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Ground transportation··8 min read

Laredo Cross-Border Trucking into Mexico: How It Works

·Last reviewed:

Short answer: Freight trucked from the United States into Mexico through Laredo usually changes tractor at the border: a US carrier brings the trailer to Laredo, a transfer (drayage) carrier crosses it to Nuevo Laredo, and a Mexican carrier delivers it. A licensed Mexican customs broker files the pedimento for a registered Mexican importer. Crossing times vary.

Current as of October 15, 2026. This article explains cross-border trucking through Laredo in general terms; it is informational, not legal or tax advice. Hours, wait times and requirements change: confirm them before you schedule a load.

Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, form the busiest commercial truck crossing on the US–Mexico border. US guides explain the northbound side well. This one focuses on the part that decides whether a southbound load arrives on time: the Mexican side, and the hand-offs in between.

Why Laredo carries so much freight

Laredo is the main truck gateway between Texas and central Mexico, and the numbers show it. The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) counted 2,945,388 trucks entering the United States through the port of Laredo in 2025, 38.8% of the 7,589,315 trucks that crossed from Mexico.

That count covers northbound entries only; the BTS border crossing data does not count southbound exits. It still shows the scale of the corridor that carries freight in both directions. The commercial bridges at Laredo include the World Trade Bridge and the Colombia Solidarity Bridge, and each has its own hours and lines. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) publishes northbound wait times by bridge and lane type.

How a southbound load crosses, step by step

A typical US-to-Mexico truckload has three legs and two customs clearances. Each hand-off is a point where documents must already be complete.

LegWho moves the trailerWhat must be ready
1. US origin to LaredoUS carrierCommercial invoice and packing list; Electronic Export Information (EEI) in the US system (AES) when required
2. Laredo to Nuevo LaredoTransfer (drayage) carrierMexican pedimento prepared and paid by the Mexican customs broker; Mexican importer of record in place
3. Nuevo Laredo to destinationMexican carrierElectronic invoice with the Carta Porte complement, Mexico's electronic waybill for the Mexican leg

The steps, in order:

  1. Export filing on the US side. Under 15 CFR 30.37(a), EEI is generally not required when the value per Schedule B number (or HTS code), shipped from one exporter to one consignee on one conveyance, is USD 2,500 or less. Lines above that threshold, and licensed items, are reported.
  2. Mexican pre-clearance. The importer's licensed customs broker in Nuevo Laredo classifies the goods, prepares the pedimento and pays the taxes. Without a registered Mexican importer, there is no pedimento. See importer of record in Mexico.
  3. Transfer across the bridge. The transfer carrier takes the trailer from the yard in Laredo to Mexican customs.
  4. Mexican customs. The pedimento goes through the automated selection: release, or inspection.
  5. Hand-off to the Mexican carrier. The trailer is relayed to the long-haul carrier with its Carta Porte and delivered to destination.

What the Mexican side needs

On the Mexican side, the importer, not the US shipper, carries the obligations. Settle these before the truck is dispatched:

  • Importer of record registered in the SAT's importers' registry, and in a sector registry if the product requires one. Kold Gold does not handle these registrations.
  • Tariff classification and taxes: general import duty, customs processing fee (8 per thousand of the customs value with a fixed minimum, Federal Duties Law Article 49) and 16% VAT, unless a preference or regime changes them.
  • USMCA origin, if preferential treatment is claimed. Under Article 5.2 of the USMCA, the claim rests on a certification of origin completed by the exporter, producer or importer, and Article 5.8 requires the importer claiming the preference to keep the supporting records for at least five years.
  • Permits and Mexican Official Standards (NOMs) for the tariff line.
  • The electronic value declaration (MVE), filed by the importer. Under an advance version the SAT posted on September 30, 2026, which may change before it is published in the Official Gazette, it becomes mandatory by customs regime between November 1, 2026 and January 15, 2027. See our MVE guide.

A worked example: which invoice lines need EEI?

Assumptions, illustrative: a single truckload from one US exporter to one Mexican consignee, with three invoice lines classified under different Schedule B numbers: USD 2,300, USD 2,600 and USD 1,900, all of US origin and none requiring an export license.

Schedule B lineValue (USD)Above USD 2,500?EEI
Line 12,300NoNot required by this threshold
Line 22,600YesRequired
Line 31,900NoNot required by this threshold
Total6,800

Under 15 CFR 30.37(a), the exemption applies line by line, "regardless of the total shipment value": only line 2 is reported, even though the truck carries USD 6,800. If two lines shared the same Schedule B number, their values would be added together. The Mexican pedimento, in contrast, covers the whole load. To estimate the full landed cost on the Mexican side, try the landed cost calculator.

How long the crossing takes

There is no fixed crossing time, and we do not publish one. It depends on the bridge, the time of day, the season and whether the load is selected for inspection on either side.

What is public is the northbound wait at each bridge: CBP reports it by bridge and lane type, with the time of each update. The Mexican side has its own operating hours, which may change on holidays. For northbound loads, CBP requires the truck's electronic cargo information no later than 30 minutes or 1 hour before the truck reaches the first US port of arrival, depending on the CBP-approved system used (19 CFR 123.92).

Plan with buffer, especially in peak season and around holidays in either country. All Kold Gold transit times are approximate.

Common reasons a load gets stuck

Most delays at Laredo start with paperwork, not with traffic.

  • No Mexican importer of record, or one not registered for the product's sector.
  • Invoice, packing list and pedimento that do not match in quantities, weights or values.
  • Missing permits or NOM labels for the tariff line.
  • A USMCA claim without support from the exporter or producer.
  • A trailer that reaches the bridge outside operating hours on either side.

Cargo insurance is available on request, with coverage defined case by case.

How Kold Gold helps

Kold Gold is a Mexican digital freight forwarder that coordinates cross-border trucking at Nuevo Laredo, with clearance handled by our partner licensed customs broker; we do not hold a customs license of our own. We review the documents against the proposed classification before the truck is dispatched, coordinate the transfer and the Mexican leg, and give 24/7 tracking. We verify suppliers and can arrange inspection at origin. Insurance is available.

See ground transportation, customs brokerage, what moves by truck across the border and our Laredo customs brokerage page, or request a quote (the form is in Spanish). WhatsApp: +1 (619) 359-6567 or +52 55 8897 4255. Email: direccion@kold.gold.

Frequently asked questions

How does a truck cross from Laredo into Mexico?

Usually with a relay. A US carrier brings the trailer to Laredo, a transfer (drayage) carrier crosses it to Mexican customs in Nuevo Laredo, and a Mexican carrier delivers it to destination. A Mexican licensed customs broker files the pedimento for the registered Mexican importer before the trailer crosses.

Do I need a Mexican customs broker to truck goods into Mexico?

Yes, in practice. Commercial imports into Mexico are declared on a pedimento, normally filed by a licensed Mexican customs broker for a registered Mexican importer. Kold Gold works with a partner licensed customs broker and does not hold a customs license itself.

Is EEI required for exports from the US to Mexico by truck?

It depends on the value per Schedule B number. Under 15 CFR 30.37(a), EEI is generally not required when the value per Schedule B number, from one exporter to one consignee on one conveyance, is USD 2,500 or less, regardless of the total shipment value. Licensed items have their own rules.

How long does it take to cross the border at Laredo?

There is no fixed time. It depends on the bridge, the hour, the season and inspections on either side. CBP publishes northbound wait times by bridge and lane; the Mexican side has its own hours. Kold Gold gives approximate times and plans appointments with buffer.

Sources

Consulted on October 15, 2026, unless a different date is shown.

Last reviewed: October 15, 2026.

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