What Is a B-1 Driver?

A B-1 driver is a Mexican national with a B-1 business visitor visa who is authorized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to haul freight across the U.S.-Mexico border.

What they can do:

• Move any load that crosses an international border — for example, Monterrey to Chicago, or Dallas to Monterrey
• Pick up a return load in the U.S. as long as that freight is destined for Mexico

What they cannot do:

• Move domestic U.S. freight — for example, Dallas to Houston. That’s called cabotage, and it’s illegal under federal law.

It’s really that simple: B-1 drivers are only allowed to move international shipments.

The B-1 visa is not a “worker visa.” It’s a business visitor visa that allows foreign nationals to conduct certain types of business in the United States. For trucking, it permits drivers from Mexico to enter the U.S. for one purpose: to haul freight that crosses an international border. — CBP

Who Do You Actually Book?

You book a U.S.-based carrier with a DOT# and MC#, just like any other carrier. The difference is that their drivers are Mexican nationals — typically living in border cities like Nuevo Laredo — who cross into the U.S. on B-1 visas to pick up and deliver international freight.

From the broker’s perspective, this carrier looks and operates like any other U.S. carrier. They hold U.S. operating authority, carry U.S. insurance, and are fully responsible for the load.

Why Is the Driver Paid Through a Mexican Company?

This is the part that trips people up, but it’s straightforward once you understand the visa.

Because a B-1 is a visitor visa, not a work visa, the driver can’t legally be on a U.S. payroll. So the carrier pays its B-1 drivers through a Mexican payroll entity. This isn’t a subcontractor relationship but simply how the payroll is structured to stay compliant with U.S. immigration law.

The U.S. carrier still:

• Holds the operating authority (DOT# and MC#)
• Carries the insurance
• Dispatches the driver
• Is fully responsible for the load

Think of it this way: the broker books a U.S. carrier. That carrier’s drivers happen to live across the border and cross into the U.S. with B-1 visas. Their paychecks go through a Mexican entity because U.S. employment law doesn’t allow a B-1 holder to be on a W-2. That’s it.

How Do You Vet the Carrier?

The same way you vet any U.S. carrier. There’s nothing extra you need to verify about B-1 drivers specifically.

Carrier-vetting Checklist:

• Active DOT# and MC# — Verify on FMCSA SAFER
• BIPD insurance — $750K minimum on file with FMCSA
• Cargo insurance — $100K+ recommended
• Safety rating — Satisfactory or Not Rated
• Confirm the load is cross-border — The shipment must originate or terminate outside the U.S.

Individual drivers are not listed on a carrier’s operating authority or insurance certificate — that’s true for all carriers, not just those with B-1 drivers. The carrier is responsible for ensuring its drivers are properly qualified and documented.

What About Cabotage?

This is where compliance teams should focus their attention. The legal risk isn’t the B-1 visa itself. It’s when drivers (or carriers) break the rules by hauling domestic-only freight.

Legal: Monterrey → Chicago (international, cross-border)

Legal: Chicago → Laredo, where the freight is destined for Mexico (international, export)

Illegal: Chicago → San Antonio, domestic freight with no international origin or destination (cabotage)

As a broker, the best way to protect yourself is to confirm the load you’re tendering is genuinely cross-border. If it is, B-1 drivers are fully authorized to move it.

The Bottom Line

Carriers with B-1 drivers are U.S.-registered, U.S.-insured, and operate under U.S. authority. The Mexican payroll entity exists because immigration law requires it, not because the carrier is cutting corners. In fact, carriers who are set up this way are demonstrating that they understand the rules and are structured to follow them.

The vetting process is the same as any other carrier. The only additional step is confirming the freight is international.

Official Reference:

CBP — How Do I Enter the United States as a Commercial Truck Driver? This is the authoritative source from U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirming B-1 admission for truck drivers hauling international commerce.

Additional resource: DHS Cross-Border Trucking Guidelines (PDF)

Results TLDR

• Launched Mexico operation within 36 hours of signing up for Cargado
• Became profitable on day two with Blackbox’s first covered load
• Grew Mexico load volume by 800% in four months
• Increased Mexico revenue by more than 1,400% since an August launch
• Built a Mexico team from 1 to 6 people as revenue grew
• Won new volume with existing customers through a a differentiated service offering
• Gained confidence to grow Mexico operations without needing internal expertise

The challenge: ‘We don’t have anybody with Mexico experience.’

