LAREDO, Texas — Laredo, Texas, is the number one port of entry into the United States, but uncertainty about tariffs could affect the trucking industry that does business there. 

What You Need To Know

  • Since January, President Donald Trump’s administration has announced, delayed and implemented various tariffs on imported goods from other countries, bringing uncertainty for commercial drivers and trucking companies

  • With the U.S. being Mexico’s largest trade partner, Laredo is a busy port of entry, and the up-and-down tariff talk is affecting people's livelihoods

  • More than 55,000 trucks cross from Mexico over the World Trade Bridge into the U.S. weekly

“All of that uncertainty has unbalanced the market,” said Jerry Maldonado. “And we are feeling it.”

For 25 years, Jerry Maldonado has been in the transportation industry, serving his hometown of Laredo. 

“Our drivers are from all over the United States,” Maldonado said. 

As the chair of the Laredo Motor Carrier Association, Maldonado says 2025 has been an interesting year for the industry. 

“One of the biggest challenges that has affected the supply chain, international trade and the trucking industry is all the tariff talk,” Maldonado said.

Since January, President Donald Trump’s administration has announced, delayed and implemented various tariffs on imported goods from other countries, bringing uncertainty for commercial drivers and trucking companies.

“Unfortunately, we have seen a small decrease in load volumes in and out of Mexico, which is what we focus here in the Southern Border,” Maldonado said.

With the U.S. being Mexico’s largest trade partner, Laredo is a busy port of entry. Maldonado says the up-and-down tariff talk is a threat to some folks's livelihoods. 

“Big investors that historically would invest by now, before the summer started, construction, building, you name it, have held back,” Maldonado said.

More than 55,000 trucks cross from Mexico over the World Trade Bridge into the U.S. weekly. But with more capacity than freight to haul, he fears some companies may be forced to shift workers elsewhere. 

“The majority of us aren’t really growing our fleets,” Maldonado said. “We’re maintaining our fleets. Some people may be downsizing their fleets.”

“Laredo is the largest port in the Western Hemisphere,” Andrew Carranco said. “We’re bigger than Los Angeles and New York.”

Carranco is the government affairs chair with the Laredo Chamber of Commerce. They’re advising members to hang in there — wait and watch.

“We’re a trading community; there’s no question about that,” Carranco said. “Most of our employees, if they’re not working in the government sector, for example, work in trade, transportation, customs broking.”

There’s still been a constant flow of trucks across the border, but he worries about the potential impact of manufacturing plants closing in Mexico. 

“There’s uncertainty about what’s going to happen tomorrow, much less one month or two months from now,” Carranco said.

Maldonado says many trucking companies consider buying new trucks or equipment years in advance. The uncertainty around tariffs is a speed bump in that expansion process. 

“We hope that it gets better,” Maldonado said. “We get asked regularly, ‘When do you think it’s going to get fixed?’ We really don’t know.”