“The first month that we managed to operate 100 loads between Mexico and the United States was a moment of great celebration. 25 years later, we operated those 100 loads before lunch,” said Derek Leathers, Chairman and CEO of Werner Enterprises , in an interview with T21 , recalling the company’s journey in Mexico.
Established in Mexico since 1995, in 2024 Werner has been in the country for 25 years, and where, according to Leathers, the key to progress in the country is having implemented a local leadership team, which has allowed growth with local accounts and personalized attention. “From the beginning, there has been a strong presence to serve the market and with a strategy in each region,” said Derek Leathers.
Another point in Werner’s progress in Mexico and its connection with North America is the network of Mexican carriers with which they work, and where long-term relationships have been built, which in many cases is during the first quarter century of the firm in the country. “We work with them, not against them. We are stronger working with the Mexican lines,” added the CEO of Werner.
In the view of Bernardo Alexander, Commercial Vice President of Mexico at Werner, from the beginning of operations in the country it was defined that the formula for working would be with business partners, “it was not just about asking, but about coming here and making ourselves better.”
This way of working is what allows us to understand the culture of the Mexican market and to be able to move forward with clients, even in critical moments , such as the one that motivated our arrival, which was the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and now with the deepening of the USMCA and nearshoring.
Werner currently has a presence in Mexico with offices in Mexico City, Monterrey, Querétaro and Guadalajara , as well as terminals in Laredo and El Paso on the border between the United States and Mexico. In addition to this infrastructure, Werner has strategic positions in border points such as Brownsville, Texas; Nogales, Arizona; Calexico and San Diego, California.
In Alexander’s view, this infrastructure setup combined with technology allows them to advance in the market with clients of different sizes: small, medium and large.
Derek Leathers said that with the presence of nearshoring, the current imbalance between imports and exports is expected to become even greater, and Werner’s service network will enable work to be done in this area.
In addition to land transportation services, Werner offers options such as crossborder, refrigerated, intermodal and brokerage in its portfolio. “With nearshoring we will have more exports than imports, we must reduce the gap in this imbalance ,” Leathers said.
To achieve a reduction in the imbalance between imports/exports, Bernardo Alexander highlighted that logistics consulting work is carried out with clients, to identify, using Werner’s tools, the best configuration for their service.
To strengthen the product portfolio, Werner also works on the development of transport providers, as has been the case with various business partners with whom they have ventured into intermodal operations and where a change of mentality has been achieved to find more efficient ways of crossborder operations.
Bernardo Alexander recalled that this advisory work is key in the connection with Mexican transporters, as happened more than 15 years ago, when they were recommended to make investments in their own dry vans and not depend on the exchange lines, “there were those who understood this message and that has been key in their growth.”
For both Derek Leathers and Bernardo Alexander, the prospects for trade relations between Mexico and the United States are favorable, and with it, Werner Enterprises’ goal is to consolidate its position with local and North American clients, and to deepen its relationships with Mexican transportation companies.
At the close of the first half of 2024, Werner Enterprises reported revenues of US$1,529.9 million, of which US$1,088.2 million were generated by transportation services.
In terms of its infrastructure, it has 7,460 tractor-trailers and 26,965 trailers, of which 4,825 units are in dedicated services, while 2,265 units are in spot segments or irregular clients.
