🎣 How Guadalajara Became a Hidden Hub for U.S. Logistics

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On Sunday, April 6th, I boarded a flight from Chicago O’Hare to Guadalajara.

I was heading down to visit Rapido Solutions Group, Founded by Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza.

Rapido has been sponsoring FreightCaviar since 2022, and after a few conversations about filming a documentary on nearshoring, we finally made it happen.

With the TIA Capital Ideas Conference coming up in San Antonio, the timing couldn’t have been better.

First Impressions of Guadalajara

Guadalajara immediately surprised me with how green the city felt.

It was a perfect Sunday evening. Warm, sunny, no humidity. As we drove into the city, we passed Bosque Los Colomos, a massive, tree-filled park that gave the city a calm and vibrant feel.

We stayed in Andares, a modern district full of upscale shops and restaurants. It felt more like Miami than what most people probably imagine when they think of Mexico.

After checking in, Roberto picked us up for a quick taco run.

We grabbed street tacos, including lengua (beef tongue), and it instantly felt like the right start to the trip: great food and even better hospitality.

Inside Rapido Solutions Group

Rapido’s office spans three floor. It’s big, modern, and brand new.

We headed straight to Roberto’s office to record a podcast interview that turned out to be one of my favorite.

Roberto’s story is powerful. He’s a first-generation Nicaraguan-American. His parents fled Nicaragua during the civil war and unrest of the late 1980s, shortly before he was born.

He later attended the University of Michigan, where he became fraternity brothers with Andrew Silver. After college, he joined Coyote Logistics, where he helped lead their expansion into Mexico, setting up Coyote’s first office in Guadalajara.

When Danny Frisco was starting Rapido, he reached out to Roberto for advice. They had previously worked in different departments at Coyote, and Danny knew Roberto had helped establish and manage Coyote's Mexico operations.

Danny flew down to meet Roberto for dinner, and that conversation quickly evolved into a full business partnership. Rapido officially launched in February 2020—just a month before the pandemic. They ended up riding the wave of the pandemic-driven logistics boom, fueled by U.S. companies outsourcing work to meet surging demand.

We have interviewed Danny Frisco, Roberto's business partner, twice before. Check out the interviews below:

After the interview with Roberto, we spoke with several Rapido employees. Each had different backgrounds, but all shared one thing in common: real gratitude.

It’s something I notice whenever I travel outside the U.S. People are often much more grateful for opportunities we sometimes take for granted.

We wrapped up the day by heading to the rooftop of the Rapido building, where the view of Guadalajara stretched out beautifully.

The Nearshoring Scene

There’s a triangle that runs between Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara: the country’s three biggest cities and the backbone of its production and logistics. And it's shaping the future of cross-border freight.

Monterrey, sitting closest to the U.S. border, is booming with new manufacturing, especially from Chinese and Japanese companies setting up shop to serve the U.S. market. The city’s proximity and strong infrastructure make it a no-brainer for nearshoring.

Guadalajara, meanwhile, is known for two things: tequila and tech. (The town of Tequila is just a short drive away.) It's Mexico’s version of Silicon Valley, packed with electronics manufacturing and a growing startup scene.

After visiting Rapido, we toured Innovativos, a major cross-border carrier that specializes in moving electronics and tequila from Guadalajara to Laredo, Texas.

Here’s something most people don’t realize:

When U.S. logistics companies started opening offices in Guadalajara, a lot of it was because Coyote opened there first in 2017.

Coyote Logistics opens office in Mexico

The Chicago-based logistics company said it will offer truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal brokerage and transportation management services to

FreightWavesFreightWaves Staff

People assumed Coyote had done deep research and to be fair, there was thoughtful strategy behind it. Leadership teams looked at multiple factors.

One big reason Guadalajara stood out? Quality of life. It offered everything you’d want when asking employees to relocate. Great schools, safe neighborhoods, a strong economy, and a vibrant culture.

Deep research or not, Guadalajara turned out to be a great choice, especially for finding top talent.

If you ask Roberto today, Monterrey might have been the better pick purely from a cross-border logistics standpoint.

But Coyote’s move helped turn Guadalajara into a real logistics hub and paved the way for companies like Rapido to thrive.

Today, you’ll find offices there for Arrive Logistics, Werner, BlueGrace Logistics, and plenty of others.

Arrive Opens Office in Guadalajara, Doubling Down on Cross-Border, Nearshoring Boom - Arrive Logistics

AUSTIN, Texas – February 14, 2024 – Arrive Logistics, a leading multimodal transportation and technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas, announces the opening of its office in Guadalajara, Mexico. The established Guadalajara location signifies the company’s dedication to its growing customer base in Mexico and leverages the rich talent pool of industry expertise and resources […]

Arrive LogisticsArrive Logistics

Personal Takeaways

One thing that stood out: Coyote’s early expansion helped shape the entire freight ecosystem in Guadalajara.

Rapido wouldn't even be based there if it weren’t for that early decision.

We also met Eduardo, the COO of VAX Solutions, another major player in Mexico’s freight scene who got his start through Coyote’s first hires.

Another big takeaway was learning how different the business culture is in Mexico.

In the U.S., business can be fast and transactional. In Mexico, it’s all about relationships. You need to break bread, drink tequila, share meals, and build trust before you can do real business.

A lot of U.S. brokerages miss this when trying to expand into Mexico and they struggle because of it.

Companies like VAX Solutions do compliance and carrier vetting the old-school way: visiting in person, building relationships face-to-face.

Issue #53: A Guide to Mexico Freight Liability

Understanding the Risks, Insurance Requirements, and Best Practices for Brokers and Shippers to Protect High-Risk Cargo and Navigate Mexico’s Freight Security Challenges

Congrats On All The ProgressMatt Silver

There’s also a serious truck driver shortage in Mexico, partly because of safety concerns. High-value goods like electronics and tequila often require security escorts just to move safely across the country.

All of this will be featured in our upcoming documentary, where we dive deeper into the real story behind nearshoring, culture, and freight growth in Mexico.

It was an incredible trip — and it showed just how much opportunity there is south of the border for those willing to understand the market and play the long game.

🎬 FreightCaviar Mexico Documentary Coming Soon (Expected Release: End of May/Early June — Stay Tuned).