TRAFFIX Reports Slight Easing in Cross-Border Freight Conditions

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- TRAFFIX, a leading third-party logistics provider, reported a slight easing in cross-border freight conditions for the United States, Canada, and Mexico in its October 2026 NAX Index. However, the improvement was modest, with the Canada NAX slipping to 57 from 58 in September, and the Mexico NAX dipping to 54 from 55. Despite the slight improvement, limited backup capacity remains a significant challenge, leaving shippers vulnerable to missed pickups, higher spot rates, and service disruptions.

According to TRAFFIX, the modest improvement in cross-border freight conditions stemmed mainly from trade policy, which was the only one of the index's four pillars, cost, capacity, demand, and policy, to move significantly from September. While the situation still contains pressure and uncertainty due to new trade measures, it has brought some clarity on cost and planning questions for U.S.-Canada shipments. The core operational challenge remains truck availability, which affects both major trade routes.

On U.S.-Canada lanes, the added complexity comes from landed cost, as duties and product classifications under current trade measures make total shipment costs harder to pin down. On U.S.-Mexico lanes, the primary pressure point is truck availability, which continues to affect pickup options and pricing, despite Mexico being the relatively more manageable corridor. Canada is still seeing more recent changes, especially once you factor in the tariffs that have taken effect.

TRAFFIX recommends that shippers heading into the fourth quarter take several steps to mitigate risks. These include securing primary capacity weeks in advance on critical lanes, establishing vetted backup carrier coverage, conducting thorough reviews of surcharge structures and total end-to-end landed costs, auditing landed costs and duty exposure for all affected U.S.-Canada shipments, implementing flexible pickup and delivery windows, and prioritizing high-risk lanes tied to tight production schedules. Leveraging intermodal and expedited modes as agile fallback solutions can also help when primary coverage fails.

TRAFFIX, headquartered in Chicago, IL, employs 840+ experienced logistics professionals in offices across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The company offers a suite of customizable services, including truckload, flatbed, intermodal, drayage, expedited, less-than-truckload (LTL), specialized government services, and managed transportation.