Southeastern Freight Lines Boosts Cross-Border Operations

Southeastern said the service offering is aimed at meeting the growing demand for cross-border freight solutions. (Southeastern Freight Lines)

Southeastern Freight Lines joined the ranks of less-than-truckload carriers beefing up their cross-border operations as the value of trade between the U.S. and Mexico increases.

Southeastern Freight Lines ranks No. 24 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and No. 10 in the LTL segment of the freight market.

Lexington, S.C.-based Southeastern said it formed a partnership with Fletes México Carga Express, a Mexican LTL and truckload carrier.

Southeastern said the service offering is aimed at meeting the growing demand for cross-border freight solutions.

“Our customers are looking for simplicity in today’s increasingly complex supply chain,” said Richard Slater, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Southeastern Freight Lines. “This partnership with Fletes México Carga Express allows us to meet our customers’ growing demand for reliable service in and out of Mexico. We are excited about the synergies between our organizations; these synergies exist not only between our technologies but also between our people.”

Fletes México Carga Express operates 13 service centers. The carrier also runs an expedited delivery operation.

“The collaboration is designed to provide faster, more dependable freight movement between the U.S. and Mexico, supported by end-to-end visibility and tight coordination from origin to destination. We’re looking forward to advancing this collaboration and delivering enhanced U.S.-Mexico freight solutions for Southeastern Freight Lines’ customers,” said Miguel Gomez Tapia, CEO of Fletes México Carga Express.

Mexico is the biggest trade partner of the U.S. at 15.9% of total trade, according to Census Bureau data.

Through the first 10 months of 2025, U.S. imports from Mexico were valued at $448 billion, compared with $424.1 billion in the same period in 2024, an increase of 5.6%, the latest Census Bureau data shows.

The increase came despite ongoing economic uncertainty, including mercurial Trump administration tariff implementation.

Southbound demand also is increasing, according to fourth-party logistics provider Redwood Logistics, as a result of an expanding central Mexico retail sector.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, LTL carriers R+L Carriers and A. Duie Pyle sought to win a share of the growing trade amid the ongoing U.S. freight rate recession.

Wilmington, Ohio-based R+L Carriers expanded its El Paso, Texas, service center in October. The expansion added 14 dock doors, taking the facility’s total to 45; a new two-lane fuel island; and more than 10,000 square feet of dock space, the carrier said Oct. 17.

“Our El Paso location is strategically located to facilitate cross-border shipments between the U.S. and Mexico,” Chief Operating Officer Dusty Ruthven said at the time. “As part of the El Paso-Juarez Gateway, this terminal reflects the importance of continued investment in our Texas service centers. With its increase in capacity, we aim to reduce service times for West Texas customers as well as cross-border deliveries.”

R+L Carriers ranks No. 15 on the for-hire TT100 and No. 5 in the LTL segment.

Northeast and mid-Atlantic-centric fleet Pyle, meanwhile, launched a cross-border service for the first time. West Chester, Pa.-based Pyle’s new service links cross-dock operations at key inland ports, such as Laredo and El Paso, Texas.

Pyle ranks No. 56 on the for-hire TT100 and No. 16 among LTL carriers.