FEMATRAC to Strike Nationwide on Feb. 5; Calls for Road Safety

The Mexican Federation of Transportation and Freight Transport (FEMATRAC) announced a strike on Monday, Feb. 5, in response to the ongoing insecurity freight transporters face across the country.

In a statement, FEMATRAC highlights the persistent insecurity conditions affecting the freight transportation industry. It also stresses the need to address and resolve security-related problems affecting operators and carriers nationwide. The association says that various federal highways will be affected by the strike, mainly the 57 Mexico-Queretaro highway at KM 90 in the Arco Norte cloverleaf interchange.

As previously reported by MBN, the transportation sector moves 548.1 million tons of cargo annually, equivalent to 56.8% of total domestic cargo. Additionally, 83.3% of the value of Mexico's imports and exports with the United States is moved by freight transportation.

Cargo theft in the transportation sector keeps being a key challenge for Mexico. In its 2023 report, the Executive Ministry of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) states that cargo theft cases grew by 3.9% that year compared to 2022. In 2023, 9,181 thefts were reported, making it the highest number of cases since 2020. The Common Jurisdiction Crime Incidence Index, provided monthly by SESNSP, also reports an annual increase of 2.82% in violent robberies and that 85.6% of all robberies involve violence.

However, data from the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (CANACAR) diverges from the figures provided by SESNSP, revealing that about 13,000 incidents of truck theft were reported on highways in various manners throughout 2023. This marks a 41% difference between SESNSP and CANACAR data.

In an interview for MBN, Lauro Rincón Hernández, President, FEMATRAC, reveals that the planning of the Feb. 5 protest began in the middle of last year. He says that since the beginning of the current government administration, the National Guard has closed the doors to dialogue, interrupting monthly security meetings that previously included the Federal Police, the Attorney General's Office, State Traffic Officers, Tow Trucks, SICT, and chambers related-to transportation in all 32 states. The lack of coordination with authorities has worsened the problems.

"Unfortunately, we have had meetings with the National Guard at its headquarters, but there was no real dialogue and we stopped seeking meetings. Recently, the Ministry of the Interior has contacted us. However, we will not talk until after Feb. 5; the mobilization is going ahead due to the lack of strategies ensuring security for everyone," says Rincón. 

Rincón explains that FEMATRAC formed a coalition with 16 organizations, including carriers, drivers, and even farmers, to address the increased insecurity seen under the current administration. 

The organizations request a disruptive change in the security strategy, calling for removing personnel not delivering results. Another point requests secure rest areas as current conditions are deemed unsafe. They also call for keeping highways, especially toll roads, in optimal condition especially after recent toll increases. The associations also ask that toll roads offer insurance that covers stolen trucks and accidents caused by poor road conditions, with free towing services. They also suggest monitoring critical points on highways through video surveillance using the tolls collected daily. Striking organizations also say that the shortage of clinics for medical examinations required to grant licenses to operators is impacting over 1.5 million operators.  

"We are already facing a deficit of more than 50,000 operators nationwide; many companies do not have enough labor to move their transport, creating a crisis where current operators work under more pressure, leading to a series of accidents," says Rincón.