeting? What is it that stands out in them? What is it that makes a negotiator stand out when closing a deal or opening the way to finish it?

T21 was present at the 2024 edition of Top Flotillas and LOGEX , both events organized by RX México , where the most experienced negotiators from fleet-owning companies gathered in this Caribbean resort to face “one on one” representatives of companies providing different services and assets, with which they hope to improve their production processes, while integrating into cutting-edge technological trends.

These are some of the aspects that have been experienced in recent days in this business dynamic that has gained ground in the logistics and transportation sector in Mexico.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Q. ROO.- The changes planned in the reform of the Judicial Branch in Mexico would have direct consequences for the logistics sector , according to a specialist in the field.

Last Wednesday, the Chamber of Deputies, which has a qualified legislative majority of Morena, the party of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, approved the project from the federal Executive that proposes the election by popular vote of ministers, magistrates and judges , the reduction of the Supreme Court, the creation of a judicial administration body and a Disciplinary Court.

The bill, which has sparked criticism and protests across the country, will now be sent to the Senate for discussion and approval.

These proposed changes for the Judiciary that occur at the twilight of López Obrador’s six-year term “are a latent risk for logistics,” said Héctor Romero, president of Círculo Logístico , who is also a representative of various business organizations such as the Employers’ Confederation of the Mexican Republic (Coparmex) and the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism of the United Mexican States (Concanaco-Servytur) .

The specialist in security issues in the logistics and transportation field also said that the fact that anyone can be elected to occupy a position in the Judicial Branch is comparable to the situation that has been experienced during the López Obrador administration, in which personnel from the Navy and the Army have previously occupied public positions, both in customs and in port and airport administrations, where inexperience has translated into complications for the transportation of goods in the country.

“It is a risk, it is an irresponsibility that the current Executive is popularly betting on (…) there will be many interests involved,” said Romero, present at the 2024 edition of Top Flotillas and LOGEX , two events that have brought together executives from supplier and purchasing companies in this Caribbean resort around logistics and transportation management.

Meanwhile, according to statements made to the EFE agency by Larry Rubin, president of the American Society of Mexico (Amsoc) , American companies in Mexico have halted their investment announcements in view of the possible implications of the reform to the Judicial Branch.

In an attempt to put pressure on legislators, the justices of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) have decided to stop work until September 9.

In response to a question from T21, Héctor Romero explained that at present, judicial processes are “slow and bureaucratic” in the follow-up of his complaints in the theft of goods transported on the country’s roads or also in the case of the theft of vehicles, so the possible arrival of inexperienced personnel would aggravate this situation that afflicts the logistics and transport sector.

“We have to add, we cannot divide, and this (federal) government, I say this with the greatest respect, divided,” he said.

Héctor Romero is confident in the appointments that have been announced for the next cabinet of Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo , president-elect, who will be tasked with protecting the Mexican logistics and transportation sector that has been forgotten during López Obrador’s six-year term.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Q. ROO.- A constant for companies in Mexico that own a cargo fleet and are interested in making the change to “greener” units are the issues of costs and the lack of recharging infrastructure .

This was expressed by attendees at the opening of the 2024 edition of Top Flotillas and LOGEX , when Jorge Jiménez, EV Client Success Lead of Element Fleet , asked about the challenges they currently face in making this transition from units that use fossil fuels to electric or hybrid vehicles.

Most of these attendees are decision makers in matters of purchasing and fleet management in their companies. They have all met in this Caribbean resort to participate in Top Flotillas and LOGEX to engage in one-on-one business meetings with supplier companies, with whom they hope to integrate innovative solutions into their productive activities.

Jorge Jiménez explained that the transport sector is currently responsible for generating at least 17% of the emissions of polluting gases released into the atmosphere, which gives it a high level of responsibility in the search to reduce this impact on the environment.

For now, within the logistics and transportation sector, this transition has been given with a greater push by companies that carry out last-mile product delivery operations , i.e. parcel companies and large package generators in e-commerce, since they have reached a “parity” between the investment in vehicles and the cost of the operation, which even generates profitability for some.

For Element Fleet, a fleet management company, this last mile market already represents 50% of its business, according to Jiménez. The company currently has 140,000 units leased, mainly compact and medium-sized vehicles and, to a lesser extent, heavy units.

Market demand for electric or hybrid units has forced Element Fleet to incorporate up to 40 of these models into its available portfolio, out of the nearly 80 that automakers offer in the country.

“The transition to electric vehicles means supporting our customers from start to finish , always taking into account operational efficiency and energy security,” said Jorge Jiménez, during his participation in the inauguration of Top Flotillas and LOGEX.

The parity that the specialist speaks of is influenced by the reduction in the cost of maintenance of electric and hybrid units , since they have fewer auto parts than an internal combustion unit, which generates savings for companies with large fleets; “in addition to the fact that electricity is subsidized in Mexico,” said Jiménez.

However, the “elephant to conquer” here is the charging infrastructure. In Mexico, there are only three thousand chargers already installed and 80% of them are in private areas.

In addition, a challenge for companies with a charging fleet that are considering incorporating this new technology is the time it takes for suppliers to install the entire charging infrastructure in their operating centers; at least for heavy units, the average time is six or seven months.

“Nobody plans with these times in mind,” Jiménez said. For this reason, he said that the modality that is having the greatest success in this “green” trend is the leasing of units, with the help of companies that support the transition, calculating costs and reviewing issues of incorporation of new electrical infrastructure.

During the first seven months of this year, sales of electric, plug-in and non-plug-in vehicles in Mexico have registered an annual growth of 80%, totaling 65,232 units , according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

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In the context of the upcoming elections in Mexico, scheduled for June 2nd, electoral logistics have become a monumental challenge. To ensure that the more than 97 million registered voters can exercise their right to vote, the National Electoral Institute (INE) has implemented a rigorous logistical plan, according to information shared by Top Flotillas and LOGEX.

This process has involved the printing and distribution of 317 million ballots, as well as numerous documents and materials necessary to ensure an orderly and secure voting process across the country.

The scope of the elections is vast, with 20,367 positions being renewed at the federal and local levels, including the presidency of the Republic. Additionally, 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 128 senatorial seats, and several governorships, local congresses, municipal councils, and mayoralties in eight states will be contested.

The transportation of ballots and electoral materials has been carried out under strict security measures and in coordination with various institutions.

This process, which began on May 3rd and extended until May 17th, involved the participation of the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA), the Navy Secretariat (SEMAR), and the National Guard, along with local security forces in each state.

These ballots, guarded along 24 different routes, arrive at the 300 district councils to be counted, sealed, and grouped before being delivered to each polling station.

Timely and secure delivery of the ballots has been crucial, as any delay could compromise the integrity of the electoral process. To ensure this, detailed procedures were implemented at every step of the way, from printing at the Graphic Workshops of Mexico (TGM) to the final distribution.

The production of the ballots began with the executive direction of electoral organization of the INE, responsible for their graphic design. Subsequently, TGM took charge of printing, using security paper with watermark and invisible inks. The ballots are printed in sheets and then cut, packaged, and sent to various destinations.

Each stage of the process was designed to guarantee the authenticity and security of the ballots, avoiding any possibility of substitution or fraud. Once printed, the ballots are grouped into blocks and placed in boxes identified with specific labels to facilitate their distribution.

The INE and security forces work to ensure that each step of the logistical process will be carried out with the utmost precision. From the reception of the materials in the electoral warehouses to the final delivery to the presidents of the polling station boards, every detail was crucial so that on June 2nd, voters find their ballots ready and in order.

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