Mexico trucker shortages, visa restrictions squeeze cross-border capacity

North American cross-border trucking capacity is expected to remain constrained into 2027 despite softer freight demand. Executives at logistics provider TRAFFIX told FreightWaves driver shortages , regulatory restrictions and rising operating costs could limit the number of trucks available to haul goods between the U. S. , Mexico and Canada. The challenges are being compounded by higher interest rates and tighter lending conditions that are discouraging new trucking companies from entering the market, preventing the kind of capacity expansion that followed the freight rate surge during the COVID-19 pandemic.