In its first five years of business, Blackbox Logistics stayed away from Mexico freight. The brokerage had long served Canada, but Mexico felt fundamentally different—riskier, more complex, and harder to insure. Cofounder Will Hopkins worried about the team’s lack of internal expertise, but he also didn’t have the bandwidth to hire experts or train a dedicated team. And he didn’t want to gamble with service quality or customer trust. So anytime a customer brought a promising Mexico opportunity, Blackbox turned it down.

Will shared his concern with Cargado CEO Matt Silver in June.

“To be frank, we just don’t have anybody with Mexico experience,” Will had told him. “We just don’t know what we’re doing. Matt told me, ‘You actually don’t need Mexico experience. That’s what I’m for. That’s what Cargado is for.’”

The partner: Within 36 hours, Blackbox moved its first Mexico load ‘without a hitch’

Blackbox subscribed to Cargado in August, designated an existing team member to manage the operation, and by coincidence, received a Mexico load opportunity from a customer that same week. This time, they accepted the load. Within 36 hours of going live, they booked it.

“The first one went off without a hitch,” Will said. “I was wowed with how easy it was to source the capacity.”

Blackbox joined a Slack channel with the Cargado team for real-time guidance. When they encountered an unfamiliar term, process, or requirement, they asked, and the Cargado team walked them through it.

“They held our hand through the first few loads,” Will said. “We basically just borrowed the Cargado personnel for that knowledge. They taught us a lot. If they weren’t there, it probably would not have gone as smoothly.”

Cargado’s marketplace made sourcing vetted Mexican carriers easy. Cargado Market Rates has helped Blackbox quote confidently and competitively, even without prior lane knowledge. The desktop app delivered even faster access to pricing and visibility.

As someone who calls himself a hard sell, Will was skeptical at first, but he’s since become a believer. “Look, I’ve been told things are simple and that companies would help us in the past for all kinds of builds. I’m a tough sell, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. You’ll see me post Cargado hats and stuff all over LinkedIn because I’m a big, big fan of Cargado.”

The result: A profitable, fast-growing Mexico division fueled by inbound demand

That very first Mexico load generated three times the cost of Blackbox’s monthly subscription, making them profitable on day two. Since then, Mexico has become one of the company’s strongest and most promising growth areas. In the four months since Blackbox started using Cargado, the team moved more than 20 loads and grew revenue by more than 1,400%.

Cargado enabled Blackbox to ramp volume and uncover market share with existing shippers. They’ve moved steel, apparel, agricultural products, generators, air conditioners, drainage tanks, and more—simply by offering a service their customers needed but that Blackbox previously couldn’t provide. Demand hiding in plain sight.

Blackbox’s Mexico operation now runs with a small, specialized team that grew only when revenue justified the investment. “We added bodies as the revenue grew,” Will said. “We were never in the red.”

Because Mexico freight was a new initiative, it started as part of Blackbox’s Special Projects team, which covers other growing divisions like international and intermodal. “And Mexico has actually been the easiest out of all those,” said Will, “which is ironic, because going in, I thought it would be the hardest one, but it’s been really easy because of Cargado.”

Along with dry van freight, Blackbox has moved complex open-deck freight, including shipments so large they required escorts and a full road shutdown arranged by the carrier in Mexico City.

“We actually shut down a one-way road and routed the driver out the opposite direction,” said Will. “If not, he was going to take down a light pole. We had Mexico City officials out there. The carrier knew what they were doing and handled it. And we sourced them through Cargado.”

That customer shared an appreciation with Will for Blackbox handling that load. These kinds of moves have strengthened Blackbox’s relationships with shippers and helped to differentiate them.

“It’s not a domestic dry van load, where anybody can do it,” Will said. “We’re really adding value. When customers have a Mexico opportunity, they’re always ecstatic to hear that we can handle it.”

Expanding into Mexico has energized Will’s salesforce and opened a new strategic direction for the business.

“It’s exciting,” Will said. “I love having something I can build around. Cargado gives us a clear roadmap of how to get exposure and how to execute it, which makes it easy for us. I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes next.”

For now, Blackbox is only handling inbound opportunities instead of actively selling Mexico, intentionally building experience before selling aggressively. Demand is growing, and the opportunity is there. Now, Will sings a different tune from just a few months ago. “We are confident that if and when the opportunities come to us, we can handle it.”

About Blackbox Logistics

Founded in April 2020, Blackbox Logistics is a Birmingham, AL-based freight brokerage founded by Will Hopkins, Logan Dyer, and William Graves in a basement office with the goal of bringing transparency, around-the-clock communication, and a hassle-free customer experience to the table. Blackbox serves shippers across industries with services spanning domestic and Canadian truckload, flatbed, LTL, reefer, heavy haul/oversized, expedited, automotive, and recently Mexico.

