How Nearshoring Is Reshaping North American Trucking Routes

In the wake of global supply chain disruptions and rising concerns about long transit times and cost volatility, many companies are rethinking where they make and source goods.  Nearshoring — the strategy of relocating manufacturing closer to end markets — has rapidly moved from trend to structural reality in North America.  For the trucking industry, this shift isn’t just a buzzword: it’s fundamentally shaping freight flows, logistics planning, and cross-border trucking routes. ITS UPDATE+1

What Is Nearshoring — and Why Now?

Nearshoring involves shifting manufacturing operations nearer to the point of consumption.  For U.S. companies, Mexico is the primary beneficiary of this trend due to several clear advantages:

• Proximity and transit time — Mexico’s closeness to the U.S. allows products to reach U.S. markets in days instead of weeks, substantially reducing lead times and transportation costs compared with Asian imports. Food Logistics
• Trade benefits — Under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), many goods move tariff-free, making Mexican production even more cost-competitive and resilient. Food Logistics
• Growing foreign investment — Manufacturing investments in Mexico continue to rise, especially in automotive, electronics, medical devices, and consumer goods. ITS UPDATE

These drivers have helped Mexico become either the top or one of the leading U.S. trading partners in recent years — a dramatic shift away from historically Asia-centric sourcing. Freight Amigo

What This Means for Trucking Routes

Volume Shifts Toward Cross-Border Corridors

As nearshoring gains traction, freight movement is concentrating along critical U.S.–Mexico trucking corridors — especially through major land ports like Laredo, El Paso, Otay Mesa, and Nogales.  These gateways now handle a significant share of both northbound and southbound cargo, particularly for full truckload (FTL) shipments. ITS UPDATE+1

Key impacts:

• 🚚 Increased cross-border traffic volume — Truck borders crossings and freight tonnage have grown year-over-year as nearshored goods replace some ocean-borne Asia imports. Freight Amigo
• 📦 Greater reliance on truck freight — FTL remains the preferred mode for many nearshoring shipments because it offers flexibility, speed, and direct delivery advantages over rail or ocean transport. Emerge Market
• 🏗 Warehousing and staging hubs emerging near the border — Distribution centers, cross-dock facilities, and logistics parks are expanding in Texas, Arizona, and other border states to handle the surge in nearshore freight. Emerge Market+1

Changing Patterns: Smaller, Frequent Shipments

Nearshoring is also transforming the nature of freight flows.  Instead of large ocean containers arriving every few weeks, companies now increasingly move:

• Smaller and more frequent loads
• Shorter transit distances
• A mix of LTL (less-than-truckload) and FTL shipments

This requires trucking and logistics teams to rethink capacity planning, carrier partnerships, and flexibility in scheduling — since production closer to demand centers creates more dynamic routing needs. ITS UPDATE

Complexities on the Border

While nearshoring accelerates trucking demand, it also introduces noteworthy challenges:

Congestion & Infrastructure Strain

Freight growth along key trucking routes has outpaced infrastructure in some areas, pushing delays and road-capacity issues — especially around high-traffic crossings. Emerge Market

Border Delays & Customs

Customs bottlenecks and unpredictable wait times (sometimes stretching into a day or more) can ripple through delivery schedules and carrier plans. ITS UPDATE

Driver & Capacity Constraints

Both U.S. and Mexican markets face driver shortages, which can restrict available capacity and increase rate volatility along cross-border routes. ITS UPDATE

Strategies for Trucking and Logistics Leaders

To navigate the nearshoring-driven reshaping of freight flows, industry leaders are taking a range of strategic steps:

Diversify Cross-Border Capacity

Building relationships with both U.S. and Mexican carriers — and integrating brokers or 3PL partners with cross-border expertise — helps ensure service continuity across fluctuating demand cycles. ITS UPDATE

Expand Border Logistics Footprint

Investing in regional hubs, cross-docks, and staging facilities near major ports like Laredo and El Paso enables faster turn-times and better last-mile performance. Yahoo Finance

Enhance Visibility & Tech Integration

Tools that provide real-time tracking, customs visibility, and bilingual documentation support (e.g., integrated TMS/EDI systems) reduce friction and enhance planning accuracy. ITS UPDATE

What’s Next for Routes and Networks?

Nearshoring isn’t a temporary shift — it’s becoming a structural reconfiguration of North American supply chains and freight corridors.  As production continues to move closer to U.S. consumers, trucking networks will:

• See continued growth in cross-border freight volumes
• Move toward more frequent, shorter-distance hops
• Demand smarter, more agile routing and capacity strategies 

For carriers, brokers, and shippers, embracing nearshoring means optimizing for speed, flexibility, and resilience — and recognizing that the border isn’t just a line on the map — it’s a freight artery reshaping America’s trucking landscape.