BTS says trucks moved $109.0 billion in U.S. freight with Canada and Mexico in August 2026, up 29.8% from a year earlier and about two-thirds of all transborder freight value.
BTS published the August release on October 21
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics published release BTS 26-79 on October 21, 2026. It reports the value of freight moving between the United States and Canada and Mexico during August 2026 by transportation mode, border, port and commodity.
Trucks carried $109.0 billion in freight value
BTS reported that trucks moved $109.0 billion in transborder freight during August. That was 29.8% more than in August 2025. The figure measures the current-dollar value of goods transported, not carrier revenue, tonnage, number of truck trips or profit.
Truck freight represented roughly two-thirds of the total
All transportation modes together moved $160.6 billion in U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico freight. Using the rounded BTS figures, truck freight accounted for about 67.9% of the total. The percentage is a CDL Truck Pro calculation from the published $109.0 billion and $160.6 billion values.
U.S.-Mexico truck freight was $73.9 billion
BTS reported $73.9 billion in freight moving by truck between the United States and Mexico in both directions. That was substantially larger than the $35.2 billion truck value reported for the U.S.-Canada border in the same month. The amounts describe trade value rather than load counts.
U.S.-Canada truck freight was $35.2 billion
The Canadian border truck total was $35.2 billion. BTS identified Detroit, Port Huron and Buffalo as the leading truck ports for freight flows with Canada. Port rankings in the release refer to the August 2026 data and should not be generalized into permanent route rankings.
Laredo led the overall port table
The release lists Laredo, Texas at approximately $37.7 billion in total transborder freight across modes, followed by Ysleta, Texas at about $15.8 billion and Detroit, Michigan at about $13.9 billion. For truck flows specifically, BTS names Laredo, El Paso and Otay Mesa as the top ports on the Mexico border.
Total transborder freight rose 22.6% year over year
Across trucks, rail, pipelines, vessels and air, the $160.6 billion August total was 22.6% above August 2025. Freight with Canada totaled $66.3 billion, up 17.1%, while freight with Mexico totaled $94.3 billion, up 26.7%. These are nominal comparisons in current dollars.
Trucks showed the largest published modal growth rate
Among the major modes listed in the BTS release, truck freight value increased 29.8% year over year. Pipeline freight rose 22.7%, vessel freight 12.0%, rail freight 8.7% and air freight 3.8%. Different commodity mixes and price movements mean the percentages are not direct measures of carrier productivity.
The release is useful for lane and network context
Carriers can use the border and port data to understand where high-value freight is concentrated and which gateways may matter to customers. It should be combined with current border wait times, permits, customs requirements, appointment data, operating costs and actual tender history before making a dispatch or capacity decision.
The numbers do not forecast rates or demand
A higher trade value does not establish that spot rates, driver pay, volumes or margins increased by the same percentage. BTS does not present this release as a trucking-rate forecast. Equipment mix, commodity prices, exchange rates and the number and weight of shipments can all change independently.
Current-dollar values are not adjusted for inflation
BTS explicitly states that all monetary values in the release are current U.S. dollars and are not adjusted for inflation. Year-over-year changes therefore combine differences in the goods moving across the border with changes in prices. Users should avoid describing the 29.8% increase as a pure volume gain.
The fixed-schedule data can be revised
BTS says the release is published on a fixed schedule required by the Office of Management and Budget and that statistics may be revised when source inputs are corrected or updated. The TransBorder Freight Data program page contains the most current and complete values.
Primary-source note
This report is based on BTS release 26-79, published October 21, 2026, and the agency's linked TransBorder Freight Data program. CDL Truck Pro calculated only the approximate truck share of the rounded total and has not converted freight value into unsupported estimates of truck counts, tonnage, revenue, rates or future demand.
Continue with CDL Truck Pro
Official sources
BTS release 26-79: North American Transborder Freight, August 2026BTS TransBorder Freight Data programCDL Truck Pro provides educational information. Confirm licensing, safety, tax, and regulatory requirements through current official sources and qualified professionals.