Results TLDR

• 6 shipments moved with a new broker sourced through Cargado.
• High-value shipment from Montreal to Veracruz completed without issues at a rate SSP was happy with.
• Direct relationship developed after that initial Cargado booking.

The situation: SSP Group, a seasoned carrier, wanted to build new broker relationships in a changing market

SSP Group is a Canadian-owned carrier specializing in cross-border lanes across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, going as far as Veracruz and even Cancun from two of SSP’s terminals in Monterrey, Mexico, and Laredo, Texas. Logistics specialist Jot Dhillon and his team focus on Canada-to-Mexico loads or U.S.-to-Mexico loads and manage more than 100 cross-border shipments every week, using SSP’s extensive cross-border experience and established industry relationships from being in business for 15 years.

But even for a seasoned carrier like SSP, the freight market presents ongoing challenges. Staying competitive means constantly looking for new ways to grow. While they already work directly with many brokers, the team is always open to expanding their network. They just needed to find a faster, more efficient way to connect with new brokers they hadn’t worked with or weren’t previously aware of.

The partner: Engaging with Cargado to discover new broker connections

Jot had heard about Cargado from his coworkers at SSP Group. Intrigued by the prospect of a new channel for business, especially one that was free to use, Jot decided to explore the platform.

He admits that initially he didn’t think Cargado would be necessary; SSP already worked with many of the broker names he saw. But as brokers continue to join the platform, Jot started to see the value. “After a couple of months, I’ve seen more people added to the portal that we were not aware of, and in fact, we got business through them,” he said. “Thanks to Cargado, we connected with someone we wouldn’t have found otherwise.”

Now, Jot keeps the Cargado platform open on his browser and checks it throughout the day for interesting lanes and actively bids on shipments that fit SSP’s network and capabilities.

He uses the search and filter capabilities to target their niche—flatbed, Conestoga, oversized, and step-deck loads—and relies on the email notifications for matching new lanes and bids. “We focus our bids on our regular lanes and on new lanes that align with our capabilities.”

The result: New broker relationships and seamless cross-border execution

Jot calls Cargado a “launch network”: If you provide great service on a load, brokers will come back to you directly to cover more.

Since joining Cargado, SSP Group has seen real results, starting with new broker relationships they wouldn’t have landed otherwise, including one with a broker that has consistent cross-border volume and an active presence on the Cargado platform.

“We ended up doing quite a few shipments for them,” Jot says. “We are happy with them.”

Jot pointed to a high-value shipment from Montreal to Veracruz as an example. SSP handled the Canadian leg, worked with the broker’s customs broker, and coordinated with SSP’s own partners in Mexico to complete the delivery.

For Jot and his team, Cargado is a valuable channel for business development and network expansion. “It helped us book loads with brokers we didn’t know before,” he said. “It’s been good for us. Good for SSP.” He also called out the added visibility that Cargado provides across the U.S., Mexico, and border segments, compared to other platforms with flat all-in rates.

“It is a nice channel to find different loads,” Jot said. “Any channel that supports getting you more business is good, and Cargado did help us get more business. We are grateful, and we plan to keep bidding on the portal.”

About SSP Group

SSP Group is a Canadian-based logistics and transportation company specializing in flatbed, LTL, truckload, and cross-border shipping services. They operate under the name SSP Group of Companies and have been providing freight solutions across North America for over 15 years.

Results TLDR

• 1 truck to 6 trucks in the first year of business.
• ~50 brokers, all sourced via Cargado.
• Daily platform use for finding and bidding on loads and connecting with brokers.

The challenge: Launching a new trucking company in a tough cross-border market

In June 2024, Jorge Bustos made his first of many moves: founding his own trucking company, BCR Transport. He started with one truck.

Starting a new trucking company is notoriously difficult, especially for a small, lean operation. Jorge is the sales and operations department. His challenge was that of any new business owner: Could a new one-truck operation break into the cross-border market to find new customers, establish credibility, and earn consistent loads to survive and grow in a particularly hard market?

The partner: ‘I use Cargado every day’

Jorge gave Cargado a try. “I really loved the platform,” he says. “I use Cargado every day. Every day.” Cargado quickly became the only tool Jorge uses to find new loads and lanes and introduce BCR Transport to brokers. He even calls it his “home office” because everything he needs starts there.

