Trucker Shortages and Visa Restrictions Tighten Cross-Border Freight Capacity

## Cross-Border Trucking Capacity Remains Under Pressure Trucking capacity along the US-Mexico and US-Canada border corridors is facing significant strain, with a combination of driver shortages, visa restrictions, and rising operating costs limiting carrier availability, according to FreightWaves. The constraints are particularly acute on the US-Mexico border, where a shortage of qualified drivers and complications surrounding work visa eligibility have reduced the pool of carriers able to handle cross-border loads. Higher operating costs — driven by fuel, insurance, and regulatory compliance expenses — are further discouraging smaller carriers from maintaining cross-border operations. ### Why This Matters for Supply Chains Cross-border trucking is a critical link in North American supply chains, connecting manufacturing hubs in Mexico with US distribution networks and onward port gateways. Disruptions to this capacity have downstream implications for importers, exporters, and intermodal operators who rely on seamless land-side connectivity to move goods efficiently between ports and inland destinations. For maritime stakeholders, constrained drayage and cross-border trucking capacity can contribute to cargo delays, increased dwell times at border facilities, and added pressure on already-stretched port logistics networks. Shippers moving goods through Gulf Coast and West Coast ports that serve Mexico-origin or Mexico-bound cargo may be particularly exposed to these bottlenecks. ### Structural Challenges Persist FreightWaves notes that the issues are not purely cyclical. Structural factors — including an aging driver workforce, difficulties attracting new entrants to cross-border trucking, and the administrative complexity of cross-border licensing and visa requirements — suggest that capacity relief may not be swift. Industry observers have called for policy-level engagement to streamline visa processing for commercial drivers and reduce regulatory friction at border crossings, arguing that the current environment undermines the trade facilitation goals of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). For freight forwarders and logistics managers, the near-term outlook points to the need for proactive carrier relationship management, flexible routing strategies, and early booking lead times on cross-border lanes to mitigate the impact of tightening capacity.