The new facility is touted as one of the largest cross-docks in Laredo (TX), the biggest inland port in the US, where C H Robinson has had operations for 30 years.

According to the global logistics company, The Port of Laredo handled US$268B in trade with Mexico last year, up 20% from 2021. It is close to several manufacturing centres in Mexico, including the robust automotive industry in Monterrey. By tonnage and value, auto parts are the No. 1 product traveling through the port.

“Unlike competitors with much smaller footprints in Laredo and new competitors just now trying to get a toehold, C.H. Robinson manages more than 1 million trucking, intermodal, ocean and air shipments a year in this region and has been continually growing here in tandem with our customers’ growth,” said Mike Burkhart, C.H. Robinson’s Vice President for Mexico.

“We meticulously designed our newest facility to give our global shippers the greater scale, speed and service they need as they move more of their interests to Mexico.”

Most cross-docks in Laredo are single-sided. C H Robinson’s newest facility has dock doors on both sides, which greatly accelerates the transfer of freight from Mexico carriers to US carriers. “It typically takes three trucks to bring a shipment through Laredo. A Mexico carrier brings the trailer to the border, a Mexico transfer carrier takes it across, then the freight is unloaded and reloaded onto a U.S. carrier’s trailer,” Burkhart said. 

“Because our cross-dock is significantly larger than most, has more dock doors than most and has dock doors on both sides, we can immediately unload freight when it arrives. It also reduces the reloading time, because FLT drivers don’t have to crisscross the building. On a day when 350 loads are being picked up, if you reduce load time by an average of 10 minutes, that saves nearly 60 hours in one day.”