UTi Worldwide rolls out U.S.-Mexico cross-border service

Non asset-based third-party logistics (3PL) services provider UTi Worldwide (UTIW) said this week it has introduced a U.S.-Mexico cross-border service in an effort to “simplify and speed trade across the U.S. and Mexico borders.”

UTIW spokesman Fred Gilbert told LM there were two primary factors that drove this expansion: the clients it had that moved from or closed manufacturing operations in Asia and moved to Mexico in order to service North America; and the increasing level of U.S.-Mexico trade through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Company officials said that this new cross-border service is comprised of two U.S. distribution facilities in Texas and seven Mexico-based facilities, which combine transportation services, including truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) with brokerage services to offer a seamless flow of goods southbound and a faster northbound clearance process from Mexico.

“The new border service and its combined infrastructure are designed to assist companies in leveraging lower cost manufacturing and better ‘near shore’ options,” said Jeff Hammond, Global Vice President, Trade Services and Compliance, UTi Worldwide, in a statement.

This service comes at a good time, given the progress being made on the U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking program, as it increases the ability of shippers to move freight into and out of Mexico, which can help to further boost trade between the two countries.

Gilbert said UTIW has been developing this new service since mid-2010.

“As an asset-light 3PL, we are a global provider of everything from ocean to air freight to warehousing and truck brokerage, so this really compliments the other services we have and continue to be a one-stop shop for [shippers] in a more robust way on the U.S.-Mexico border,” said Gilbert.  “This is another service in our portfolio which is being expanded and…we are configuring solutions to meet our clients’ needs, and this is another expanded opportunity to do that.”

Other facets of this new cross-border service include: HTS verification, Previo (physical verification) Mexico in-house brokerage, pedimento (Mexico customs brokerage documentation), cross dock, transportation, consolidation, “hot shots,” and specialized trade, as well as a range of global UTi services, including air, ocean, and road freight forwarding, according to UTIW. The company added that service also uses UTi’s single source of contact service and has complete 24/7 tracking visibility through eMpower, UTi’s automated tracking and tracing system, and uWarehouse, UTi’s warehouse management system. UTi’s global visibility tool is integrated, centralized and real-time.