Mexican logistics rests on a foundation that is rarely seen: unpaid work and the role of women in the economy . In this sense, the sector is beginning to rethink its own structures at a time when talent shortages, turnover, and insecurity are putting pressure on the trucking industry.

In this context, the inclusion of women in the trucking industry emerges as an operational necessity. Currently, 46% of women in Mexico are employed or seeking employment, but only 6% hold management positions and 55% work in the informal sector, according to José Mucio Jiménez Orozco, Operations Manager for Western Mexico and Primary Distribution at Coca-Cola FEMSA , speaking at The Logistics World Summit & Expo.

He pointed out that these conditions not only reflect inequality, but also a missed opportunity for the logistics sector .

José Mucio Jiménez commented that the challenge is evident in the freight transport sector. Despite women representing 52% of the population in Mexico, their presence in this industry is limited: only 13.8% of the workforce is female, and there are barely seven thousand federal licenses for female drivers, compared to more than 700,000 for men .

This low participation occurs in an environment facing structural problems: high operator turnover, an aging workforce, and increasing competition for talent, including from the United States, which has attracted Mexican operators.

Given this situation, integrating more women not only expands the available talent pool but also brings operational improvements . According to shared experience, female operators exhibit lower accident rates, greater fuel efficiency, and a high level of commitment to route execution.

Inclusion , however, does not happen automatically. It requires structural changes within companies: from infrastructure improvements, such as bathrooms, changing rooms, showers, and dormitories, to the redesign of recruitment, training, and operational processes .

“We can say that we are going to hire more women, but if we don’t have the right conditions, the model doesn’t work,” Jiménez pointed out.

One of the concrete efforts to advance along this path is the Juntas en la Ruta (Together on the Road) program , developed by Coca-Cola in 2024 , to train professional female truck drivers. From more than 200 applicants, 10 were selected for the first cohort, which underwent a six-week theoretical and practical training program.

These types of initiatives not only aim to provide training , but also to break down paradigms in an industry historically dominated by men. In fact, the perception that women cannot operate heavy equipment has begun to fade in light of tangible results in safety, productivity, and performance.

In addition, complementary actions have been promoted such as safe rest stops with adequate infrastructure for women , road safety certification programs and alliances with actors in the sector to professionalize female talent.

Even so, the challenge remains significant . Globally, less than 3% of trucking operators are women, while in logistics they represent between 20% and 25% of the workforce, primarily in administrative roles.

The transition to more inclusive logistics is not solely driven by diversity goals, but also by the need to strengthen a key industry for the economy. In Mexico, sectors such as manufacturing, commerce, and agriculture depend directly on transportation, making it a cross-cutting pillar of development.

“Inclusion is not just a goal, it is the path to building a stronger, more diverse and sustainable industry,” the executive concluded.

With this, the participation of women in road transport is beginning to emerge as a strategic piece in the transformation of the sector, at a time when every talent counts.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Karina Quintero  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Coca-Cola FEMSA is committed to a more inclusive logistics approach focused on female operators apareció primero en T21.

In a context where geopolitical tensions, the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and structural changes in supply chains have tested the resilience of companies, the 2026 edition of the Logistics Pulse marks a turning point: leaving measurement behind to focus on action .

During the presentation of the study, Ángel Estrada, managing director of Alvarez & Marsal , highlighted that this new edition responds to a different reality, in which the challenges of the past have evolved into structural challenges that require strategic decisions.

“In previous years we measured efficiency, costs and performance. Today the focus is on looking ahead and understanding what’s coming and how to act,” he noted at The Logistics World Summit & Expo.

Unlike previous editions, the 2026 Pulse Meter was built from more than 45 interviews with leaders of the logistics ecosystem , including companies, operators, associations, academia and government, with the aim of identifying trends and defining courses of action in seven key pillars, such as infrastructure, costs, resilience, technology, security, talent and sector collaboration.

This change in methodology reflects an evolution of the sector, which has gone through different stages in recent years, from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, to the container crisis, energy volatility and, more recently, the regionalization of supply chains .

In this context, Estrada stressed that 2026 is a critical year for Mexico, particularly due to the review of the USMCA and international pressure to strengthen regional integration.

One of the main findings of the study is that Mexico has a real opportunity to consolidate itself as a logistics hub in Latin America , driven by nearshoring and the global reconfiguration of trade.

However, this opportunity coexists with structural tensions that go beyond logistical costs, such as insufficient infrastructure, security challenges, and a lack of specialized talent.

