RIVIERA MAYA, Q. ROO. – In Mexico, moving goods isn’t just a matter of kilometers; it’s increasingly a matter of timing, planning, and adaptation. But this logistical choreography, which should be executed with Swiss precision, still faces obstacles that hinder its efficiency, according to specialists.

During the panel Multimodal Logistics in Mexico: Connecting the Country to the World , held within the framework of the 25th National Forum on Freight Transport , organized by the National Association of Private Transport (ANTP) , where representatives of ports, shipping companies and railways presented both advances and limitations of the system.

Mauricio Soto , Commercial Manager of SSA Marine Mexico , made it clear that the effects of the strike last May by customs workers at the port of Manzanillo are still being felt.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done. We’ve dropped as much as 45% in daily appointment capacity. Today, we’re almost back to normal levels, but we’re still reeling from the snowball,” Soto said. Despite the port community’s daily work, he acknowledged that the recovery hasn’t been immediate.

Deeper, the root of the problem is structural. Jesús Abraham Jiménez of Hutchison Ports México explained that many terminals still face basic coordination challenges.

“When it’s not decided in advance whether a container will be shipped by train or truck, it creates a mess that forces loads to be relocated, wasting time and efficiency,” Jiménez said.

He also mentioned that, following the rail blockades in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, three years ago, customers lost confidence in trains and migrated to road transport. This forced the redesign of entire operations: from 80% planned for rail, they switched to 80% road operations.

From the railway sector, Vianey De la Mora , general director of the Mexican Association of Railways (AMF) , recognized both the progress and the limits in the railway sector.

In this regard, he celebrated the integration with the United States and Canada and emphasized that “today we can see a Canadian train in Ferrovalle ,” but he also admitted that the intermodal cargo volume is still low: 913,000 containers moved in 2024, far below the potential. “The train goes as far as there is a track,” he said, emphasizing that its use is only viable for certain logistics profiles.

In contrast, smaller shipping lines have opted to create shorter, safer, and more efficient routes. Daniel Blazer , co-founder of World Direct Shipping , explained that his short-haul shipping model between Mexico and Florida is driven by two reasons: time efficiency and safety.

“Insecurity was one of the reasons for starting the maritime service. With shorter routes, we avoid risk zones,” he stated. He also warned of new regulatory threats, such as the carbon tax proposed by the International Maritime Organization ( IMO), which still lacks clarity on how to store or process these captured emissions. “It could lead to a dangerous modal shift,” he maintained.

Although everyone agreed on the need for more integrated logistics , the contrasts were evident. On the one hand, terminals with automated yards operating with millimeter precision. On the other, logistics flows continue to depend on improvised decisions or vulnerable infrastructure. This isn’t a lack of technology; rather, a lack of real coordination between modes.

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Schneider, a company specializing in transportation and logistics services, reported 41% growth in net profit in the first quarter of 2025 (1Q25) , driven primarily by its multimodal platform amid growing economic uncertainty.

“We delivered quarterly results in line with our expectations while navigating a fluid operating environment. Revenue, excluding the fuel surcharge, of nearly $1.3 billion was the second-highest first-quarter revenue in our history, and all of our segments improved revenue, earnings, and margin year over year. As the quarter progressed, growing economic uncertainty dampened consumer confidence and market expectations,” said Mark Rourke, the company’s president and chief executive officer.

According to its quarterly report, net income for the period increased from $18.5 million to $26.1 million , despite economic and market challenges.

“At Truckload, we increased the number of dedicated trucks, including our recently acquired Cowan business, and continued to execute on our plan to restore Network to profitability. At Intermodal, we increased our volumes, and combined with our cost and productivity actions, this led to a third consecutive quarterly margin improvement year-over-year. In logistics, our diversified service offerings and effective net revenue management, thanks to our industry-leading technology, have enabled us to improve profit and margin year-over-year, despite lower volumes,” the executive stated.

Regarding its revenue from January to March, it reported an increase of 6% , from $1.401 billion to $1.319 billion in the same period last year. Corporate revenue was $42.1 million , an increase of $13.4 million , or 47%,  compared to the same quarter in 2024.

It said that truckload revenue (excluding fuel surcharge) for 1Q25 was $613.7 million , an increase of $75.6 million , or 14% , due to the acquisition of Cowan Systems and improved revenue per unit per week, partially offset by lower network volumes.

While intermodal (excluding fuel surcharge) was $260.4 million , a 5% year-over-year increase, primarily due to 4% volume growth and improved revenue per order.

Regarding logistics revenue for the first quarter of 2025, the firm reported that it totaled $332 million , a 2% increase  also derived from Cowan Systems, partially offset by lower brokerage revenue by order and volume.

“We are focused on delivering a superior portfolio of services, driving sustainable revenue growth, restoring margins, and enhancing long-term shareholder value,” Rourke added.

Darrell Campbell , Schneider’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, said that while the current macroeconomic environment is leading to declining consumer confidence and increased uncertainty for shippers, “we expect to deliver improved year-over-year results, albeit moderate compared to our prior outlook . ”

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In order to propose and, where appropriate, execute the policies and programs for the development, promotion, supervision and logistics of the mass and multimodal passenger transport railway system, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) delegated powers to the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) .

The Agreement, which will enter into force tomorrow, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) , specified that the current administration aims to develop national railway infrastructure to enhance passenger and cargo transportation through the integration of a network with an intermodal approach that provides “an economic, safe, sustainable and efficient service.”

Therefore, the ARTF, in coordination with the SICT and the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit , through the Administration and Finance Units, will carry out the necessary administrative acts to transfer to said agency the resources that have been assigned to it in the Federal Expenditure Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, within a period of no more than 20 business days following the entry into force of the decree.

Likewise, the human, financial and material resources currently available to the General Directorate of Railway and Multimodal Development will become part of the ARTF.

This body will therefore propose and, where appropriate, implement policies and programmes for the development, promotion, supervision and logistics of the railway system, mass passenger transport and multimodal transport.

In addition to planning strategic development in railway matters and processing requests relating to the granting of concessions and assignments for the construction, operation and exploitation of general railway communication routes and for the provision of public railway transport services, as well as their extension, modification, nullity, transfer, termination and revocation, in terms of the applicable legal provisions.

It also carries out public tendering procedures for concessions for the construction, operation and exploitation of railways, as well as those corresponding to concessions for the provision of public railway transport services.

Carry out the procedures for contracting railway public works and related services , including those related to the construction of railways, yards and federal terminals for the establishment and operation of mass passenger and multimodal railways, in accordance with the applicable legal provisions.

Likewise, plan and coordinate with the competent administrative authorities of the three levels of government and with the concessionaires or private individuals, the construction, reconstruction or modernization and expansion of sections of federal railways, as well as the construction of bypasses that avoid passing through towns.

For the development and fulfillment of the powers delegated in the Agreement, the ARTF may be assisted by the General Directorate of Economy, Information and Railway Regulation; the General Directorate of Verification, Supervision and Registration; the General Directorate of Planning and Public Transport Projects; the General Directorate of Railway Projects; the General Directorate of Legal Affairs, among others.

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