Moving a load from point A to point B seems like a straight line . For a formal trucking company, it rarely is. Before the engine even starts, a journey begins involving permits, inspections, insurance, systems, training, internal controls, and paperwork. A corridor opens up, a new requirement appears; an entity is crossed, some rules change. And every move has a cost. 

The scale of this labyrinth can be understood. A freight transportation company under federal jurisdiction must comply with at least 25 Mexican federal laws, regulations, and official standards of general application.

If you are transporting hazardous materials or waste, the number can reach 33, in addition to any applicable state and local regulations. 

The cost lies not only in the number of regulations but also in managing different systems. Each of the 32 entities adds its own rules regarding vehicle control and traffic , as well as verification where applicable, according to the regulatory map prepared by the Legal and Regulatory Directorate of the National Association of Private Transportation (ANTP) . 

It is precisely at these different levels that the path begins to branch out. A private transport unit operating under federal jurisdiction can simultaneously maintain its state vehicle license plate and the corresponding federal permit from the General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport (DGAF) , two administrative processes for the same unit. 

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El cargo The cost of the regulatory labyrinth apareció primero en T21.

The trip may be scheduled, the cargo waiting, and the customer awaiting delivery. But if something goes wrong, the truck doesn’t move. A brake failure or a malfunction in the satellite monitoring system is enough to halt the operation, even if it means waiting for days. In hydrocarbon transport , arriving on time matters, but arriving safely is even more important .

“When they tell me about the brakes and the satellite system, I tell them, ‘No, it’s malfunctioning.’ The vehicle won’t go out. It won’t go out, even if it takes us a week,” stated Julio Pérez Sixtos, general director of Transportes Sixtos , in an interview with T21.

Behind that decision lies an activity that has transformed over the years. Sixtos recounts the time when the trucks arrived at the Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) facilities and the product entered the tank from the top, through what were called “garzas” (herons). With modernization, that method of loading changed, and the filling process moved to the bottom.

What might have seemed like just a change in the process also ended up affecting the equipment. The carriers had to modify valves, incorporate electronic lines controlled from the cab, and make adjustments to control air and vapor leaks.

And each transformation came with investment . When simple configurations gave way to full-featured ones, he explained, the impact was again felt in costs.

“Now the expense was double. It was quite an issue, but it was what we had to do and we pulled it off,” he said.

For Pérez Sixtos, that’s one of the key differences in moving these types of products. It’s not just about transporting cargo from one point to another, but about doing so under conditions that reduce risks for those involved in the operation and for those who share the road.

“We are a specialized, highly specialized job that deserves to have all the safety standards for the good of the community, for those of us who travel on the road,” he stated.

The cost is no longer just in the equipment.

But the requirements for transporting hydrocarbons are no longer focused solely on the vehicles. For Julio Pérez Sixtos, one of the current challenges lies in the number of regulatory changes and administrative burdens that companies must incorporate while maintaining operations.

“The entire sector has had many ups and downs and has undergone many reforms, many regulations, and, in truth, many administrative burdens,” he stressed.

The businessman described the moment as a “wave of many things at once ,” which forces companies to stay up-to-date and allocate resources not only to equipment, but also to training their staff and, when necessary, to external advice.

“We train our staff, or we pay for consulting if we don’t understand something, to be prepared to see how the regulations from the government, the Tax Administration Service , and the National Energy Commission are coming ,” he explained.

For Pérez Sixtos, remaining competitive in this market requires constant adaptation. In addition to the investments made over the years to keep pace with technical and security changes, they now need the time, knowledge, and resources to respond to new regulations.

The challenge lies in doing so without neglecting an operation that, due to the nature of the products transported, does not allow for shortcuts in terms of safety.

Staying in a different market

This adaptation is also taking place in a market that no longer offers the same conditions as years ago. Pérez Sixtos recalls a time when the products they transported were in considerably higher demand. Today, he says, the work continues, but the available volume represents less than half of what they saw back then .

He explained that a truck can remain in operation for four or five years before it is necessary to think about replacing it, since allowing the fleet to age can make it much more expensive to later recover the rate of renewal.

The strategy is to maintain equipment that is one or two years old and continue improving the trailers as well. The goal, he said, is to be able to offer service anywhere in the country with the certainty that the unit will be in good enough condition to complete the route.

