Trucking News · International · October 26, 2026

Mexico's National Trucker Strike Is Set to Start Monday, With CANACAR the Main Holdout

Illustration of semi trucks waiting in a line along a wide desert highway shoulder in early morning light ahead of a planned trucker strike in Mexico. Not a photo of the strike. — Illustration for this story. Not a photo of a specific location.

Truckers with freight moving between Mexico and Texas have one more thing to watch this week. Mexico's national cargo trucking chamber, CANACAR, confirmed on Sunday, Oct. 25, that its indefinite nationwide strike is set to start Monday, Oct. 26, according to El Universal and Uno TV. Three other groups, Hamotac, Fematrac and Indeco, are also taking part, those outlets reported.

This story was written before the strike was scheduled to begin. As of early Monday it had not started. Check back for updates. The image with this story is an illustration of the planned strike, not a photo of it. Quotes from Spanish-language sources are Big Rig Daily translations.

When and where it is set to start

The start time differs by outlet. El Universal reported 7:30 a.m., while Por Esto and El Economista reported 8:00 a.m. Both are Mexico City time, which is 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. Pacific time.

In Mexico City, the announced route starts at the Central de Carga Vallejo freight center, runs along Calzada Vallejo to the Metrobus Tenayuca terminal, then heads back south toward La Raza before returning to the starting point, according to El Universal.

Organizers describe a peaceful protest, with trucks parked on highway shoulders and at strategic points, and slow driving, according to El Economista.

What the government says

Mexico's Interior Ministry, known as Segob, said most trucking organizations accepted dialogue with the federal government and that CANACAR is the only group keeping the call to protest, according to La Razon.

"The position of that leadership is inexplicable when the rest of the sector has chosen the dialogue table to have its demands addressed," Segob said in its statement, as quoted by La Razon.

Segob also said several associations and member chambers of CANACAR distanced themselves from the protest. It asked CANACAR's leadership to reconsider and join negotiations, and it noted that the industrial confederation Concamin asked on Oct. 24 for dialogue instead of an indefinite strike, La Razon reported.

The accounts do not fully line up. Segob describes CANACAR as the only group keeping the call, while Uno TV reported that members of Hamotac, Fematrac and Indeco will take part.

Why carriers say they are protesting

According to El Universal, the trucking groups point to:

Toll deductions: Under Mexico's 2027 revenue law, approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the annual income cap for deducting highway toll costs would drop from 300 million to 250 million pesos. The industry had asked for 420 million.
Diesel credit: Carriers say a diesel credit worth about 6.42 pesos a liter is being eliminated, which they say would raise operating costs.
Income tax withholding: The groups are concerned about a change to the withholding rate for operators, from 7.5% to 12%.
Safety and roads: CANACAR president Augusto Ramos Melo also listed insecurity, extortion, protection payments, poor roads and overregulation.

"We are not asking for privileges, nor do we intend to stop meeting our tax obligations," Ramos Melo said, according to El Universal.

What truckers can do today

How long the strike lasts, and whether it starts as planned, is not yet known. Truckers and dispatchers with loads crossing into Texas this week may want to check with customers and brokers before rolling, and plan breaks around possible waits with the hours of service break calculator, and find parking near the border with the Texas truck stop and weigh station map.

Background on the groups that said last week they would not take part is in Big Rig Daily's earlier story, Mexico Trucker Strike Still Set for Monday as Groups Split.