The accident that occurred last week on the Mexico-Querétaro highway caused more than just a large traffic jam; it provided an example of the deficiencies in the country’s road infrastructure , generating economic, logistical and social repercussions that impact both transport companies and users and operators, according to specialists consulted by T21.

According to Hugo Ruiz, founding director of the National Council of Executives in Logistics and Supply Chain (ConaLog) , traffic jams considerably increase the operating costs of companies.

The main impacts include an increase in fuel costs, delays in deliveries, vehicle wear and possible damage to cargo, loss of labor productivity, and interruptions in the supply chain, among others.

“The chaos on the Mexico-Querétaro highway has a severe impact on the entire supply chain, generating additional costs and affecting the competitiveness of Mexican companies,” said Hugo Ruiz.

For his part, Luis Felipe Ordóñez Medellín, general director of Promologistics , pointed out that the Mexico-Querétaro highway is a crucial artery for transportation in the country, so its paralysis generates major consequences.

“Every minute lost on the Mexico-Querétaro line represents a delay that affects our customers’ confidence and generates additional costs. We cannot ignore the impact this has on our daily operations,” said Ordóñez Medellín.

In this sense, Promologistics has implemented strategies to mitigate these effects , including renegotiations of delivery times, the use of technological tools for route monitoring and adjustments in working hours.

However, these actions have entailed an increase in operating costs and challenges in end-customer satisfaction.

“We are committed to minimising the inconvenience, but we need a coordinated effort with the authorities to find definitive solutions,” he added.

Infrastructure in Mexico, a structural problem

The situation reveals a structural problem that requires immediate and long-term solutions.

According to Hugo Ruiz, the lack of maintenance, vehicular overload and the lack of alternative routes are some of the main problems facing the country’s roads.

Experts agree that there is an urgent need to adopt technologies such as smart tolls and real-time monitoring to improve operational efficiency.

They also point to the need for a comprehensive approach that includes multimodal options to relieve pressure on major highways.

In light of this, Ruiz suggests options such as route diversification, use of multimodal transport, strategic planning of schedules and implementation of technology.

A call to action

While companies are looking for strategies to deal with these contingencies, they hope that the authorities will take action to offer fundamental solutions.

“This is not a problem exclusive to transporters, but rather to the entire economy. Solving the chaos on our roads will benefit all productive sectors of the country,” concluded Ordóñez Medellín.

The accident on the Mexico-Querétaro highway is a reminder of the urgent need to modernize and expand Mexico’s road infrastructure, especially in strategic corridors for the transportation of goods and services.

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Overhaul’s figures show that 20,746 cargo thefts were recorded in Mexico in 2023, with the State of Mexico remaining the entity with the highest share at 27% of the total, though it had contributed 37% in 2022.

Since the beginning of 2024, Luis Villatoro, Director of Supply Chain Security & Intelligence LATAM at Overhaul, highlighted the risk of increasing theft in some entities and the need to address this situation. Puebla, in particular, could become the entity with the most cargo thefts.

According to Luis Villatoro, the shift to other entities is driven by intervention strategies in places like the State of Mexico, forcing gangs to operate in other areas. He notes increases in Puebla and Hidalgo, where a 19% rise in crimes was recorded up to April.

“When working with authorities and coordinating actions, as has happened in the State of Mexico, it is possible to reduce thefts in that area by collaborating with the National Guard. However, this results in shifts to areas like Tepeji del Río (Hidalgo) or even San Juan del Río (Querétaro),” Villatoro points out.

Using various tools, Overhaul can identify where criminal groups operate and their exit routes, such as the Mexico-Querétaro highway and the Arco Norte, which have seen significant increases in activity.

Activity can even be identified on roads near areas like Ecatepec, such as the 132, the 57, and the Mexiquense Outer Loop (CEM).

Through standard deviation ellipse models, it is possible to determine how far or close one is to crimes and calculate distances. “In the first standard deviation, you can approximate 68.3% of the incidents, but you can manage the data and plot other deviations to reach up to a 95% probability,” described Luis Villatoro.

This strategy can be combined with “clustering,” where kilometers and routes are mapped to identify physical activity and spatial coincidences. This helps develop intervention strategies to dismantle criminal groups.

Luis Villatoro identifies four types of repetition in his strategy: spatial, focused on specific areas; temporal, based on day and hour patterns; by product type, targeting “hot products”; and finally, by type of criminal gang.

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