Laredo is the most active commercial crossing port of entry along the US-Mexico border. It comprises four bridge border crossings of the Rio Grande, with only two bridges allowing commercial truck traffic: the Laredo-Colombia Solidarity Bridge (Laredo III, opened in 1991) and the World Trade Bridge (Laredo IV, opened in 2000). The more significant is the World Trade Bridge, an 8-lane bridge exclusively available for commercial traffic. It was built to support the growing cross-border trade that emerged in the 1990s with the setting up of NAFTA. The two older border crossing facilities, the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge (Laredo II / opened in 1976) and the Gateway to the Americas Bridge (Laredo I / opened in 1956), passed through the downtown area of Laredo. Only one commercial lane was available on the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, which created significant congestion.
The World Trade Bridge is jointly owned and operated by the City of Laredo (US) and Caminos y Puentes Federales de Ingresos y Servicios Conexos (Mexico). The bridge handles a daily traffic of 15,000 to 18,000 trucks, which is around 40% of all the truck border crossings on the US-Mexico border. There are two major customs facilities on each side of the border, as well as massive truck logistics complexes in the vicinity, which perform activities unique to cross-border logistics. One type involves the consolidation and preparation of truckloads for border crossing, including documentation, and their reciprocal deconsolidation once the shipment has crossed the border. The core driver of this activity is to avoid cabotage restrictions, stating that:
- Foreign drivers may not move shipments between two US locations.
- Foreign drivers may not move empty trailers between two US locations without leaving the US with that trailer.
- Domestic cargo cannot be combined with international cargo.
Another activity type involves switching drivers and trucks for cross-border crossings, implying a class of cross-border movements done over short distances between marshalling yards on both sides of the border. Visa restrictions have a notable impact on cross-border logistics, as Mexican truck drivers are not allowed to enter the United States without a B1 visa (non-immigration entry to the United States for the purpose of business) or a Border Identification Card (DSP-150). The latter allows Mexican nationals to stay on the US side for a period of up to 30 days within 25 miles (40 km) of the said border. Canadian truck drivers do not have such restrictions for cargo flows between Canada and the United States, but the same cabotage restrictions still bind them.
Four dedicated FAST (Free and Secure Trade) lanes were opened at the World Trade Bridge in 2023 to expedite border crossings. These lanes allow pre-approved, low-risk commercial carriers to bypass routine checks, reducing processing times. They are jointly managed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT).