In 2012, the Tecma Group of Companies set a goal of making cross border logistics and trade operations cost-effective and streamlined for its clientele.  To achieve it Tecma Transportation Services (TTS) was conceived as international logistics insourcing service provider, as a means by which to provide an efficient and economical alternative for shippers.

In order to address the demands of a competitive marketplace, and to give its customers a palpable edge on their rivals, TTS procured and mobilized the best and most reliable equipment.

All shippers along the U.S.- Mexico border know the imperative of meeting customer deadlines, as well as those associated with cutting costs and making on time deliveries. Without quality, reliable equipment this cross border logistics and trade operations challenge is impossible to meet.

Another step taken by Tecma Transportation Services to address the demands of the cross border logistics and trade operations customer was to take concrete measures to squeeze the most mileage out of each gallon of fuel consumed by its fleet. Actions aimed at achieving this goal included:

  • weight reduction: by removing significant useless weight from TTS trucks less fuel is consumed;
  • tire choice: by incorporating single wide tires the drag on TTS trucks has been reduced, thereby lessening the power needed to move a load. The single wide tires that have been placed on rigs have proven to provide a 3% gain in fuel efficiencies for TTS cross border operations.

Burning less fuel has paid environmental dividends, as well.

Although efforts to gain efficiencies in other areas continue, attempts at trailer tails and trailers skirts have had mixed results. Efforts to improve fuel efficiency through enhanced aerodynamics have been limited in positive outcomes due to the fact that gains are made in this manner when conveyances are driven at accelerated speeds. The nature of border crossings does not permit this. On the other hand, the utilization of diesel particulate filters and varying differential systems have rendered positive results.

Cooperation continues to play a huge role in making commercial flows as seamless as possible for cross border logistics and trade operations. In order to contribute to efforts aimed at achieving this, TTS is a participant in the 21st Century Border project. Project 21, as it is sometimes called, is an initiative put forth by such organizations as the New Policy Institute, the New Democrat Network, the Deparment of Homeland Security, as well as other organizations with a stake in the fluid movement of commerce between the U.S. and Mexico. The main goal of the collaborative effort is to enhance economic competitiveness by expediting lawful trade, while preventing the transit of illegal merchandise between their two countries.

Project 21 has afforded TTS the ability to streamline its interaction with its clients via web portal usage. No longer must service providers carry the burdensome overhead and experience chaotic communications with their clients in an attempt to see through the fog of cross border logistics. Value-added interaction with shippers enable them to identify and avert problematic issues by communicating with their supply chain partners on a real-time basis. Additionally, manufacturing entities are now empowered to make decisions on the fly and to reroute shipments in order to fulfill requirements on a regional scale. This flexibility is win for them, and for their customers as well.

In order to continue to raise the quality bar that benefits cross border logistics and trade operations, superior transportation companies must consistently seek to procure and employ reliable equipment, discover greater fuel efficiencies that reduce consumption and cut costs, as well as to cooperate with public and private entities to smooth trade flows.