Jorge set his preferences in the platform so he’s only notified of loads that match BCR Transport’s core lanes, primarily door-to-door loads from Texas to Mexico. With Cargado’s WhatsApp notifications, Jorge receives immediate alerts when new loads meet his criteria, allowing him to quickly bid and win loads faster, especially while on the road.

What also helps keep BCR Transport trucks moving is Cargado’s Trucklist feature, which helps Jorge find spot loads based on where his trucks will be each day. He strategically uses spot loads on Cargado as an entry point to build trust and relationships with new brokers, which then often leads to more regular, dedicated business.

When he has questions about the platform, Jorge asks his dedicated Cargado contact, who is located at the border and meets with Jorge in-person, to answer questions and help him get the most out of the platform so he can continue growing his business.

The result: From one truck to six trucks and still growing only with Cargado

In BCR Transport’s first year, Jorge grew his fleet from one truck and driver to six trucks and B-1 drivers. He’s established relationships with close to 50 brokers, all sourced directly through Cargado. “I have used only Cargado to get customers,” he says. “So far, we have 50 customers. I really appreciate it, and we hope to continue growing together.”

Cargado has also helped Jorge operate more confidently in a tough market. The process of finding cross-border loads is now easier, faster, and less stressful. “Everything I need starts there,” he says. He has visibility into broker details and load requirements up front and a peace of mind that comes from working with a trusted network.

About BCR Transport

BCR Transport is a family-owned and operated cross-border trucking company dedicated to providing reliable transportation solutions.

Results TLDR

• Built a scalable van and flatbed cross-border carrier network using Cargado.
• Improved speed-to-market and quoting for cross-border opportunities.
• Won dedicated flatbed business through a Cargado carrier.
• Recovered a hot load with specialized equipment fast using Cargado.
• Post awarded and potential freight daily on the platform. 

The challenge: Expanding beyond direct relationships to build a scalable cross-border network

Gebrüder Weiss is the world’s oldest transport and logistics company, with more than 8,600 employees at 180 company-owned locations. Since establishing its U.S. presence in 2017, the company has expanded to 17 offices across North America, including new facilities in El Paso and Laredo, Texas, to support its expanding cross-border capabilities in and out of Mexico.

While well established in air and sea freight, Gebrüder Weiss has been expanding its North American brokerage business to strengthen its overland transport capabilities—particularly in the cross-border segment. In 2023, the company hired Kevin Sendre, a former carrier sales leader from C.H. Robinson, to lead that effort. 

Kevin, who moved close to 200 cross-border loads a day at C.H. Robinson, knew the challenge ahead: At the time, there were no specialized platforms for sourcing reliable, cross-border carriers. “You can’t just go on DAT and find door-to-door cross-border carriers,” he said.

The goal was to build a scalable and reliable network of specialized carriers that ensures flexibility and speed to market for Gebrüder Weiss’ international customers.

The partner: Cargado’s trusted platform and vetted carriers to scale fast with peace of mind

Gebrüder Weiss became an early customer of Cargado’s. “There really isn’t another cross-border platform like Cargado,” Kevin said. “Cargado offered a specialized solution that supports Gebrüder Weiss’ commitment to service excellence.”

“The invite-only piece is really special to us,” Kevin said, highlighting Cargado’s alignment with Gebrüder Weiss’ selective carrier process and high service expectations. “Having a double vetting process is almost essential these days, especially when you’re trying to build out a carrier network that you trust.” Cargado’s double vetting process requires that each carrier provide multiple broker referrals and have regular in-person meetings with Cargado team members located on the ground at both the Mexico and Canada borders.

Having just attended a fraud symposium, Kevin noted the extra peace of mind that Cargado provides in an industry focused on mitigating the increasing fraud.

“We love our partnership with Cargado,” he said. “It’s exciting to see all the enhancements and growth over the past year and a half.” Kevin specifically mentioned Cargado Market Rates, the industry’s first cross-border pricing intelligence tool built to help brokers quote with confidence and speed.

The result: New carrier relationships, faster quoting, and dedicated freight wins

Thanks to Cargado, Gebrüder Weiss has “exponentially expanded” its cross-border van and flatbed network, which has been especially critical for moving international air freight that often arrives in crates too big for a van trailer and requires covering with tarps or Conestoga trailers.

“We move a lot of flatbed freight,” said Kevin, “and Cargado has helped us grow our cross-border network into a true competitive advantage.”

Kevin and his team use the platform daily, posting both awarded and potential loads. He had recently logged into Cargado to post a new award for an Ohio-to-Querétaro flatbed load.

