Borderlands is a weekly roundup of global trends in US-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: The growing impact of AI on cross-border trade in a new report. Mexican authorities recorded 142 cases of the theft of his tractor trailer in April. A Texas logistics company opens a location in Phoenix. South Texas College launched his CDL program.
New report focuses on growing impact of AI on cross-border trade
AI and machine learning (ML) can help shippers comply with the various cross-border trade regulations in force in different countries, according to a new Eurora report.
The report, The Case for AI in Cross-Border Trade, explores the challenges facing logistics providers and the e-commerce sector due to an increasingly complex regulatory environment, and how AI and ML can help streamline international shipping. I am looking to see if it helps.
Chris Lentjes, CEO of Eurora’s US business unit, says AI and ML are a hot topic.
“Some people think of AI as robots, some people think of it as ChatGPT, some people think of self-driving cars,” Lentjes told FreightWaves. “Essentially, they are all technically correct. We all use various forms of AI to support our daily work.”
Eurora uses AI to automatically manage cross-border documents for VAT, customs, declaration and other requirements. The company has over 250 clients who send millions of parcels daily.
Based in Estonia, Eurola has its US headquarters in the Miami area. The company has more than 220 employees in 18 countries.
Lentjes says AI addresses a high volume of customs clearance requirements per shipment, including US STOP ACT, Singapore’s new GST rules, Dubai tariffs, UK customs filing services, Canada’s CARM import regime, and European Union regulations. I said I can help international shippers who have to. Import Control System 2 and Mexico’s Carta Porte Supplement.
Shippers and logistics operators also need to provide an accurate uniform system code that identifies the contents of a particular shipment.
“This is where AI really helps in that task,” said Lentjes. “When you think about AI capabilities, it’s really about continuous improvement and how the industry can speed up decision-making in the supply chain.”
Failure to comply with customs clearance requirements or errors in cross-border documentation may result in higher taxes and duties than the goods bear. In worst-case scenarios, customs errors can result in fines, seizures, or delays in certain shipments.
“Cross-border compliance is an ever-changing environment,” said Lentjes. “It is important to keep up with this change and the data and what is being demanded. I think it works in a way that supports it.”
AI can also assist shippers through dynamic routing, according to Lentjes. This involves determining the best route for something based on a set of existing conditions.
“Dynamic routing isn’t new, but what’s new is doing machine learning and moving to AI to look at inputs like weather inputs, look for strikes somewhere, and dynamically route It’s about bringing in live data that can impact live fashion,” said Lentez.
Mexican authorities documented 142 tractor-trailer thefts in April.
Motorways across Mexico remain a hazard for truckers, as cargo thefts increased 7.5% in April compared to the previous year, according to Mexico’s National Association of Vehicle Tracking and Protection Companies (ANERPV).
ANERPV reported that 142 freight trucks in its network were robbed or stolen in April, with a total of 519 tractor and trailer thefts from January to April.
In the first four months of 2023, the state of Mexico ranked first with 150 cargo thefts, followed by Puebla (97), Guanajuato (41), Jalisco (39) and Bercruz (32). ) followed.
According to ANERPV, Wednesday was the day with the most thefts in April, with 20% of the total, followed by Thursday with 18%.
Over 31% of cargo robberies took place during daylight hours, between 7am and noon.Over 28% of cargo theft incidents occur between noon and 7pm
According to the Association of Mexican Insurance Institutions (AMIS), which also tracks cargo theft, Kenworth tractor-trailers were the most stolen trucks across Mexico in the last 12 months, with a total of 1,906.
Freightliner tractor-trailers were the second most stolen trucks in the last 12 months, with 702 incidents.
Texas logistics company opens office in Phoenix
Arrive Logistics opens a 15,000 square foot office in Phoenix.
The office will start with 30 employees, but plans to expand to up to 60 employees by the end of the year, according to a news release.
Arrive recently opened an office in Columbus, Ohio. Last year, the company opened offices in Tampa, Florida, San Antonio, and Guadalajara, Mexico, for a total of seven offices.
Arrive has over 1,700 employees and a network of 70,000 carriers. Its customers include US Foods, Kellogg’s Co., Dairy Farmers of America and Samsung Electronics Co.
University of South Texas Launches CDL Program
Victoria College is launching its own truck driving course to meet the demand for truck drivers in South Texas.
Since 2006, Victoria College’s truck driving courses have been offered through a partnership with Houston Community College. The new course will help meet the needs of the Victorian community, according to a news release.
The CDL program is funded by two grants totaling over $630,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
“With a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the University of Victoria is now able to purchase its own track and hire its own instructors. Victoria College Chancellor Jennifer Kent said in a statement:
Victoria College is a community college located in Victoria, approximately 127 miles southeast of Houston and 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
The funds will be used to purchase four tractors for truck driving schools in Victoria and Gonzales, Texas. The grant will also be used to train instructors.
The new truck driving course will allow the university to train up to eight students in Victoria and up to four students in Gonzales every six weeks.
Watch: The National Truckload Index stabilizes at 2.22 rpm.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney.
Other articles by Noi Mahoney
Truck inspections causing long wait times at Texas border bridge
Cummins Posts Record First Quarter Earnings, Raises Full-Year Outlook
Arizona, Texas attract EV and chip megafactories
