IN Brief:
- Uber Freight says some US–Mexico shippers are incorporating transloading into routine planning to reduce dependence on cross-border B-1 driver capacity.
- The company cites three Laredo disruptions in 2026, with backlogs of roughly 30–50 loads among customers relying on through-drivers.
- An indicative $150–$200 transfer charge and suggested 10–15% volume allocation are provider estimates, not market-wide tariffs or requirements.
Uber Freight says more US–Mexico shippers are adding transloading to their regular freight networks as a constrained pool of cross-border drivers makes direct trailer movements harder to guarantee. New reporting on 19 October describes shippers balancing through-trailer operations with planned transfers at warehouses and cross-docks near the border, particularly around Laredo. Uber Freight had discussed the wider network approach in September; the 19 October interview adds indicative transfer costs and advice on how to divide traffic between direct and transferred routes.
A direct movement can keep goods in one trailer as it crosses from Mexico into the United States, provided an eligible driver and the necessary regulatory arrangements are available. Transloading divides the operation: a load reaches a cross-dock on one vehicle, is transferred or consolidated, and departs on another. The extra transfer can make the US domestic leg accessible to a different driver and equipment pool, reducing dependence on the same driver performing both portions of a journey.
Border capacity has tightened as US authorities enforce conditions applying to foreign drivers, including English language requirements and limits on domestic freight movements. The category commonly described as B-1 drivers is central to some cross-border journeys, but its permissible activities are subject to specific immigration and transport rules. Uber Freight has cited a substantial reduction in available drivers; published estimates vary according to the dates and measures used. They should not be treated as one verified census of all licensed cross-border operators.
Uber Freight has identified three periods during 2026 when customers reliant on B-1 drivers accumulated backlogs of roughly 30, 40 or 50 loads at Laredo. Kyle Toombs, the company’s senior vice-president of capacity solutions, gave those examples in reporting published on 19 October. They document disruptions encountered by particular customers rather than a comprehensive count of delayed shipments or a measured fall in national border capacity. Different company estimates of driver losses also span different periods and should not be combined without qualification.
A transloading facility must still manage receipt, counting, movement and reloading accurately. Freight may be transferred pallet by pallet, and there may be choices over consolidation or trailer size. Each handling stage creates opportunities for damage, shortages, misplaced labels or mismatched inventory records. A shipper moving high-value components or time-sensitive industrial parts would therefore need clear chain-of-custody procedures and visibility over which physical units travelled on which inbound and outbound vehicle.
Toombs put a typical border transfer charge at approximately $150–$200 in the circumstances discussed during the interview. That is an indicative handling charge, not a published cross-border tariff covering all cargo, warehouses or lanes. Total delivered cost also depends on waiting time, the two vehicle movements, any empty repositioning, storage and the risk of damage during transfer. Direct carriage can remain cheaper for some lanes even where alternative US driver capacity is available.
Cross-border compliance also continues after the physical transfer is arranged. Customs documentation, carrier eligibility and security requirements have to remain aligned with the goods, consignor, destination and route. The company advises shippers to involve their customs broker and use suitably approved carriers, including C-TPAT-certified providers where appropriate. Transloading does not remove import obligations, replace customs examination or authorise a carrier to undertake movements outside the scope of its permissions.
Shippers can retain through-trailer capacity and introduce transloading as an additional routing option rather than choosing a single method for all consignments. A sealed or temperature-sensitive shipment may be unsuitable for opening or transferring at an intermediate facility, while palletised industrial goods may be moved through a controlled cross-dock with suitable inventory reconciliation. Each lane requires a comparison of driver availability, added handling, product-integrity requirements and total transit time rather than a blanket switch to transloading.
Laredo remains a focal point because it handles a large share of commercial US–Mexico road freight. Additional capacity is also sought at other crossings, including El Paso, and some shippers are considering more than one transfer location. Diversifying gateways may spread the risk of a disruption concentrated in one place, but longer inland journeys, border processing patterns and the availability of local facilities can offset part of that benefit. The latest interviews do not establish an independently verified optimal split among locations.
Toombs recommends mapping eligible lanes and establishing customs-broker, carrier and warehouse arrangements before disruption occurs. He has suggested that shippers initially plan to transload around 10–15% of volume, with further changes according to conditions. That percentage is his commercial recommendation, not an industry standard or an observed optimum. Cargo suitability, the direction of demand and the cost of maintaining alternative capacity determine whether such a share is practicable for an individual network.
A planned transloading option depends on committed carriers on both sides of the crossing, accurate shipment records and a facility able to reconcile the inbound and outbound loads. A transfer site without reliable driver availability or customs arrangements may simply move the queue rather than remove it. Performance can be assessed through total delivered costs, late arrivals, cargo exceptions and backlogs relative to direct routes. The evidence currently available does not establish a universal saving, and it does not imply that every industrial load can tolerate a second handling stage.