Gebrüder Weiss currently moves a steady volume of cross-border loads per week using Cargado and recently secured a new dedicated contract that increased their flatbed shipments by 40% per week with a carrier they first discovered on Cargado. Kevin noted they have dedicated opportunities in the pipeline and plans to significantly scale the volume beyond this.

“It’s growing fast, and having these tools allows us to give quick feedback, quick quoting, and speed to market,” Kevin said. “It’s really enhanced our ability to service global customers.”

In one instance, when an existing carrier failed on a hot load from Mexico, Gebrüder Weiss turned to Cargado. “Cargado allowed us to get a carrier to do that trailer interchange agreement extremely fast, and we were able to still service the customer and meet the deadline,” said Kevin.

Kevin is also looking ahead to being ready for any market disruption, positioning Cargado as an essential partner in helping Gebrüder Weiss grow a resilient and scalable North American brokerage business. He wants to be set up with the right technology, carrier base, and connections to capitalize in any environment.

“I’ve always said I wanted to have everything kind of ready to go, so that when chaos comes back, we’re ready to rock.”

About Gebrüder Weiss

Gebrüder Weiss, a global freight forwarder headquartered in Lauterach, Austria, is the world’s oldest transport company with a history that dates back more than 500 years. The family-owned company employs more than 8,600 people worldwide and boasts 180 company-owned locations. Today, it offers a full range of supply chain services, including air and sea freight, overland transport, and logistics solutions, with a strong emphasis on reliability, sustainability, and innovation.

Results TLDR 

• A more competitive market rate on a critical hazmat lane that runs weekly from Mexico City to Columbus, Ohio.
• A more competitive market rate on a monthly Mexico-to-Canada lane.
• Rapid sourcing of a specialized hazmat-certified Mexico carrier in days, not weeks.

The challenge: Finding reliable hazmat capacity in Mexico

ODW Logistics, a national third-party logistics provider, manages several cross-border lanes for a key customer, including dedicated, high-volume lanes out of Mexico City that serve both Canada and ODW’s warehouse facilities in Columbus, Ohio.

Ryan Parke, ODW’s procurement manager, needed to source new capacity. The search wouldn’t be easy. Moving hazardous materials from Mexico City to Columbus meant navigating strict carrier qualifications and regulatory sensitivities. The freight required specialized handling, and many Mexico-based carriers were hesitant to engage with non-CTPAT-certified shippers because of the heightened risk. “That made it more of a needle in a haystack,” Ryan says.

The partner: Cargado connected the team with the right carrier at the right time

Ryan connected with Cargado. As volume began to increase, the ODW Logistics team saw an opportunity with Cargado to source a new carrier for the Mexico City-to-Columbus lane. ODW needed a flexible partner that could move fast.

The result: Faster sourcing, competitive market rates, and stronger service

Right away, Cargado surfaced a carrier with hazmat certifications, consistent capacity near Mexico City, and an interest in running regular freight into the Midwest. Even better? The rate came in below what they had previously accepted. ODW now passes these savings on to the customer.

Ryan says the carrier hit the road running with no service disruptions, which was critical for a customer delivering to major retailers like Walmart and Target. The carrier has now built relationships with the customs broker and the shipper’s on-site team in Mexico City. “It’s a very collaborative process,” Ryan said, “And it’s helped the overall service we’re giving to our customer, with savings they didn’t have previously.”

Through Cargado’s expanded coverage to Canada, ODW also found a new carrier for Ryan’s Mexico City-to-Canada lane at a rate that delivered additional savings compared to what another broker had quoted. “This was another lane opportunity where there were significant savings back to our client,” Ryan says.

What matters just as much as the savings is the service. Ryan says the carriers they’ve matched with through Cargado are responsive, communicative, and meet ODW’s service expectations. ODW onboarded both carriers to its tracking technology for real-time visibility. “Communication is always on point,” he said. “If we need to reach out for something, they’re very quick to respond. If they hit delays, they’re quick to communicate what the delay is and how long they expect to be delayed. And the service metrics have been great.”

For the ODW team, Cargado has become a strategic lever for growth.

“This is truly opening doors with both existing and new clients,” Ryan says. “Our partnership with Cargado has significantly expanded our transportation solutions into Mexico and Canada, and the response has been incredible.”

About ODW Logistics

ODW Logistics is a national third-party logistics (3PL) provider specializing in freight consolidation and integrated supply chain solutions. They help businesses streamline freight management by consolidating shipments from multiple shippers, enabling efficient, cost-effective delivery to mass retailers. 