The operator, another challenge of specialization

But having the right equipment only solves part of the equation. Finding the right person to operate it has become another challenge . Pérez Sixtos acknowledged that the shortage of drivers already poses a problem for the trucking industry, although in his case the challenge lies particularly in finding suitable candidates for a specialized operation.

The problem extends beyond a single company. According to the International Road Transport Union (IRU) , Mexico has a driver vacancy rate of 14% , the second highest among the markets analyzed, second only to Uzbekistan, with 15%.

According to the expert, part of the current shortage has deeper roots. For years, he recalled, many drivers trained as assistants, working alongside experienced drivers until they acquired the necessary skills to drive. This training system began to disappear due to changes in economic and safety conditions , but also because the companies themselves stopped allowing assistants in their vehicles.

The response has begun to shift towards operator schools and training centers driven by the sector itself, an alternative in which Pérez Sixtos identified successful cases and which, he considered, can contribute to training new operators.

The challenge, however, doesn’t end with simply adding more people behind the wheel. In an activity like hydrocarbon transportation, training operators capable of meeting technical and safety requirements is also part of the specialization .

After years of changes in equipment, processes, and operating methods, the challenge remains the same: ensuring that every trip departs under the necessary conditions to reach its destination. Because in this sector, specialization lies not only in the vehicle that moves the cargo, but also in the hands responsible for transporting it by road .

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El cargo Hydrocarbon transport: adapting to stay on route apareció primero en T21.

In Mexico, the trucking industry often points to the excessive paperwork, verifications, and regulatory requirements it faces in order to operate; however, in terms of vehicle safety, an apparent contradiction is observed: while there are numerous provisions for the circulation and operation of the units, Mexico still lacks a specific standard that establishes the safety standards that new heavy vehicles entering the market must meet.

This was stated by Salvador Saavedra, president of the Automotive Industry Sector of the National Chamber of the Transformation Industry (Canacintra) , during the AMDA Commercial Vehicles Forum 2026, where he warned that the absence of a specific regulatory framework is allowing the incorporation of units with different technological standards, which generates incompatibilities that could impact road safety.

“It is allowed because there is no rule,” he stated, emphasizing that currently, tractor-trailer trucks developed under regulations different from those prevailing in North America can enter the Mexican market.

According to the specialist, while Europe has regulations that incorporate dozens of safety standards and the United States has maintained a scheme administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for decades, Mexico still lacks a standard for heavy vehicles over 3,857 kilograms, even though its development began several years ago .

Saavedra explained that the project was worked on between 2021 and 2023; however, it did not progress towards publication.

“We worked on that 2021-2022 standard, first quarter of 2023, and just as I remained silent, so did the Ministry of Economy, they put it in a drawer and there it is,” he commented.

One of the identified risks is related to ABS braking systems . The specialist explained that most semi-trailers operating in Mexico use technology based on U.S. regulations, while in recent years tractor-trailers developed under other standards have been incorporated.

This situation can cause warning signals for a brake system failure to not be properly communicated between the tractor and the semi-trailer, limiting the operator’s ability to react in a timely manner.

“If the ABS of the semi-trailer fails and the operator has to perform emergency braking, the possibility of the semi-trailer squaring up increases and therefore would cause a road accident,” he warned.

According to data presented by Saavedra, between 95% and 98% of tractor-trailer trucks currently operating with ABS systems use North American technology . However, each year between 10% and 12% of units with different configurations are added to the vehicle fleet, increasing the need to establish standardized criteria to ensure the compatibility of safety systems.

The expert argued that the debate should not focus solely on generating more regulation, but on building a coherent regulatory framework that allows identifying which vehicles can be incorporated into the Mexican market and under what safety standards they must operate.

Among his proposals, he highlighted the need to clearly define which federal agency will be responsible for issuing and overseeing vehicle safety regulations, establishing standards for all types of new and existing vehicles, and verifying compliance with these requirements from the time of importation.

“The regulated industry must actively participate in issues concerning vehicle regulations. Otherwise, nothing happens, or we are left out,” he concluded.

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El cargo Overregulated or unprotected? The persistent gap in heavy vehicle safety apareció primero en T21.

During the institutional meeting of Transportation Authorities , held in the Senate of the Republic , legislators and representatives of the sector agreed that freight transport faces structural challenges that must be addressed in light of the review of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (USMCA) , as it is a key component for the competitiveness and productive integration of North America.

