Jose Minarro speaks with FreightWaves on ending daylight savings time in Mexico and the impact on cross-border shipments

UPDATE: Mexico approves ending daylight savings time in most parts of the country

• On October 26, Mexico’s Senate ratified a bill to permanently end daylight savings time (DST) across the majority of the country by a 56-29 vote.
• Majority of states across Mexico will move back their clocks an hour for the last time Sunday. The clocks will not be turned forward in the spring.
• Ending DST will not affect the Mexican states along the U.S. border, including: Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas. These states will keep DTS to stay synchronized with the U.S.

Mexico has almost reached a decision on finalizing legislation that would end daylight savings time (DST) across most of the country. Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies recently approved a bill to end DST, facing a vote in the nation’s Senate last week. If the bill is approved, Mexico would turn back its clocks for the last time on Sunday, October 30.

According to FreightWaves, ending DST would not affect the Mexican states along the U.S. border, including Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. Those states will keep DST to stay synchronized with the U.S., according to the legislation. The Mexican states of Sonora and Quintana Roo don’t follow DST. However, key parts of Mexico such as Bajio — a region of Central Mexico and major industrial center for manufacturing cars, auto parts and heavy-duty trucks — would be affected by the end of DST.

Although a recent poll showed that more than 70% of Mexican citizens favored getting rid of DST, this will likely impact freight scheduling, drivers’ hours of service, and cost of shipments could be affected.

“In the Bajio region, traffic and logistics teams at the plants in Mexico start at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., and if their counterpart in the U.S. arrives a little earlier around 7 a.m., there is a gap that causes many supply chains to be nervous due to lack of response early in the morning,” says Jose Minarro, Managing Director of Sunset’s Laredo branch.

Minarro also pointed out there is a similar effect in time difference between many Mexican and U.S. logistics operations at the end of the day. A solution would be for both U.S. and Mexico cross-border operations to be more flexible with staffing and scheduling.

“A current challenge for the Mexican side is getting information or documentation from their U.S. contacts after 5 p.m., when many folks in the U.S. are already driving home,” Minarro said. “If the Mexican counterpart could have until 6 p.m. for their time to ask for this type of missing information [from their U.S. counterpart], it would close some of the current gaps we face with these time challenges.”

Read the full article by Noi Mahoney via FreightWaves.