Their comprehensive services include supply chain optimization, warehousing and distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, and transportation management. Through strategic planning and tailored solutions, we reduce costs, improve efficiency, and ensure reliable product delivery. 

ODW Logistics is committed to building trusted partnerships, leveraging advanced technology, and empowering our teams to drive operational excellence. We help our clients turn logistics challenges into growth opportunities. 

Empowered by Cargado, Sage Freight gained the operational confidence, capacity, compliance, and expertise needed to quickly establish a strong Mexico presence, driving growth, reliability, and a competitive edge in cross-border logistics.

Results TLDR

• 37 completed Mexico loads with reliable service and no compliance issues.
• Built a “robust” routing guide of 120+ vetted Mexico carriers across 900+ lanes.
• Established recurring business with Mexico carriers sourced through Cargado.
• Expanded from 1 to 3 Cargado seats to keep up with volume.

The challenge: A lack of experience and local carrier relationships to confidently expand into Mexico

When a customer approached Will Callebs, director of account management at Sage Freight, with Mexico loads, he knew they needed a solution: “We’re never going to tell a customer that we can’t do something.” But with no vetted carriers, unfamiliar customs regulations, and higher insurance stakes, the path forward seemed daunting. Will admits, “We had little experience with moving cross-border Mexico freight,” but he knew partnering with Cargado could change that.

The partner: Cargado’s expertise and carrier network gave Sage Freight an instant Mexico playbook

One demo with Cargado and Will’s decision was swift. “We moved forward that day after,” he said. “Doesn’t happen often. We loved what we saw. Everything was easy to use.”

Cargado’s vetted cross-border network, operational support, and comprehensive training gave Sage Freight an instant Mexico playbook. Through Cargado’s “Mexico 101” training, the Sage Freight team learned how to sell Mexico freight, identify opportunities, and navigate key areas like compliance, operations, pricing, and language.

The partnership with Cargado instilled the confidence Sage Freight needed. “On a scale of one to 10,” Will said, “our confidence was a two before Cargado and then 10 after.”

The result: A thriving Mexico operation with reliable carrier performance and a competitive edge

In just four months, Sage Freight has completed 37 spot loads across five lanes, running from Texas, California, Louisiana, and Nevada into Mexico City and Nuevo León, with reliable service and no compliance issues.

Has Cargado increased Sage Freight’s access to more reliable carriers? “100%, yes,” Will says. “The trust is definitely there.” The team has also built a “robust” routing guide with rates on file for 900+ lanes across 120+ Cargado carriers.

In an industry where it can be hard to stand out, Sage Freight’s partnership with Cargado has become a significant strategic differentiator. “It’s opening more conversations because we’re able to provide this service,” Will said. “In an environment where shippers don’t need help, it makes us more competitive.”

About Sage Freight

Brentwood, TN–based Sage Freight provides brokerage services across dry van, flatbed, reefer, LTL, expedited, and drayage, alongside a 65-tractor, 160-trailer asset division. Now—with Cargado’s help—it also offers reliable Mexico capacity.

• Expanded door-to-door dry van and flatbed capacity in key border cities like El Paso, Tijuana, and Nogales without needing to hire a carrier sales team.
• Won new lanes and strengthened shipper relationships through faster, data-backed quotes using Cargado Market Rates.
• Increased productivity across sales and operations by reducing manual outreach and shortening the quote-to-book process.
• More time spent with CargoQuotes customers and less time haggling over rates on individual loads and lanes.

The challenge: Expanding existing flatbed capacity and building dry van capacity through traditional tactics like ‘smiling and dialing’

Before CargoQuotes, Kyle Gholston and Patty Hinojosa worked together at a sister company to a large asset-based flatbed carrier that had a significant presence in Mexico. Naturally, these early cross-border relationships were built around Mexican flatbed and specialized carriers, through word of mouth, networking, and “good ol’ dialing for carriers.” But the pool of reliable Mexican flatbed and specialized carriers was limited at the time.

When Kyle founded CargoQuotes in 2019 and recruited Patty as VP of Mexico sales and operations in 2020 to build the young company’s Mexico business, they leaned on that network of flatbed and specialized carrier partners, but by that time, the market was starting to shift.

Expanding B-1 driver programs and rising shipper sensitivity to theft and fraud pushed the industry toward door-to-door dry van moves over the more cost-effective but riskier method of transloading. CargoQuotes’ customers moving high-value machinery and specialized freight increasingly prioritized secure, through-trailer dry van service to minimize handoffs, reduce risk, and protect their cargo.

