NUEVO LAREDO, TAMPS.- Neither the cloudy skies nor the light rain that fell during the second day dampened the excitement of the seventh edition of MT México Frontera 2026. For two days, Nuevo Laredo became a trucking festival, where the skill of 81 drivers, the enthusiasm of families, and the passion for this industry were the stars of a competition that crowned TransMex ( number 8 in the Top 100 Trucking Companies® ) as the winner of the Sleeper Cab and Day Cab categories.

The event, held on October 17 and 18 at the new Sports City of Nuevo Laredo , tested the skills of the participants through a circuit of maneuvers, in which every second and possible penalties were crucial to advance to the final phase.

The competition had a unique ending in Day Cab , where it was necessary to carry out an additional run to resolve a tie between two participants, a situation that the organizers highlighted as unprecedented within the competition.

This is how the podium of the seventh edition of MT Mexico Frontera 2026 looked:

Sleeper Cab Category

Day Cab Category

The winners in each category received recognition and cash prizes of 50,000 pesos for first place, 30,000 for second place, and 20,000 for third place.

In addition to the top three places, the operators who finished among the top six positions in each category earned their place in the national final, scheduled for January 2027 in Tampico, Tamaulipas.

A competition to recognize the operator

Beyond the results, MT Mexico Border 2026 also opened a space to highlight the work of those who face the demands of road transport every day.

During the inauguration, Ricardo Pillado, delegate of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) in Nuevo Laredo, who attended on behalf of its national president, Augusto Ramos Melo, stressed that operating a tractor-trailer requires much more than knowing a route.

The representative noted that traffic conditions, limited space, and the increasing demands of the roads require commitment, professionalism, and skill.

The organization of this seventh edition also included the participation of Censecar. Likewise, Ángel Hernández, from Super Transporte Internacional (STI) and a member of the organizing committee, highlighted the importance of creating spaces that recognize the skills of the drivers and promote camaraderie among the trucking industry.

The event was also marked by a tribute to the drivers who have lost their lives. During the opening ceremony, Mario Saldívar, CEO of MT Mexico, led a minute of honking, in which trucking groups from Nuevo Laredo participated to remember their deceased colleagues.

In addition, MT México Frontera became a celebration for trucking families . In the Paradero area , participating companies set up their booths and shared a convivial space with attendees, featuring games, food, activities, exhibits, and technical demonstrations, in an atmosphere that brought together drivers, their families, and industry representatives.

The participation of specialists from Técnica Diesel was highlighted , who carried out disassembly, diagnosis and repair of an engine, as part of an exercise to bring the public closer to the work of maintenance personnel.

During the closing ceremony, Saldívar reported that the event concluded without incident and thanked the authorities, companies, operators, and families for their participation.

With this edition, MT Mexico concluded another event in Nuevo Laredo, the city where its history began in 2020 and which has since expanded to other locations such as Tijuana and Allende (Nuevo León) to recognize those who keep the country’s goods moving. The celebration of trucking will continue on November 14 and 15 in Orizaba, Veracruz , the site of the next MT Mexico meeting.

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

El cargo Adrenaline rush! Seventh edition of MT Mexico Border crowns its champions apareció primero en T21.

The revocation of B1 visas for Mexican truck drivers has once again created a barrier to cross-border transportation with the United States. What began with drivers denouncing the cancellation of their visas for alleged cabotage operations escalated in early September to a blockade of the Mexicali-Calexico border crossing as they demanded clarity on the criteria being applied.

The protest lasted four days and ended after authorities and operators reached an agreement to establish working groups and review the cases . Nearly two weeks after the truckers cleared the crossing, operations have returned to normal, but the underlying issue that sparked the protest remains unresolved.

The discussion has now moved from the border crossing to the review of cases. Around 400 to 500 visas are being analyzed to determine if the criteria used by U.S. authorities were correct, particularly in those cases where carriers and operators differ from what is being considered cabotage, according to Israel Delgado, vice president of the Binational Freight Transport Council.

“Things have been calmer lately, particularly at the Calexico-Mexicali border crossing, and what they are doing is continuing the working groups,” Delgado said.

At the heart of the discussion is cabotage , understood in the trucking industry as the movement of cargo between two points within the United States. The disagreement arises in cases where carriers and operators maintain that their activities do not fall under this practice, while the criteria applied by U.S. authorities have resulted in the revocation of their permits.

“What they are doing is continuing the working groups so that they can meet at a later date with the United States Consulate and analyze whether or not the criteria used are grounds for cancellation,” Delgado explained.

He specified that there are cases in which the criteria of carriers and operators differ from what is considered cabotage , so the working groups are looking to review whether the causes that led to the withdrawal of visas actually correspond to this type of operation.

From protest to review

The follow-up has already begun to focus on individual cases. The General Secretariat of the Government of Baja California reported that 126 operators  affected by alleged cabotage have been interviewed, as part of addressing their situation following the revocation of their commercial visas.

During one of the working sessions, Rocío Vázquez Álvarez, head consul of Mexico in Calexico and representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) , confirmed the 126 interviews , as well as the direct attention to the affected operators.

As part of the follow-up, Kurt Honold Morales, Secretary of Economy and Innovation of Baja California , announced the establishment of regional working groups along the border between Mexico and the United States, with the aim of providing support to carriers, streamlining procedures and providing legal certainty.

Behind this situation lies a larger problem. Information previously provided to T21 indicates that between April 2025 and April 2026, more than 25,000 visas were revoked from trucking operators , of which nearly 4,000 were in Baja California, at the Tijuana, Mexicali, and San Luis border crossings.

The discontent escalated in early September. Operators consulted by T21 at the time warned that some were avoiding crossing into the United States for fear of losing their visas , even though they assured that their operations were legal.

After the operators removed the blockade, tensions at the border eased.

“I believe there will be another working meeting with the American consulate in the coming days,” Delgado said.

Almost two weeks after that protest, trucks are circulating again through the crossing, but the reason that led the operators to stop it remains undefined: to clearly establish what operations are considered cabotage and whether that criterion justified the withdrawal of the visas that are now under review.

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

El cargo Due to cabotage risk, up to 500 visas are checked at the border. apareció primero en T21.