The last mile represents the most complex and costly segment of the logistics chain. Delivering a package directly to the consumer involves facing challenges ranging from traffic congestion and insecurity to weather events and seasonal peaks in demand.

According to Jonathan Esses, CEO of Segmail , two factors currently stand out as the main obstacles for delivery operations in Mexico: infrastructure and security .

“There are many places that are very difficult to reach. During the rainy season, even if you know the delivery point, there are areas where it is simply impossible to access. And to that you have to add the insecurity that the country is experiencing,” he explained.

The sustained growth of e-commerce has increased the pressure on logistics networks. Events such as Hot Sale, El Buen Fin, retail promotional campaigns , and even massive events like the World Cup generate significant increases in delivery volumes.

However, responding to those spikes presents a significant operational challenge.

“It’s difficult to hire staff, increase capacity, and invest in infrastructure for two weeks of high demand. Then comes the question: what do you do with all that capacity when the peak ends?” he commented.

According to the executive, the key is to find a balance that allows the company to absorb temporary growth without compromising the profitability of the business.

Given this scenario, technology has become an indispensable ally for logistics operators.

Esses highlighted that data analysis tools, routing algorithms, and artificial intelligence (AI) allow for optimizing routes, anticipating demand behaviors, and improving resource utilization.

“Today, technology is key to normalizing peak demand, optimizing routes, and maximizing the number of packages delivered,” he stated.

In the case of Segmail, the company implemented eShip, a technological platform that connects online stores, marketplaces and carriers to facilitate the comprehensive management of operations.

Currently, the company operates various business units ranging from fulfillment services and national transportation to last-mile solutions.

The future: fewer home deliveries and more collection points

Looking ahead to the coming years, Esses considered that increasing urban complexity will force a transformation of traditional distribution models.

One of the alternatives with the greatest potential will be the strengthening of collection points, where consumers can pick up their orders at convenient times.

“You deliver hundreds of packages to one place and customers pick them up when it suits them. That reduces costs and simplifies operations,” he explained.

The expansion of branch networks and collection centers by courier and parcel companies responds precisely to this need to optimize the last mile .

As e-commerce continues to grow and cities become more complex, the logistics industry will have to rely more and more on technology, planning, and new operating models to maintain competitive service levels.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Jennifer Galindo  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Insecurity and infrastructure: challenges facing the last mile in Mexico apareció primero en T21.

Moving cargo from Asia to Mexico in record time seems like an impossible mission. Even more so when it’s a critical operation whose delay could halt a production line and generate millions in losses.

That is precisely what VGL Logística y Soluciones Integrales achieved . The company coordinated five Boeing 747s to transport merchandise from Korea, through China, to Mexico via several flights and a complex distribution network, with the goal of preventing a client’s production line from shutting down.

“We work against the clock. When merchandise has to arrive within a specific timeframe, we explore every possible alternative to meet that deadline. That’s the level of responsiveness we offer,” explained Astrid Aubert, Mexico Marketing Director of VGL Logística y Soluciones Integrales.

The story encapsulates the type of operations the company has specialized in: those where time is a critical factor and where a mistake can cost millions of dollars.

VGL Logística y Soluciones Integrales is Vector Global Logistics’ operation in Mexico . The company is part of an international network specializing in freight forwarding services and comprehensive logistics solutions, with a presence in various strategic markets around the world.

Although VGL operates maritime, land, and air services , its main strength lies in expedited operations, especially for the automotive industry. But beyond simply moving goods, the company seeks to play a different role.

“We don’t see ourselves as a supplier. We are an extension of our clients’ business. When they have a problem, we are involved in the problem,” Aubert said.

This philosophy involves understanding in depth the operation, culture and specific needs of each company, as well as assigning dedicated teams that work practically as part of the client’s structure.

“You can’t give the same equipment to an automotive company as you would to a food company. Each industry has different needs, and to be an extension of our clients, we must understand them from the ground up,” he added.

Prevention over reaction

In an environment marked by geopolitical conflicts, regulatory changes, tariffs and route closures, the ability to anticipate has become one of the main assets for logistics companies.

Therefore, VGL asserted that one of its main differences is its preventative approach .

“We always have scenarios A, B, C, and D. We’re not reactive, we’re proactive. Before a problem occurs, we’re already thinking about what to do if an airport closes, if documentation is missing, or if the cargo doesn’t arrive complete,” he commented.

The company also prioritizes transparent communication with customers.

“If something goes wrong, we’re the first to say so. We never hide information and we always take responsibility. That builds trust with our clients,” he stated.

For Aubert, the role of the freight forwarder has changed radically.

Previously, he explained, many companies simply managed reservations and coordinated shipments. Today, supply chains require a partner capable of understanding the global context and anticipating risks .

“Tariffs are constantly changing, there are international conflicts, route closures, and new regulations. Our job is to keep customers informed and help them make decisions. It’s no longer just about making bookings ,” he explained.

Regarding technology, although digitization and monitoring tools are part of daily operations, he considered that the human factor remains indispensable.

“Technology helps us, but we also need to know who’s on the other side of the world. We need to be able to call and ask for a photo of the shipment or personally verify what’s happening. Connections and experience remain essential,” he explained.