The forum was attended by Ignacio Mier Velazco, president of the Political Coordination Board (Jucopo) of the Senate; Emmanuel Reyes Carmona, president of the Economy Commission; as well as senators, actors from the public and business sectors of motor transport, and representatives of the National Chamber of Freight Transport (Canacar) .

The economic weight of the sector was one of the central themes of the dialogue. According to experts, trucking moves more than 80% of Mexican exports to the United States and accounts for between 86% and 87% of bilateral trade with that country, making it the main channel for productive integration in North America, according to Virginia Olalde López Gavito, president of the Transportation Commission of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) .

He pointed out that any bottleneck at border crossings, infrastructure or regulation directly impacts regional competitiveness, so the review of the USMCA should prioritize operational efficiency, regulatory harmonization and strategic investments.

Internally, the freight transport sector comprises more than 200,000 companies in the country, contributes around 3.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) , generates more than two million direct jobs and more than six million indirect jobs, and has an impact on 101 industrial sectors, according to Augusto Ramos, member and candidate for the presidency of Canacar.

Likewise, transportation as a whole (which includes freight and passenger road transport activities, rail, maritime, air transport and related logistics services) represents about 9.9% of the national GDP, as highlighted by Julio César Sánchez, representative of the Ministry of Economy (SE) .

At the border level, the operational dimension of trade was exposed: in 2025 alone, more than 760,000 truck crossings were recorded in the Ciudad Juárez–El Paso corridor , while in the total of the northern border, more than 7.5 million crossings were counted , reflecting the intensity of the logistical flow and the pressure on the infrastructure.

Senators and trucking authorities indicated that these volumes highlight the need to strengthen border crossings, modernize customs, and reduce inspection times, as any bottleneck directly impacts costs, delivery times, and regional competitiveness.

From a business perspective, the focus was on fleet modernization, highlighting that vehicle renewal can reduce emissions by up to 80% , in addition to improving operational efficiency. In this context, the development of 50 secure rest stops along strategic routes was mentioned as part of efforts to strengthen operator safety.

Senator Karina Ruiz acknowledged that the sector faces a complex environment marked by economic stagnation and pressures stemming from international tariffs.

He raised the need to build a joint agenda that includes incentives for vehicle renewal, strengthening of logistics infrastructure , operator training programs, and greater institutional coordination to address road safety issues.

Participants agreed that the review of the USMCA should be seen as an opportunity to consolidate Mexico as a regional logistics hub , advance regulatory harmonization, strengthen road safety, and invest in technology for roads and customs, in an environment where road transport not only moves goods but also sustains employment, investment, and the country’s industrial dynamism.

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The implementation of volumetric control and fuel traceability has become one of the biggest challenges for land transport, where technology, operational coordination and tax compliance are now inseparable pieces, according to specialists.

Luis Eduardo Chavarría Meza , CEO of Kepler Oil & Gas , warned that technology should be an ally and not an obstacle.

“Technology has already caught up with us: today volumetric control depends not only on software , but also on electronic components and the reconciliation between operations and accounting,” he stated during the  Midstream Forum Mexico 2025 , organized by Grupo T21 ( Energy21  and  T21 ).

Chavarría stressed that the lack of communication between the operational and accounting areas has resulted in financial penalties.

“I can bet that more than 20% of companies have already received some sanction from the Tax Administration Service (SAT) , not for bad practices, but for inconsistencies between accounting and operational records,” he said.

For his part, Andrés Bayona Insignares, founding partner of Promotora Energética E3 , explained that the case of vehicular and compressed natural gas demonstrates how traceability also applies to road transport, in a context where Mexico imports more than 70% of its gas from the United States.

“The control is very well defined from the beginning; the risk is not in the operation, but in administrative errors or poorly documented reports to the authority,” he pointed out.

The specialist added that, given the lack of pipeline infrastructure, “truck transport” continues to be the most used means, which implies higher costs and vulnerability in tracking volumes.

Meanwhile, Pablo César Gualdi , president and CEO of ATIO Group , warned that quantitative traceability is essential to maintain the integrity of the logistics chain.

“Quantitative traceability is fundamental to preventing illegally sourced fuel from entering the system; without full implementation of volumetric controls, the system remains vulnerable,” he stressed.

