The challenges in trucking security no longer revolve around whether a robbery will occur, but rather how prepared the sector is to confront it. In Mexico, this crime occurs with a frequency that is no longer exceptional: according to specialists, a highway robbery against truckers is recorded every 30 minutes , reflecting an environment where operations are carried out under constant risk .

The problem persists and evolves. Criminal gangs operate with greater organization , change routes , use signal jammers, and adjust their tactics in response to police operations , forcing companies to rethink their security strategy practically in real time, Ángeles Useche, commercial director of Total Protect , told T21 .

But the biggest obstacle isn’t always external. It’s also internal. Despite this scenario, a portion of the sector continues to operate with traditional methods : calls to the operator, Excel spreadsheets, or reactive decision-making. Resistance to adopting technology remains one of the main hurdles, even though more accessible models exist today, the specialist explained.

The change, in reality, is one of mindset. Safety has ceased to be an expense and has become a condition of operation .

From the technological front, the evolution points to building layers. GPS alone is no longer enough. The approach now integrates video surveillance, engine immobilizers, sensors, and predictive analytics to anticipate risks, said Useche. That’s the turning point: moving from reacting to predicting.

In practice, the numbers illustrate the scale of the challenge. Among the company’s clients, four to five cargo thefts are recorded weekly . However, when technology and monitoring are integrated, recovery rates can exceed 97% , a difference that lies not in the event itself, but in the response capacity, he indicated.

The window of opportunity is in the first few minutes. According to Useche, the use of platforms with predictive intelligence is starting to make a difference. Identifying schedules, routes, and risk patterns allows for decisions to be made before the incident occurs, not after.

This is complemented by coordination with authorities and monitoring centers such as C4 and C5, as well as specialized response teams, which increase the chances of recovery and reduce the operational impact.

In a context where crime does not stop, security is no longer an add-on, it is part of the business.

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In the trucking industry, the concept of “comprehensive coverage” in insurance terms is often misunderstood, although in everyday language it is associated with comprehensive protection; in reality, heavy equipment policies are for named perils , explained Marco Antonio Fernández Vargas , an insurance agent specializing in fleets and heavy equipment.

“If the risk isn’t explicitly stated in the policy, it’s simply not covered,” he noted. He explained that in the case of a fire resulting from an electrical failure, the claim wouldn’t apply unless specifically covered.

Fernández warned that, although some companies may offer commercial support in exceptional cases, coverage depends strictly on the contracted terms. Therefore, he recommended that companies carefully review the scope and exclusions of their policies , especially when managing large fleets.

Based on their experience, insurers evaluate two essential factors when defining premiums and conditions: claims history and preventive actions .

“Today, companies analyze what the customer has done to reduce accidents or thefts, and what they are doing to prevent them. Both aspects—reactive and preventive—are equally important,” he noted in an interview with T21.

Regarding road safety culture, Fernández acknowledged that a major challenge remains. “It’s very difficult to have a company with an organizational culture focused on road safety. It involves not only operators but also administrators, middle managers, and senior management.”

With offices in Mexico City and a new headquarters in Nuevo Laredo , he commented that his company is undergoing a process of internal strengthening.

“Today we are investing in a system that allows us to control the entire process, from issuance to claims follow-up, in addition to defining clear manuals and procedures,” he explained.

Beyond selling policies, he emphasized, the goal is to support clients at every stage. “We love participating in prevention and being part of the operation. I don’t sell policies; I participate in my clients’ operations ,” he stated.

Leadership, he emphasized, is based on empathy. “We must understand how much it costs to have a unit down or lose a good operator. Taking care of them and being there from the first minute after an accident makes all the difference.”

Transportation insurance today faces a double challenge: understanding the real limits of coverage and building a preventive culture that reduces accidents.

In an environment where every minute of downtime represents a loss, timely risk management becomes not only a contractual obligation, but a key strategy for fleet operational continuity.