“We are at a pivotal moment. There is a great opportunity, but also pressures that, if not addressed, could become bottlenecks,” Estrada warned.

One of the most significant changes identified is the transformation of the role of logistics within companies. From being an operational function focused on costs, it is evolving into a strategic element in decision-making.

“Logistics is being discussed in the council today. It is a growth enabler and a competitive advantage,” Estrada explained.

This change responds to the need to build more resilient, efficient supply chains that are aligned with business objectives.

The study also highlights two critical factors: talent and technology .

On the one hand, a lack of specialized skills can limit the sector’s growth. On the other hand, the accelerated adoption of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI)  opens up opportunities, but also risks if not implemented in a structured way.

“Many solutions arrive as isolated applications, without being integrated into the processes. The challenge is to connect end-to-end and start from clean data,” Estrada pointed out.

Security and infrastructure, the structural issues to be resolved

During the press conference, leaders in the logistics sector agreed that the main challenges remain security and infrastructure.

Hugo Ruiz, president of the National Council of Executives in Logistics and Supply Chain (ConaLog) , highlighted that there is a growing recognition, even from the government, of the deficiencies in infrastructure.

“It’s something that wasn’t openly discussed before. Today there’s agreement between the public and private sectors, and it’s one of the issues we need to resolve in the coming years,” he stated.

Regarding security, Sandra Aragonez, senior director at Alvarez & Marsal , stressed that it must cease to be an operational issue and become a strategic focus within organizations.

“Security must be on the same level as supply chain management. It must be integrated from the operational design stage,” he stated.

From conversation to execution

One of the most compelling calls of the 2026 Pulse Meter is the need to move from diagnosis to action.

Bernardo Flores, from Alvarez & Marsal , emphasized that the real challenge is to translate opportunities into concrete results, through collaboration between companies, government and academia .

For his part, Juan Carlos Molina, general director of GS1 Mexico , stressed that digitalization will be key, as long as it is supported by standards that allow for efficient communication.

The message is that the moment demands coordinated action. For Juan Pablo Pacheco, managing director of HAF Logística Internacional , the key lies in collaboration among stakeholders.

“We need to work together as a sector to solve the challenges,” he said.

The participants agreed that, although Mexico has managed to grow despite its limitations, its true potential will be reached when structural problems are addressed.

“Imagine what we could achieve if we resolve these deficiencies,” Ruiz said.

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El cargo Logistics Pulse Meter 2026: From Measuring to Acting at a Decisive Moment for Mexico apareció primero en T21.

Faced with the challenges of intermodal and multimodal transport in Mexico, the National Association of Private Transport (ANTP) proposed the implementation of a checklist , the definition of clear management and risk criteria, and compliance with these processes to guarantee better operations.

In addition, ensuring end-to-end visibility and operational control , standardizing pre-contract authorization, and establishing performance indicators, among other factors.

Francisco Kim, vice president of the Multimodal Sector of the ANTP, said that these criteria must be applied prior to contracting to prevent failure, payment of penalties, impacts on the level of service, and to improve risk control.

“ The multimodal and intermodal experience can be improved with planning ; this is the foundation for its success and is the approach we see at ANTP: service design prior to any movement. The checklist contains the entire service design and verifies that we are complying with all the specifications or procedures for a successful shipment,” he stated.

During her participation in the panel Operational Architecture and Service Design in Multimodal Environments , within the framework of The Logistics World Summit & Expo, she specified that among the challenges of the sector is the coupling between the user and the logistics operator , development of infrastructure – such as corridors, ramps and transshipment terminals – in addition to the capitalization of the reduction of polluting emissions.

Also, proper management of the CFDI (Digital Tax Receipt via Internet) and Waybill, visibility of the TMS operation (transport management), definition of maximum weights, distribution of the load within the container, actions to prevent cargo theft, professionalization of participants in logistics management, optimization of customs management, among others.

He reiterated that multimodal transport is one of the modes of transport that will give Mexico options at a time of evolution .

“The trade balance is very balanced and we are very positive with the United States; it is the moment for the country to take advantage of the opportunity,” he stressed.

In January 2026 alone, the value of bilateral trade between Mexico and the United States reached $74.105 billion , an increase of 6.5% compared to the same month in 2025, according to data from the  US Census Bureau .

Francisco Kim emphasized that establishing management and risk criteria will help ensure compliance with operations, but it will need to be approved by the logistics management.