Currently, VGL primarily serves the automotive, steel, food, industrial materials, and aerospace industries . It is also part of a global network with a presence in the United States, Chile, Peru, Ukraine, and Asia.

The company is also certified as a B Corp, a distinction that recognizes organizations committed to social, environmental and governance criteria.

For Aubert, that philosophy begins from within.

“We want people to have a good quality of life. We are a very humane, multicultural, and diverse company. We have women, mothers, people from different countries, and we strive to ensure that work doesn’t take precedence over personal life,” she affirmed.

With its sights set on expanding its presence into new industries, VGL is committed to continued growth based on one premise: when operations are critical, logistics ceases to be a service and becomes an extension of the business.

“If a client has a problem, we have it too. That’s how we work,” he emphasized.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Jennifer Galindo  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo VGL Logistics and Solutions: the key to handling critical cargo apareció primero en T21.

In Allende, Nuevo León, where trucking is an integral part of daily life , a story began that still moves on wheels. In 1977, José Antonio Cavazos Garza took the first step with a large truck and a bulk trailer , transporting onions, oranges, watermelons, grains, and seeds across the country. It was the beginning of a journey that progressed trip after trip, with the discipline and responsibility that defined his career as a “truck driver.”

By 1980, with a Kenworth trailer already in operation, the business gained momentum and charted a course that would eventually become a company. That moment arrived in 1990, when Cavazos Garza officially established ALCA Transportes , maintaining its base in Allende and expanding its operations to Zacatecas, Colima, Tlaxcala, Salamanca, and Chihuahua, in addition to establishing a presence in the main ports to handle imports and exports.

ALCA’s evolution has been constant. Today, as the ALCA Transport Group, its focus on quality, compliance, safety, punctuality, traceability, and personalized service has become its hallmark.

So did its infrastructure: facilities suitable for each area, units that were physically and mechanically verified, and renewal policies that allow for keeping the latest model equipment in service.

Operator training is another key element: medical and roadside assistance supported by experts, along with a defined onboarding process, strengthens daily operations.

With the goal of consolidating its position as the national leader in transportation and logistics, the company promotes continuous improvement through management systems that enhance operational efficiency. ALCA holds current ISO 9001 quality certification.

Although its beginnings were in the transport of grain and seeds, the company expanded its offering to dry box, flatbeds and curtain-sided flatbeds, in single and full mode .

Their renewal policy has allowed them to maintain an average age of three years for tractor-trailer trucks , a decision that guarantees equipment in optimal condition for operators and confidence for customers who entrust their goods to the company.

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El cargo ALCA Transport Group: a tradition that drives growth apareció primero en T21.

The diverse manufacturing, logistics and transportation, as well as automotive sectors and the sustained growth of e-commerce have accelerated the industrial real estate market in Monterrey, Nuevo León, which closed the fourth quarter of 2024 (4Q24) with a gross absorption or marketed spaces of 340 thousand square meters (m2 ⁾ , which brought the annual accumulation to 1.5 million m2 ^, reported the real estate services and investment company CBRE .

According to its MarketView report on the industrial real estate sector in Monterrey, at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, 50% of that activity was built-to-suit projects and Apodaca remained the most important submarket, with more than 657 thousand m2 ^absorbed , 43% of the total demand. Escobedo and Guadalupe followed, with 15% and 13% , respectively.

“The year 2024 closes with the diverse manufacturing industrial sector as the main driver of annual demand in Monterrey, with 38% of total market activity. The logistics and transportation sector continues its expansion in the city, consolidating itself as the second most active in the year, with more than 374 thousand m2 ^sold , representing 26% of total demand,” explained Ramón Flores, executive vice president of the northeast region of CBRE Mexico.

These sectors were followed by the automotive sector , which remained in third place with an additional 15% . In addition, e-commerce showed exponential growth in 2024 and with only three transactions, it represented 12% of annual gross absorption.

The industrial market in Monterrey ended 2024 with accelerated growth in its inventory, exceeding 16 million m2 ^, after incorporating more than 1.7 million m2 ^{during the past year, which meant the second} highest annual increase, only behind 2023, when it was 1.8 million m2 , CBRE announced in a statement.

Meanwhile, construction activity remains at historic highs, above 1.1 million m2 ^, and is concentrated mainly in the submarkets of Apodaca, Ciénega de Flores and Guadalupe.

“This accelerated growth in inventory and a slower pace of built-to-suit or pre-leasing projects have allowed for rapid growth in supply in the city, which together with new vacancies added more than 244 thousand m2 ^of vacant space to the market in recent months,” the firm explained.

During 4Q24, more than 160 thousand m2 ^of vacant space were delivered in the different submarkets of the city, which, together with a new series of vacancies, drove the growth of the vacancy rate, which closed the year at 4% , with more than 639 thousand m2 ^existing and being marketed.

The United States is the main place of origin of these investments, with more than 645 thousand m2 ⁽ 44%). It is followed by Mexico (16%) and Germany with 9 percent.

In addition to the industries mentioned above, another factor that has driven the growth in the absorption of industrial spaces is the relocation of production lines in Mexico, a phenomenon known as nearshoring , which represents a development opportunity for our country and this market, as the demand for warehouses by foreign companies increases.

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El cargo Logistics and Transportation Boost Monterrey’s Industrial Real Estate Market apareció primero en T21.