Analysis of Vehicles for International Motor Transport of Freight Between Mexico and Other NAFTA Countries

Traditionally, the operative and normative practices of motor transport in the three countries that are party to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico, the United States, and Canada, have been substantially different. In view of the imminent enforcement of the NAFTA motor transport accords, and with the aim of making transport more efficient, it is necessary to standardize such practices. Truck size and weight regulations in the three NAFTA countries are reviewed. A series of vehicles are ranked according to their transport productivity and their circulation possibilities through the part of the Mexican network that is most relevant to Mexico's international commerce with the United States and Canada. The analysis includes the most commonly used vehicles authorized by federal regulations and others that are authorized only regionally but whose more extensive utilization could mean important productivity increases for the freight motor industry. The vehicle types that are most convenient to use considering the current condition of Mexican roads are identified. Other recommendations for making motor transport under NAFTA more efficient are addressed.