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In an increasingly challenging logistics environment, Onest Smart Logistics shared its expertise in areas such as technology and security during a tour of its facilities in Tultitlán, State of Mexico. José Antonio García Trejo, the company’s Director of New Business Development, noted that security is not only a priority, but an urgent necessity given the increase in cargo thefts in Mexico .

According to figures from the Mexican Association of Private Security Companies and Satellite Industry (Amesis) , in 2024, 15,937 cargo transport robberies were recorded nationwide, which represented an increase of 9.15% and 9.18% compared to 2023. García Trejo pointed out that this phenomenon has directly impacted the company and its transport partners, which has motivated a profound transformation in its reaction and prevention capabilities.

Among its strategies are partnerships with technology developers to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its operations. These tools enable predictive routing, machine learning, and safer guidance for operators . Additionally, units have been equipped with smart sensors capable of blocking power flow, automatically closing doors, and issuing SOS alerts without human intervention, all of which seek to reduce risk in critical situations.

Beyond merchandise, the company has expanded its focus to protecting physical assets and, above all, operators, as insecurity has discouraged new generations of operators, he said.

“Each lost unit represents millions of pesos and an operational tragedy, especially in a country with a shortage of operators,” García emphasized.

With more than 40 partner transport lines, equivalent to a fleet of approximately 250 vehicles, Onest Smart Logistics makes nearly 3,000 trips per year . Although this figure represents a fraction of its installed capacity, the company is determined to scale its transportation operations proportionally to its 600,000 square meters (m²) of warehouse space, always with safety as its fundamental pillar.

Security in three parts

For his part, Carlos Gutiérrez Chávez, Transportation Security Manager at Onest Smart Logistics, presented the comprehensive protection model that the company has developed to address the challenges of freight transportation in Mexico, and explained that it is based on an 80-15-5 approach: 80% prevention, 15% reaction, and 5% recovery .

He also noted that security is a joint effort and emphasized the importance of collaboration with the C5 (National Guard), the National Guard , and municipal police. However, he indicated that public patrols are not enough: the key is to anticipate by analyzing routes, schedules, types of cargo, and crime patterns by area .

Regarding the highest-risk routes, he indicated that although the so-called “red triangle,” which encompasses Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz, continues to be mentioned, the State of Mexico currently represents the main source of danger.

“Security is not reaction, it is prevention, intelligence, and humanity,” Gutiérrez Chávez emphasized.

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The  protection begins before the goods hit the road. Pablo Ocampo, general director of Transportes MexAmerik ( No. 41 in the Top 100 in Motor Transport ), explained that they have designed a system that provides personalized and traceable access to each user, with the option of restricting connections to IP addresses defined by the client.

Operators use corporate phones managed by the Information Technology (IT) department, which allows them to be immediately blocked if they are lost or stolen.

“We reduce risks by managing both external access for clients and internal access for employees, always based on shifts and profiles,” he explained.

It’s not a reaction to a blow already received. The strategy is preventive , fueled by cases that have occurred in the industry, especially in Mexico. And in a context where insecurity is one of the sector’s greatest challenges, Ocampo insisted that protecting information is as important a priority as ensuring physical security.

This care is also reflected in daily operations.  MexAmerik  has a 24/7 monitoring center with two teams: one dedicated to accident prevention and the other focused on preventing theft.

The company has certified workshops in the  State of Mexico ,  Querétaro, and Monterrey , where 80% of the maintenance is performed on a modern and constantly updated fleet of more than 500 tractor-trailers.

With national and international coverage, including door-to-door service between Mexico and the United States, the company serves clients in sectors such as consumer goods, automotive, beverages, and electronics.

Its differentiator lies in the combination of a motivated and collaborative team that, supported by cutting-edge technology , provides agile and reliable service, Ocampo commented.

They project the future into their 2027-2030 strategic horizon, which is not measured by the number of units, but rather by clear goals, sustainability, organizational culture, and leadership.

“Fleet growth will be the natural consequence of achieving our goals,” the executive said.

For Ocampo, leadership is built like an orchestra: each member with their own instrument, playing at the precise moment to keep the music flowing.