This shift made finding dependable, vetted door-to-door dry van carriers even more critical for the business. Operating with a lean team and no carrier sales resources, Patty and her team needed a scalable way to expand their carrier base, maintain service quality, and deliver for their customers. Or a competitor would do it instead.

The partner: Leaning on Cargado as a virtual carrier sales team

Cargado quickly became an extension of the CargoQuotes team, which began posting loads to attract vetted, door-to-door dry van carriers across Mexico and the southern U.S. border. To connect with more carriers faster, they proactively set up every carrier that bid on a load, even if the carrier didn’t win it.

“Our team has instructions to talk to every carrier that bids,” she says. “That way, next time they bid on Cargado, they’re already set up and ready to go.” Cargado’s recommended carrier feature suggests carriers that have run similar lanes before—Patty’s team connects with them, too, to accelerate network growth.

For Patty, knowing that every bid comes from a verified, trusted carrier has helped instill a level of confidence and peace of mind.

“Cargado gives me a sense of comfort,” she said. “When we get a bid, I know it’s a good carrier.”

The result: A stronger, more balanced Mexico network, faster quotes, and more efficient operations

Cargado is deeply integrated into CargoQuotes’ daily operations. “Cargado is always open on my screen,” Patty said. Cargado has significantly reduced manual outreach—the “smiling and dialing” Patty once did—to save an “immense” amount of time. Now, Patty can spend more time with CargoQuotes customers and less time haggling over rates on individual loads and lanes.

Kyle adds, “From a productivity standpoint, it’s improved our sales and ops teams exponentially.”

Over time, CargoQuotes integrated even more deeply with Cargado, using Cargado Market Rates to quote new lanes with data-backed confidence and the Excel Add-In to make rate data instantly accessible within their daily workflows.

Patty uses Cargado Market Rates daily. She says it’s helped her become significantly more responsive to customer needs. “It helps us quote fast, and that’s when you win it,” she said. “Customers ask for a rate at 11, and by 11:30 they have it. That speed puts a smile on their faces.” Cargado Market Rates also provides a low-to-high pricing range that helps the team set expectations and confirm pricing with carriers.

Today, the CargoQuotes team has built a trusted network of door-to-door dry van carriers. Cargado also made it faster and more efficient to identify new flatbed and specialized partners, and even enabled CargoQuotes to begin handling occasional temperature-controlled loads through Cargado’s marketplace.

“We’re still finding new carriers through Cargado that we didn’t know existed,” Kyle said.

Patty says the same. She’s connected with many new carriers through Cargado, like the young Monterrey-based team that has become one of CargoQuotes’ most reliable partners. They’ve even had dinner together.

“It’s been a great relationship, and we have many like that,” Patty said, adding that CargoQuotes also expanded beyond Laredo to carriers in border cities like El Paso, Tijuana, and Nogales—areas where the company previously had limited reach. “I can go through my WhatsApp and tell you about all the new ones we have used and the good service they provide. They’ve been good carriers.”

“Cargado is a relationship starter,” Kyle said. “In Mexico, it’s all about relationships, and Cargado helps us find the right ones.”

About CargoQuotes

When Kyle Gholston founded CargoQuotes in 2019, the company focused on domestic freight. Today, CargoQuotes is a full-service freight brokerage service provider specializing in moving freight between the U.S. and Mexico. They are committed to connecting customers with a network of reliable carriers that will deliver their cargo on-time and intact.

• 18 team members across pricing, operations and commercial teams now use Cargado daily
• Carrier communication is centralized, eliminating dozens of daily emails and calls
• Faster quoting and selling, with six customer deals closed instantly using live rate data from Cargado Market Rates
• Scalable operations, with a 2026 goal of close to 1,000 consistent lane postings per month

The challenge: Manual carrier outreach slowed operations and limited visibility into market rates

When César Pérez joined Henco Global to lead cross-border logistics, his team faced a familiar but time-consuming problem: Every day, they juggled dozens of calls, emails, and WhatsApp messages to collect rates, confirm loads, and communicate with carriers.

“Every single day, connecting by email or by call or by WhatsApp, it was very difficult at this moment to try to meet the needs from the customers,” said César, inland transportation senior manager at Henco. “Even during the holidays, we have to make things happen.”

With many carriers to coordinate daily, the manual process slowed down Henco’s response time to customers and limited visibility into market rates. The pricing team had no easy way to verify if rates were competitive or in line with real market data. The gap between the rates customers needed and the rates carriers offered created friction across teams and impacted win rates.

