Improving Cross-Border Operations with Mark Vickers

The rise of nearshoring has significantly increased cross-border freight volumes between the U.S. and Mexico. In May alone, Mexico was the top U.S. trade partner for the fifth consecutive month, with trade valued at $73 billion. In fact, Mexico has led U.S. trade for 15 of the past 16 months.

However, this growth has also highlighted inefficiencies in cross-border trade. Reliance Partners is at the forefront of addressing these challenges through our 7th Annual Modernization of Cross Border Trade event, set to take place in Laredo, Texas, this August. This event gathers a diverse group of stakeholders to tackle some of the most pressing issues in cross-border operations.

Mark Vickers, our Executive Vice President and Head of International Logistics, recently discussed the event on FreightWaves’ WHAT THE TRUCK?!? podcast. Vickers emphasized the need for better transportation visibility and collaboration among carriers, brokers, and shippers. “The industry typically describes Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo [Mexico] as a kind of black hole when it comes to transportation and visibility,” he said. “This event and all of its partners are really set to change that.”

A unique aspect of this year’s event is the inclusion of a panel featuring Mexican carriers. “Everyone wants to talk about cross-border, but no one ever had any Mexican carriers there,” Vickers noted. “We have a panel that’s just a Mexican carrier panel, including the former president of Canacar and representatives from two of the largest carriers in Mexico.”

The event will bring together professionals from various industries on both sides of the border to develop solutions that benefit everyone involved. Leading the charge are some of the largest freight brokerages, such as Coyote Logistics, Sunset Transportation, C.H. Robinson, Echo, and SB Group. These companies have successfully expanded their operations from the U.S. to Mexico and will share their insights on building robust cross-border operations.

Key topics will include different types of insurance, overcoming obstacles in onboarding Mexican carriers, and maintaining Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism certifications when expanding into other countries.

The event will be held on August 6 in Laredo, Texas. Spots can be reserved here.

For more detailed insights and the full article, check out FreightWaves’ coverage here.