“Our purpose isn’t a destination, it’s a journey,” he summed up. One where consistency and passion are the driving force, and where protecting information is as essential as arriving on time.

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Imagine a construction site in full swing, with the metallic sound of cranes, dust floating between half-assembled structures, and the comings and goings of workers focused on their tasks. Now imagine that, before all of that happens, the project has already been fully executed and mapped in a parallel reality, where there are no errors, no accidents, no unforeseen costs, and everything can be anticipated.

That’s the promise and current practice of EY ‘s Capital Projects vertical , an initiative that combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) with technologies such as digital twins, geographic information systems ( GIS ) and building information modeling ( BIM ), to build the future before the first stone hits the ground.

EY, the audit, tax, consulting, strategy, and transaction services firm, emphasized that the adoption of emerging technologies like AI is no longer optional, but crucial.

According to the company, through solutions such as Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), BIM , GIS and digital twins, it is possible to reduce capital costs by up to 8% , improve schedule accuracy by up to 15% and increase productivity by 25% during critical execution phases.

Beyond efficiency, what’s at stake is the safety of thousands of workers who operate in high-risk conditions every day.

Imagine being able to walk through an unexcavated mine with an augmented reality headset, or visualize an infrastructure project in its final stages, even before it’s physically started.

With digital twins and AI-powered simulations, it’s possible to detect stress points in the ground that could cause a collapse , or predict that a moving crane could hit an electrical installation.

What once relied on intuition or field experience can now be simulated, calculated, and corrected in real time. This , in industries such as mining, agriculture, and energy, can make the difference between success or failure, between prevention or accidents.

“The adoption of AI and other technologies in engineering projects, in addition to enabling efficiency gains and risk reduction, is a way to rethink the industry’s operating model. Integrating these tools from the planning stage is a key competitive advantage,” said Flavio Dayrell, Capital Projects leader at EY Latin America.

For EY, incorporating new technologies involves investing not only in tools, but also in the people who will implement them.

“We may have technology and methodologies, but we are still people working with people. Our greatest challenge is transforming the mindset of those who lead and execute projects so they embrace the potential of these innovations,” Dayrell reflected.

From the Capital Projects practice , EY works in five major blocks : digital engineering and construction, integrated planning, project control and optimization, monitoring and supervision of construction, and forensic engineering.

Each stage is transformed with AI, virtual and augmented reality, generative design, and digital twins that not only serve to build, but also to facilitate maintenance throughout the project lifecycle.

“Engineering design using AI allows us to create structures with a maintenance-first approach. We apply methodologies such as LPS to improve planning, and digital control tools that provide visibility and prediction into a project’s actual behavior. Even in late phases, such as forensic engineering, we help anticipate risks and prevent serious deviations,” Dayrell added.

In addition, these projects develop customized dashboards for each client, allowing real-time visualization of a project’s key indicators, from physical progress and schedule compliance to safety, cost, and risk metrics.

And this technology isn’t limited to the construction sector. It’s also being used in industrial plants, distribution centers, retail, mining, and agro-industrial projects, where precision and the ability to anticipate can determine the entire viability of an operation.

According to EY, 64% of capital projects in the region have experienced significant cost overruns , and more than 50% were not delivered on time.

The root of this problem often lies in outdated operating models and fragmented processes.

In this sense, the use of AI allows for the generation of valuable insights, reduction of manual work, and faster, better-informed decisions throughout the project cycle.

It’s no longer just about digitizing plans or data, but about transforming the entire process from planning and design to operation and maintenance.

According to EY’s Top 10 Business Risks and Opportunities for Mining and Metals in 2025 study , 59% of miners surveyed globally considered digital initiatives crucial to their organization’s success.

To achieve this, EY warned, it is key for companies to establish a solid digital strategy that includes talent development, organizational change management, cybersecurity, and clear data governance. Without these pillars, the benefits of AI could remain mere good intentions.

In this new paradigm, prevention is no longer imagining the worst, it is modeling, measuring, and correcting it before it happens.

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