Insecurity, informal employment,  wage inequality, and a drop in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) are the main factors limiting regional development in Mexico , according to the 2026 Regional Competitiveness Index (ICR) , prepared by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) .

The study, which measures the capacity of regions to attract and retain investment and talent , pointed out that competitiveness should be understood as a regional phenomenon, in which the advances or setbacks of one state directly impact its neighbors, which it called the “neighborhood effect”.

The 2026 Regional Competitiveness Index (ICR) divided the country into six regions and includes data up to the end of 2024. The Northeast —Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas—  consolidated its position as the leader in attracting businesses and skilled labor . Furthermore, it registered one of the highest rates of perceived safety, with 32% of the population over 18 years of age reporting feeling safe.

This region, along with the Northwest—Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora, and Zacatecas— allocated the largest share of business spending on security . However, the Northwest faces the highest homicide rate in the country, with 33.74 per 100,000 inhabitants.

The Bajío region —Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Querétaro, and Aguascalientes—stood out for innovation and patents, but showed low levels of skilled labor, with only 22.22% of the population over 15 years of age. The central region —Mexico City, Tlaxcala, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Puebla, and Morelos— presented high school enrollment and a skilled workforce , at 98.42% and 30.68%, respectively, although it struggled to retain talent. Furthermore, high housing prices prevented it from absorbing new residents.

The Maya (Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatán) and Isthmus (Guerrero, Oaxaca and Veracruz) regions showed shortcomings in logistics and energy infrastructure , in addition to low foreign investment and high levels of informality.

In the Isthmus, informality reached 73.08%, while FDI remained at 7.87%. In the Maya region, the figure for Foreign Direct Investment was only 10.32%, while informality was 63.81%, reflecting a gap in the capacity to attract foreign capital.

The IMCO suggested several proposals to advance a regional cooperation strategy . In the case of businesses, it indicated that talent retention should be strengthened by creating training hubs that allow for cost sharing and standardization of job profiles.

For the states, the organization proposed aligning agendas to compete as a region and not in isolation ; in addition to consolidating common priorities such as reducing informality and improving access to services.

For the federal government, he suggested directing nearshoring (relocation of production lines) and logistics  support to projects that connect leading regions with lagging entities , conditioning the incentives on the generation of formal employment.

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El cargo Northeast, Northwest and Bajío regions of Mexico stand out in regional competitiveness: IMCO apareció primero en T21.

TIJUANA, BC.- The asphalt became a track of precision and pride. For two days, Tijuana hosted an event that combined pinpoint maneuvers, shared excitement, and a community united around the trucking industry.

The fourth edition of MT Tijuana brought together 92 operators , including seven women , who demonstrated their skills in the Sleeper Cab and Cab Over categories .

From early on, the atmosphere was filled with caps, cheers, awnings, the sound of rattles, and entire families cheering on their team.

While the competitors were concentrating behind the wheel , other equally intense moments took place at the bus stop (a recreational area organized by the companies themselves): contests, activities, music, games for girls and boys, rest areas, and sponsor activations.

Each stand was an extension of Mexican trucking culture: care, respect, and pride in the profession.

There was also room for recognition for those who have dedicated their lives to the road. Tributes were given to operators with 20, 30, and even 50 years of experience , amid applause that felt sincere and well-deserved.

And if that weren’t enough, company directors also took to the track. In a symbolic display, they took the wheel to demonstrate that leadership can also be understood from the bottom up, from the cockpit.

State and municipal authorities and transportation industry leaders attended the opening ceremony. Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz offered welcoming remarks. He was accompanied by Israel Delgado , vice president of the Northwest Region of the  National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) , and Roberto Lastiri , representing the national president of Canacar.

Israel Delgado thanked Posdata MX , the event’s producer, and highlighted the collective value of this experience:

“This industry drives commerce, and no state or city exists without efficient transportation. Our sector’s needs are very specific, but essential,” Delgado explained.

He commented that the sector has specific needs, such as road safety, and highlighted the enormous work carried out by operators during the COVID-19 pandemic, who did not halt activities to keep the country’s economy running, including the delivery of medicines, food, and more.

Meanwhile, Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño assured that his administration will work to dignify the work of operators and strengthen the conditions in the sector.

“They have the full support of the municipal government. Whatever decisions I need to make internally to improve the quality of the operators, I will make them without hesitation,” Burgueño stated.

For his part, Lastiri emphasized the importance of collaborative work between public authorities and companies to recognize the work of those working in the trucking industry.

“The trucking operator is not just a logistics figure; it is a key player in road safety, supply chain efficiency, and local, state, and national economic development,” he said.

The competition was held under strict rules: a stopwatch, penalties, and maneuvers down to the centimeter. It was all about mastering the unit with technique, concentration, and composure.

80 operators participated in Sleeper Cab and 12 in Cab Over , where the seven women who represented their companies with determination also shone, thanks in large part to the drive of the Association of Women Operators (AMO) .

The total prize pool was 200,000 pesos , but beyond the check, what was at stake was respect. And that was felt in every lap, in every applause from the stands, in every hug at the end of a well-done route.

Winners by category:

Sleeper Cab Category:
1st Place
Time: 3:35 minutes
Hugo Antonio Escobar
Atlas Transportation Division

2nd place
Time: 3:47 minutes
Edgar Texocotitlán Taquez
Atlas Transportation Division

3rd place
Time: 3:53 minutes
Cristóbal Anastacio Hernández
JL Transport

Cab Over Category:

1st place
Time: 3:27 minutes
Melesio Rivera Pinzón
Autotransportes Pilot

2nd place
Time: 3:28 minutes
José de Jesús Negrete
Autotransportes Pilot

3rd place
Time: 3:32 minutes
Fabián Sierra
Nájera Trucking

Hugo Antonio Escobar, Sleeper Cab champion, couldn’t contain his excitement. “This is my third year competing. I didn’t make it the previous two, but today… today it finally happened,” he said to applause, while dedicating his victory to his wife, children, and friends.

In the other category, Melesio Rivera also celebrated with his family, surrounded by cheers and flags.

“I’m very excited. I wasn’t thinking about anything while I was competing, I was just focused on my job. Thanks to my family and Pilot for the opportunity,” he said.

In addition to the official competition, MT Tijuana 2025 offered heartfelt moments that connected the entire trucking community.

The heart of the event also beat in the MT Paradero , a recreational area created by the companies themselves, with games, dynamics, brand activations, live music, and spaces designed for families to socialize while the operators were on the track.

The mechanics competition to assemble a Cummins X15 engine was held there , with the participation of students from the Industrial Work Training Centers ( CECATI) 144 and 6 , together with Técnica Diésel and Velocity Vehicle Group .

An exercise in precision and technical training that captured the audience’s attention and demonstrated that talent is also forged in the classroom.

The final image was a collective one: the six winners on stage, raising their gold, silver, and bronze medals in front of a packed crowd. They took their official photo while the organizers, sponsors, and media applauded not only the result, but also the progress they had made.

This is how MT Tijuana 2025 closed : with sun on their faces, dirt on their shoes, and a clear message from the north of the country: in the trucking industry, talent is at the wheel and also in the stands.

El cargo MT Tijuana 2025: precision, celebration, and pride on wheels apareció primero en T21.