CROSS-BORDER LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS: KEEPING FREIGHT IN MOTION
uctuations as importers react to tariff deadlines with extra capacity to absorb volume uctuations. Nearshoring not only avoids tariff implications but also reduces transport distances, cutting inventory lead times and carrying costs. “With consistency in how goods are moving through North America, you can cut down signi cantly on lead time, and so you don’t have to over in ate your inventory levels. In this economic climate, most companies don’t want to be burdened with that excess inventory,” Skas says. Hub and the EASO joint venture also support growing agricultural and cold- chain volumes by using company-owned, temperature-controlled intermodal assets as the traf c mix shifts from over-the-road to intermodal services, with telematics- enabled chain-of-custody capabilities. With the recent acquisition of Marten Transport Intermodal, Hub Group more than doubled its temperature-controlled intermodal container eet to better support its customers’ growing needs across North America. “A lot of our customers are looking to us to provide temperature-controlled intermodal services between Mexico, the U.S., and Canada, and we expect that market to grow in the next few months,” Anchustegui says. FOCUS ON SECURITY With more than 55 years of operating
required to keep freight safe,” Anchustegui says. LINEAGE: CONTINUITY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER As a freight forwarder and NVOCC, Lineage Inc.’s North American footprint provides customers with continuity on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border, allowing them to facilitate international moves with a single warehouse and transportation provider. Lineage operates the largest temperature-controlled warehouse network (300+ warehouses in both the U.S. and Canada) and has established multi-vendor consolidation, LTL, and truckload services with national reach on both sides of the border. “Lineage provides seamless and cost- effective end-to-end product movement,” says Chris Skraba, head of business development, West Region, for Lineage. Lineage’s dedicated import and export excellence team can help customers navigate shifting trade policies with expertise in compliance and services such as NVOCC, freight forwarding, bonded warehousing and transportation, and customs brokerage.
In addition to moving cargo, Lineage provides data-driven insights to help determine optimal inventory positioning. Using data such as historical shipments, supplier and retailer locations, transportation rates, manufacturing and warehouse locations, the Lineage team can uncover opportunities to optimize supply chains and, in some cases, reduce costs. “Lineage’s data science capabilities and network modeling services allow us to provide customers with a network optimization visual analysis—think of it as a detailed map that shows product ows through their supply chain,” Skraba says. For one U.S.-based importer and exporter, a Lineage analysis uncovered $2 million in annual savings. The customer wanted to address capacity issues and supply chain bottlenecks, so they turned to Lineage for a supply chain network designed to build in new ef ciencies. The team discovered that expanding into four distribution centers and new markets, with additional capacity, would reduce the customer’s annual transportation costs. Additionally, Lineage recommended new ports of
Operating more than 300 temperature- controlled warehouses in the United States and Canada, Lineage oers extensive cross-border reach.
experience in Mexico, EASO and Hub Group have a time-tested,
comprehensive cargo-security program that combines advanced technology with deep relationships with law enforcement and rail carriers. Sensors on intermodal containers send alerts if doors are opened unexpectedly, while GPS devices monitor truck driver behavior such as unscheduled stops or out-of-route movements. Data from these systems feeds into a security scoring model that helps predict load risk and pinpoint criminal activity hotspots, enabling targeted collaboration with authorities. “It’s not only about technology; it’s about understanding the security landscape in Mexico and the protocols
42 Inbound Logistics • April 2026
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