U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is changing commercial crossing hours at the Port of Eagle Pass, Texas, in an effort to reduce long wait times and ease congestion for trucks entering from Mexico.
The changes, which take effect Monday, prioritize loaded freight while shifting empty truck movements to later in the day — a move CBP says will better utilize morning capacity and speed up overall throughput, according to a CBP issued trade notice.
Under the new schedule, northbound empty commercial conveyances will only be processed from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, according to the CBP notice.
By pushing empty trucks to off-peak hours, CBP aims to:
- Reduce daytime congestion at inspection lanes
- Improve transit times for loaded freight
- Better align staffing and inspection resources with demand
- Increase predictability for shippers and carriers
Meanwhile, laden shipments, in-bond freight and formal entries will continue to move during standard hours, with weekday processing beginning as early as 7 a.m., maintaining priority access to the busiest morning crossing windows.
CBP officials said the changes are designed to address persistent congestion issues at Eagle Pass, where an influx of empty tractors has contributed to longer wait times at international bridges.
“The lack of utilization of morning hours for laden shipments” was identified as a key bottleneck, according to the trade notice, which outlined ongoing coordination between CBP, local officials and trade stakeholders on both sides of the border.
The Port of Eagle Pass consists of a rail and vehicle bridge connecting it to Piedras Negras, Mexico. Eagle Pass is a city of about 28,000, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. It is about 140 miles southwest of San Antonio.
The Eagle Pass adjustment reflects a broader trend across the southern border: prioritizing loaded freight and tightening operational controls on empty repositioning moves.
Data from CBP’s Laredo Field Office — which oversees Eagle Pass — shows the port handled more than 5,300 commercial truck crossings during the week of April 19-25, highlighting its role as a growing secondary gateway behind Laredo.
Rail volumes through Eagle Pass also exceeded 9,800 crossings for the week.
Eagle Pass handled $3.58 billion in trade in February, with imports accounting for nearly three-quarters of total volume, underscoring the port’s role as a key inbound gateway for automotive and consumer goods from Mexico, according to U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by WorldCity.
While exports fell nearly 10% year over year, automotive-related trade continues to dominate both directions, highlighting the port’s growing importance in North American auto supply chains.
Eagle Pass trade snapshot (February 2026)
(Source: WorldCity / U.S. Census data)
| Metric | Value | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Total trade | $3.58B | -0.39% |
| Exports | $967.7M | -9.69% |
| Imports | $2.61B | +3.56% |
| U.S. market share | 0.80% | — |
| Border crossing rank (U.S.) | No. 9 | — |
| All ports rank (U.S.) | No. 30 | — |
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