Laredo Truck Crossings: Growth, Decline, and Resurgence

There’s a real trend in truck crossings at Laredo. Truck crossings hit a downturn after their peak in April 2024 and - in 2026 - have begun an upswing towards that peak again.

If you benefit from cross-border trade at Laredo, watch the headline numbers for northbound and southbound crossings. With the capital spend sloshing through the US economy, these numbers can move quickly.

In July 2025 - seventeen months after the April 2024 peak - the Wall Street Journal (“WSJ”) quoted Jens H. Lund, DSV’s CEO, saying “the growth has gone out of it” in reference to US-Mexico cross-border trade. Lund cited uncertainty on tariffs as the cause for a slowdown in trade along the border. The WSJ article further explained that DSV is “paus[ing] a planned cross-border trucking expansion and slowing other investments pending more clarity on U.S. trade policy with Mexico”.

Granted, Mr. Lund got the call right. By some measures, truck crossings at Laredo bottomed out in August 2025. Unfortunately, the WSJ isn’t asking Mr. Lund for his opinion in August 2026.

Southbound Crossings: Via City of Laredo Collection Data

Southbound truck crossings at Laredo — Southbound truck crossings at the Laredo World Trade International Bridge grew steadily for 14 years between January 2010 and April 2024 at a CAGR of 6.8%. From the peak of April 2024 to Mr. Lund's call in July 2025, the CAGR was negative at -6.5%. The recovery between August 2025 to July 2026 clocked in at a CAGR of 7.2%.

Northbound Crossings: Via US Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Northbound truck crossings at Laredo — Northbound truck crossings across the World Trade International Bridge followed a similar trend to the southbound crossings. Between January 2010 and April 2024, northbound crossings grew at 6.2%. The downturn between April 2024 and July 2025 was steeper than the southbound downturn at -8.1%. The upturn from July 2025 to July 2026 was also steeper at 11.1%.

Northbound vs Southbound Crossings: Highly Correlated with a Not So Large Gap

Northbound vs southbound truck crossings at Laredo — Northbound crossings have always outpaced southbound crossings. The ratio narrowed from 1.21 in 2010 to 1.12 in 2026.