Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Toyota bets big on Texas, moves Tacoma line to San Antonio; RJW Logistics adds fourth Dallas-area warehouse; and Gulf Coast Crating expands with industrial acquisitions.
Toyota bets big on Texas, moves Tacoma line to San Antonio
Toyota is shifting production of its popular Tacoma pickup from Baja California, Mexico, to San Antonio as part of a $3.6 billion expansion that will double the size of its Texas manufacturing campus and create 2,000 new jobs.
The investment will add a second vehicle assembly line at Toyota Texas, allowing Tacoma production to join the Tundra and Sequoia at the automaker’s San Antonio complex, according to a news release.
The company said the transition from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Baja California will occur gradually over approximately four years, with the expanded facility expected to be fully built out by 2030.
The expansion adds around 2.5 million square feet to the San Antonio campus, bringing Toyota’s total investment in the facility to $8.3 billion since construction began in 2003. Once complete, the plant will employ approximately 6,000 workers and continue to be supported by 23 on-site suppliers.
Mexico says jobs will remain
While Tacoma production is leaving Baja California, Mexican officials emphasized that the transition will be gradual and that Toyota is maintaining its broader commitment to the country.
Mexico’s Ministry of Economy said production at the Baja California facility will be phased out through 2030 rather than ending immediately. The ministry also said Toyota will continue operating its plant in Guanajuato, which directly employs about 2,800 workers, and noted that another automaker is expected to announce a new investment exceeding $500 million across the country.
Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda likewise sought to calm concerns, saying Toyota is not abandoning the state and that only one production line will be transferred over several years. State labor officials said approximately 2,800 jobs at the Tijuana-area plant are not currently at risk.
Cross-border implications
The production shift comes amid a period of significant change for North America’s automotive supply chain. Automakers continue reshaping manufacturing footprints as they navigate evolving trade policies, USMCA uncertainty and shifting investment priorities.
Toyota said that the company “remains committed to its operations throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico,” while encouraging a resolution to the ongoing USMCA review to strengthen the region’s global competitiveness.
The move also comes as analysts continue to forecast long-term growth in U.S.-Mexico freight transportation despite policy uncertainty.
A recent market forecast from ResearchAndMarkets.com projects cross-border freight demand to increase from $91.1 billion in 2025 to $119.4 billion by 2031, driven by nearshoring, regional manufacturing investment and expanding e-commerce, even as tariffs and evolving trade rules reshape supply chains.
RJW Logistics adds fourth Dallas-area warehouse
RJW Logistics Group has acquired a 904,495-square-foot warehouse in Forney, Texas, expanding the company’s greater Dallas footprint to four facilities.
The new warehouse will serve approximately 100 consumer packaged goods customers and provide retail consolidation, labeling, packaging, barcoding and retailer-ready order preparation services. The addition increases RJW’s Southern U.S. warehouse network to more than 2.6 million square feet and supports about 1,000 jobs across Texas.
RJW said the facility will use real-time inventory visibility, demand forecasting and AI-powered predictive analytics. The Romeoville, Illinois-based company entered the Dallas market in 2023 and specializes in retail logistics and less-than-truckload consolidation for CPG suppliers.
Gulf Coast Crating expands with 1.1M square feet of industrial acquisitions
Houston-based Gulf Coast Crating, in partnership with First Houston, has acquired more than 1.1 million square feet of industrial properties across Texas and the Gulf Coast as it expands its warehousing and logistics network, according to a news release.
The company said the acquisitions, completed over the past four months, include a newly acquired 205,000-square-foot, climate-controlled warehouse on 12.5 acres at 4949 Windfern Road in Houston.
The facilities are located along key logistics and distribution corridors and support Gulf Coast Crating’s integrated warehousing, transportation and industrial services business.
The partnership said it is actively pursuing additional industrial acquisitions in Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma and Louisiana to meet growing customer demand.
Gulf Coast Crating and its affiliated transportation company, XLR8 Delivery, provide services including industrial crating, export packing, warehouse storage, transloading, drayage, heavy haul, less-than-truckload and full truckload transportation.
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