Fleet renewal remains a key challenge for the Mexican trucking industry. With an average fleet age exceeding 19 years and thousands of small carriers operating under financial pressure, the federal government has introduced a guarantee program aimed at facilitating access to financing for the purchase of new and used vehicles.

During the AMDA Commercial Vehicles Forum 2026, held by the  Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA) , officials from the Ministry of Economy (SE) and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) detailed the operation of the scheme and the complementary actions with which they seek to promote the modernization of the vehicle fleet.

Carlos Castillo, head of the Productive Development Unit of the SE, explained that the program is part of a broader strategy comprised of four pillars: tax incentives for the acquisition of heavy vehicles assembled in Mexico, the guarantee program for financing, the updating of reference prices and the development of a new safety standard for heavy units.

“The heavy vehicle manufacturing sector is going through a difficult time in Mexico,” he acknowledged, adding that the measures aim to contribute to the industry’s recovery.

One of the central components of the strategy is the tax incentive included in the so-called Mexico Plan . This mechanism allows for an immediate deduction on investments made in buses, trucks, and tractor-trailers assembled in the country.

Castillo clarified that the benefit applies to individuals, corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large companies, provided the vehicles are new. He further explained that applications can be submitted before finalizing the purchase , allowing the incentive to be incorporated into the financial planning of the investment.

According to the official, applications related to approximately 270 trucks have been approved so far under this tax incentive scheme.

For his part, Luis Ruiz Hernández, head of the General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport (DGAF) of the SICT, explained that the guarantee program has a fund of 583 million pesos (mdp) corresponding to the Federal Motor Transport Development and Modernization Program.

With a leverage factor of 13.9% and a guarantee coverage of 70%, the scheme will allow the generation of a potential financing portfolio of up to seven billion 860 million pesos.

The loans will be aimed at micro and small transport operators with up to 30 vehicles. Loan amounts can reach up to 15 million pesos per beneficiary, with terms of up to 84 months for new vehicles and up to 60 months for used vehicles.

The minimum down payment will be 10% for new vehicles and 15% for used vehicles , while eligible used units must be no more than six years old.

Interest rates will be determined by each participating financial intermediary. Currently, institutions such as PACCAR Financial , TRATON Financial Services , BanBajío , and Bansi are part of the program , although authorities indicated they are continuing to work to incorporate more participants.

To access the financing, applicants must demonstrate a minimum of three years’ experience as Federal Public Service permit holders and have a fleet of no more than 30 vehicles. SICT’s validation of these requirements will take between three and five business days .

However, the challenge of vehicle renewal is not limited to the availability of credit .

Carriers previously consulted by T21 have indicated that factors such as payment cycles of up to 120 days, high operating costs, financing requirements and decreased demand in some segments continue to limit the investment capacity of small businesses.

According to data from the DGAF, micro and small businesses account for more than half of the national vehicle fleet and represent the majority of the economic units in the sector, so any renewal strategy depends largely on their financial viability.

At the same time, the industry faces an aging vehicle fleet, while the constant influx of imported used units continues to compete with the acquisition of new vehicles.

In this context, the new program represents an additional tool to facilitate fleet modernization; however, its real impact will depend on factors such as adoption by carriers , the financial conditions offered by intermediaries, and the sector’s ability to transform available financing into units actually circulating on the road.

In that context, the success of the program will not be measured solely by the amount of resources available or by the number of approved applications, but by its ability to translate into new units .

The question for the sector is whether these tools will accelerate vehicle renewal or if they will end up being just a first step in addressing a backlog that has accumulated over years.

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Marcelo Ebrard, head of the Ministry of Economy (SE) , highlighted that the investment portfolio in Mexico has been increased , rising from 367.9 billion dollars (USD) to 406.8 billion dollars, resulting from the integration of strategic projects identified by the investment promotion committees in the 32 federal entities.

During the First National Investment Promotion Meeting , held this Wednesday, he said that one of the objectives is the joint work of the private sector with the public sector, and highlighted that just over a year after the launch of the Mexico Plan , the country has positioned itself as the main exporter to the United States.

In that regard, he added that Mexico pays the lowest tariffs among the United States’ trading partners. Regarding the Economic Development Hubs for Well-being , of the 14 planned, he specified that seven are already under construction, four will begin construction in the coming weeks, and three more will be added to the project.

Regarding industrial property , Ebrard indicated that the federal government will reduce delivery times from five years to one. He also specified that Nacional Financiera (Nafin) and the National Foreign Trade Bank (Bancomext) will allocate resources for innovation projects during 2026.

For his part, José Medina Mora Icaza, president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) , highlighted the infrastructure investment announced on February 3 by the federal government, which includes 5.6 trillion pesos from 2026 to the end of the current six-year term, 772 billion pesos for this year, “where there are eight strategic sectors, a little more than half in energy, because energy is the spearhead, we need energy so that investment arrives in other sectors, but also investment in highways, in health, in hospitals, in education.”

He emphasized that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as of September 2025 totaled 41 billion dollars, “a figure more or less similar to all of 2024, with one big difference: in 2024 there was only 7% new investment, while in the ninth month of last year it was 15%; this means that foreign companies are trusting in our country, they are betting on investing in Mexico.”

Altagracia Gómez Sierra, coordinator of the Advisory Council for Economic, Regional, and Relocation Development, said that Mexico must accelerate projects and strengthen public-private coordination to reach the investment target equivalent to 25% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) . She emphasized that the Mexico Plan presented a national vision that seeks to empower Mexico through industrial policy, planning, and collaboration among businesses, academia, and government authorities.

He recalled the work that has been done with various federal government agencies to reduce red tape, provide energy certainty, increase national content in public procurement and combat smuggling, and highlighted advances in economic and commercial matters such as tax incentives for relocation, deductibility for technical education, development of industrial parks, and investments in housing.

Meanwhile, Roberto Lazzeri Montaño, CEO of Nafin and Bancomext, said that development banks not only provide financing, but also multiply the impact of every peso invested.

In that context, he pointed out that Nafin and Bancomext, together with commercial banks, will boost financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with guarantees on loans of up to 20 million for priority sectors of the Mexico Plan, up to 80% for first-time loans and a reduction in factoring financing costs.

She also announced the reinstatement of the 32 constructive councils and the relaunch of three programs to reach areas currently underserved by the financial sector. She stated that they are promoting specific programs for women entrepreneurs , specifically “women exporters, provided that up to 51% of the capital is owned by women and they control the formal businesses and micro-businesses. Up to three million pesos for entrepreneurs, 30 million pesos for exporters, and up to 500,000 pesos for micro-businesses with at least one year of operation.”

Similarly, the Impulsora de Innovación México (Mexico Innovation Promoter ) announced a program that is an implementation tool of the Mexico Plan, which coordinates financing, technical support, and co-investment schemes to mobilize public and private capital towards strategic sectors and projects with high economic impact at the technological level, which will mobilize a total investment of 1.6 billion pesos.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized the infrastructure investment she announced on February 3rd, “ which will allow us to boost investment in energy, highways, airports, ports, hospitals, and schools, enabling development with well-being .”

He also noted that on Wednesday he presented investments by Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) totaling 425 billion pesos. “ Pemex performed very well in 2025 thanks to various schemes that were also jointly developed between the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) . And this year, not only in oil but also in all aspects of oil processing and gas, we will boost investment in energy.”  

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GUADALAJARA, JAL.– Nacional Financiera (Nafin) , the National Foreign Trade Bank (Bancomext), and the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) signed a collaboration agreement to promote access to financing for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Mexican industrial sector, including the automotive industry

The resources for this project amount to 120 billion pesos (MXN) during the current federal administration, and part of that budget is earmarked, in the case of the automotive industry, for the fleet renewal process , removing vehicles around 20 years old from the streets, according to Rogelio Arzate, executive president of the National Association of Bus, Truck, and Tractor-Trailer Manufacturers (ANPACT) .

Within the framework of Expo Transporte ANPACT 2025 , which takes place from November 12 to 14 at Expo Guadalajara, Arzate also indicated that the goal is to implement cleaner, safer vehicles with the latest technology and innovation.

In that regard, he emphasized that the industry is undergoing a decarbonization process and assured that five of ANPACT’s members already produce vehicles with new technologies, so “we are committed to a better environment with these types of programs that we have launched.”

In his remarks, Javier Vázquez Durán, head of the Financial Institutions Unit of Nafin and Bancomext, said that the 120 billion pesos being made available to industry in general does specifically consider small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those integrated throughout the value chain of the country’s industrial activities

“It’s a force available to all industries under the Mexico Plan, and of course, the automotive sector has a huge share. Today, the combined activities of the transportation, logistics, and automotive sectors represent just over 28 billion pesos within Bancomext’s portfolio. In the case of Nacional Financiera, it’s just over 48 billion pesos. The difference corresponds to the fund that Bancomext provides to companies directly linked to exports, and in the case of Nacional Financiera, to the entire supply chain. This allows us to support companies of all sizes with credit,” he pointed out.

He specified that programs can be implemented to renew the vehicle fleet, particularly smaller fleets, for federal motor transport, with financing averaging two million pesos

“We can work with automotive sector suppliers with average financing of five million pesos, and thus we move further up the value chain to address all needs,” Vázquez emphasized during his participation in #ExpoTransporteANPACT 2025.

For his part, Alejandro Malagón, president of Concamin, considered this agreement the beginning of a collaboration for thousands of SMEs, as it aims to contribute to the country’s growth and is aligned with Plan México, promoted by the federal government.

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