According to industry experts, compliance with traceability and measurement standards directly impacts hydrocarbon transportation, which must adapt to new technological requirements, verification processes, and real-time electronic records.

At the event, the panelists agreed that traceability is not only an administrative requirement, but also a tool for competitiveness and transparency that will determine the future of logistics in the Mexican energy sector.

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El cargo Volumetric control: the new challenge for fuel transport apareció primero en T21.

En el marco de la nueva legislación impulsada por la administración de Claudia Sheinbaum, que abre oportunidades para renovar, invertir e innovar en una etapa de la cadena de valor energética, se realizará el Midstream Forum México 2025, un evento de Grupo T21 organizado por Energy21 y T21, que reunirá a líderes del sector energético el próximo 27 de octubre en el Club Piso 51 de Torre Mayor, en Ciudad de México.

Bajo el eje temático “Transformación del Midstream: Negocio, regulación y futuro”, el foro contará con la participación de cerca de 25 especialistas y tomadores de decisiones del sector, distribuidos en cinco paneles.

En el panel uno titulado “Seguridad energética y soberanía: Nuevas políticas para equilibrar el mercado”, participarán especialistas como Juan Carlos González Magallanes, Of Counsel de Ibáñez Parkman; Sebastián Figueroa, CEO & Co-founder de Fullgas; Eduardo Dorantes, profesor-investigador de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), y Celeste Rebora, directora de Relaciones Institucionales y Sostenibilidad de Grupo Valoran.

El panel dos “Impactos del nuevo marco normativo en el transporte y almacenamiento de combustibles”, contará con las intervenciones de Marcial Díaz Ibarra, presidente de la Asociación de Regulados del Sector Energético (ARSE); Sayonara Jarillo, consultora independiente; Alicia Zazueta, CEO de Eservices; Fabiola Tomasini, socia senior de GMB Abogados, y Omar Camacho, General Manager de Motive México.

“Control volumétrico y trazabilidad: Regulación, tecnología y cumplimiento” es el tercer panel, el cual contará con las intervenciones de Luis Eduardo Chavarría Meza, CEO de Kepler Oil & Gas; Regina González, asociada de Von Wobeser y Sierra; Sergio Estrada, presidente de la Academia Mexicana de Derecho Energético (AMDE); Andrés Gutiérrez Torres, CEO y Co-founder de CIEFSA, y Pablo César Gualdi, CEO y Co-founder de ATIO Group.

Panel four, “Public-Private Collaboration: Toward a Sustainable and Efficient Model ,” will feature Roberto Díaz de León, general director of Combured ; Ramsés Pech, energy and economics advisor; Ana Margarita Pérez, consulting partner at MarEnergy ; and Víctor Hugo Arellano, technical and regulatory director of Onexpo Nacional .

Finally, the final panel, “Natural Gas and LPG: Security, Supply, and New Market Routes,” will feature key figures such as Alejandro Montufar, CEO and Co-founder of PETROIntelligence ; Gamaliel Corral, CEO of Gasoducto de Morelos ; Rocío Robles, Executive President of AMEXGAS ; Adriana Muñoz, Commercial Deputy Director of SAC Transportes ; and Susana Cazorla, Director and Founding Partner of SICEnrgy & Madero .

In addition, the Midstream Forum Mexico 2025 will feature a keynote address by Víctor Hugo Juárez Cuevas , CEO of Edge Innovation , entitled “The regulatory impact of the State on oil products . ”

What does the Midstream Forum Mexico 2025 off?

The event will be organized around three pillars : Connect , which will offer opportunities to network with leaders in the energy and hydrocarbon sectors; Collaborate, which will allow for debate and proposals for solutions to current midstream challenges; and Learn , which will provide access to expert perspectives on Mexico’s energy future.

The midstream sector is an important component of hydrocarbon transportation, storage, and marketing, and is currently undergoing a decisive phase in Mexico. In this context, the Midstream Forum Mexico 2025 is consolidating as a space for strategic dialogue, collaboration, and the development of solutions that boost the country’s competitiveness and energy security .

You still have time to participate by registering at this link: Midstream Forum Mexico 2025 .

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El cargo Midstream Forum Mexico 2025: Platform for energy dialogue apareció primero en T21.