Saia and Fletes Mexico, that country’s fifth-largest carrier, have agreed to exclusively haul each other’s cross-border LTL freight, the companies announced Monday.
Saia will haul U.S.-bound freight of Fletes Mexico’s LTL unit, Carga Express, while Carga Express handles Mexico-bound Saia shipments, the companies said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Our customers will benefit from Carga Express’ network of distribution centers and commitment to providing leading LTL service into and across Mexico,” Saia VP of International Juan Barroso said in the announcement.
The deal represents an investment in cross-border shipping, which has been a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy trucking environment. Saia, which acquired a Laredo, Texas, terminal in the Yellow Corp. bankruptcy auction, is among several trucking firms including Ryder System that have bolstered their U.S.-Mexico operations to capture some of the cross-border growth.
Fletes Mexico’s customers will greatly benefit from Saia’s extensive network of terminals around the U.S., CEO Miguel Gomez said in the announcement.
“[W]ith access to our network throughout Mexico, we will be able to offer Saia’s U.S. customers unparalleled north and southbound cross-border services,” Gomez said.