“Every time a supply chain or a multimodal corridor is redesigned, the checklist must be done first . Multimodal transport is widely used in the United States, and here in Mexico we are just getting started. Sometimes things happen despite the planning, and we have to incorporate those protocols,” he emphasized.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo ANTP proposes criteria to improve operations in intermodal and multimodal transport apareció primero en T21.

Logistics operations in Mexico face increasing pressures that force companies to rethink the management of their fleets, in an environment where costs, insecurity and operational efficiency have become determining factors, explained Luis Larrea, senior regional manager of Field Engineering at Samsara Mexico.

At The Logistics World Summit & Expo , Larrea explained that eight out of every ten products consumed in the country are transported through the logistics sector , while 72% of the national economy depends on foreign trade , highlighting the importance of trucking to economic activity. However, this dynamism coexists with rising costs: fuel prices have increased by 16.7% , while insurance premiums have risen between 15% and 20%.

Adding to this context is the issue of insecurity. Between January and October 2025, 5,200 robberies were recorded on Mexican highways , according to data from Samsara, with estimated losses of between 7 and 10 billion pesos annually.

Given this scenario, technological adoption is becoming increasingly important. Currently, 48% of fleets already use artificial intelligence (AI) , although its implementation requires clear objectives and a defined strategy to generate value in operations.

One of the main challenges remains fuel, which can represent between 30% and 50% of operating costs . In this respect, even marginal reductions can translate into significant impacts on profitability.

Operational visibility is positioned as a key element. Tools such as telematics, process digitization, in-cab cameras with alerts , operator training programs, and monitoring systems allow for improved operational control, optimized routes, and more efficient cost management, Larrea explained.

In particular, measuring idling speed and fuel consumption becomes critical . Identifying unnecessary expenses, analyzing driving habits, and differentiating between productive and unproductive idling allows for performance improvements, cost reductions, and real-time operational visibility.

Concrete examples reflect these benefits. Companies like Potosinos have reported a 23% increase in delivery time productivity , as well as a 20% reduction in fuel leaks and a 7% reduction in operator turnover .

In terms of fleet utilization , monitoring key performance indicators—such as productive hours, unit usage, maintenance, and route management—allows for progress toward more efficient operations. This translates into reduced operating costs, fewer units out of service, and improved asset management.

In this process, AI is positioned as a cross-cutting enabler that impacts various areas of the operation. From operators, with vehicle inspections, document interpretation, and in-cab monitoring, to maintenance and administrative teams, where this technology facilitates route management, report generation, invoicing, and order tracking.

The benefits are also reflected in financial and safety indicators. One example is PROAN , which achieved an 80% reduction in freight collection time and a 64% decrease in speeding violations , in an operation with more than 450 vehicles and over 70 years of experience .

Larrea emphasized that the combination of technology, data, and discipline in measuring indicators is emerging as the path to strengthening efficiency, reducing costs, and improving the competitiveness of the trucking industry in Mexico .

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Karina Quintero  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Technology and data, key to improving fleet efficiency in Mexico: Samsara apareció primero en T21.

The Mexican Association of Freight Forwarders (Amacarga) warned that the conflict in the Middle East will not only generate increases in oil prices and transportation costs, but will also have an impact on agro-industrial products .

“Many of the products, such as fertilizers and raw materials that we use for our industry, pass through there and are being suspended,” said Eva María Muñoz, president of Amacarga, at The Logistics World Summit & Expo .

The US-Israeli conflict against Iran has disrupted international logistics and transportation markets, causing disruptions and suspensions in maritime and air routes. As a result, shipping and air freight rates have increased substantially.

In an interview, Muñoz specified that the cost of fuel for air transport has risen by up to 73% , while maritime transport has experienced increases of up to one thousand percent.

He also noted that airlines such as Lufthansa , KLM , and Emirates have suspended flights in the Middle East, as has the shipping company Maersk , which has halted operations in the area.

“It’s a very sensitive area, and all of this is creating problems for us. Oil passes through there, and it won’t just be an increase in oil, gasoline, and transportation costs,” he emphasized.

Even though the conflict is focused on the Middle East region, the entire global passenger and freight transport system has been disrupted , Muñoz said.

In that regard, he considered that, although a rebound in cargo handling was expected, there is no good outlook for this segment due to the conflict, since a short-term solution is not foreseen.

“This war is going to give us more time, and I don’t think it will help us much, globally, to move forward,” he said.

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El cargo Amacarga predicts conflict in the Middle East will impact air transport and agribusiness apareció primero en T21.