César, who joined the company before Thanksgiving 2024, says connecting with carriers and meeting customer rate expectations before the holiday and off-hours “was hell.”

The partner: Henco Global turns to Cargado to centralize cross-border operations

In late 2024, Henco partnered with Cargado to transform its manual operations into a digital cross-border operation, starting with a four-person pricing team. Today, 18 people across Henco’s pricing, operations, and commercial teams covering both Mexico domestic and cross-border freight use Cargado daily to post loads and lanes (plus Potential Loads and Potential Lanes during bids), verify rates with Cargado Market Rates, and connect with carriers.

“For us, Cargado is the best solution for cross-border freight. We need it, and we love it.”

The result: 18 team members, 6 instant customer wins, and 300+ monthly lane posts with plans to triple that in 2026

With 18 people across pricing, operations, and commercial now active on the platform, Henco has built a scalable, data-driven cross-border operation that supports the company’s cross-border and larger business growth.

Cargado Market Rates, in particular, has helped the Henco team quote with confidence and close deals faster. César uses the pricing insights to present accurate rates to customers in real time and close deals on the spot. That real-time access to rate intelligence has translated into faster wins.

“I say to the customer, I can give you that rate right now,” says César. “We can finish the deal. And it’s happened six times now. And of those six times, I closed the deal in the moment.”

In one case, access to live rate data helped secure a major new customer contract of 300 shipments per month.

César also shares Cargado Unloaded, a weekly proprietary insights report packed with cross-border and domestic Mexico lane data, bid activity, and market trends, to his sales teams ahead of the market. He says the insights have directly improved their win rate and strengthened credibility with customers and prospects. 

The Henco team also uses the new Cargado Chat to centralize its carrier communications, pulling them out of WhatsApp, email, and text messages and into a single trusted workspace. Cargado has become integral to Henco’s daily operations.

Right now, the Henco team is rapidly scaling its shipment volume. Today, they manage around 300 shipments per month, but their goal is to double that by the end of 2025 and triple it in 2026.

“Our expectation using Cargado is to grow far beyond what we could do manually,” César says. “People will ask, ‘How did you make it to that?’ And I’ll say it’s because of Cargado.”

About Henco Global

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, Henco Global is a logistics and freight forwarding company offering end-to-end transportation services across air, sea, and land. With operations spanning North America, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, Henco provides multimodal solutions, warehousing, and customs brokerage.

The FreightTech 100 celebrates the organizations reshaping the transportation and logistics industry with technology, data, and automation. For us, this recognition reflects how Cargado is accelerating and supporting cross-border growth by combining automation, collaboration, real-time bidding, contracted freight posting, and the only accurate rate intelligence tool for cross-border freight.

What makes this recognition special

Cross-border freight has long faced fragmented processes, limited visibility, and unreliable pricing. Cargado was built exclusively to solve those challenges for brokers and carriers moving goods between Mexico, the U.S., and Canada.

Unlike traditional load boards that only facilitate one-off transactions, Cargado enables brokers to build true partnerships with vetted carriers through spot and contracted freight posting. Our invite-only network ensures trust and quality, while our instant bid-and-match functionality replaces the endless phone calls and emails that slow down cross-border shipping.

In the past year, we’ve reached some exciting milestones:

• Expanded to Canada, connecting freight across all three countries in North America.

• Launched the industry’s first cross-border rate intelligence tool, built on more than 40,000 verified real-time bids across 2,000+ lanes.

• Introduced direct TMS integrations, enabling systems like Turvo to sync automatically with Cargado.

• Grew our network to include 1,000+ vetted carriers with 400,000+ trucks, giving brokers unmatched access to trusted capacity.

• Expanded our broker base by nearly 900% year-over-year, with more than half of the top 100 brokerages now using Cargado.

These innovations and this scale are helping brokers price freight confidently, secure reliable partners, and eliminate decades of inefficiency in cross-border logistics.

What’s next: The FreightTech 25

The FreightTech 100 will soon be narrowed down to the FreightTech 25, chosen by a panel of more than 80 industry executives, investors, and academics. The results will be announced at F3: Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga on October 21–22, 2025.

We’re proud to be part of this year’s list and excited to join the conversation at F3 alongside the companies and people pushing our industry forward. If you’re going and want to meet with Cargado, send our team a note on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

Thank you

This recognition wouldn’t be possible without our customers and carrier partners who believe in Cargado’s mission and use Cargado every day. Together, we’re changing how cross-border freight is priced, secured, and moved in North America.

Here’s to building a future of cross-border freight that is faster, smarter, and more connected than ever.