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April 26, 2000 10:20 AM, EDT

U.S. truck manufacturers and leasing companies face a challenging growth market with their expansion into Mexico.

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They cannot ignore the opportunities to sell and lease new trucks in the potentially lucrative Mexican market, where the majority of tractors are more than a decade old. Trade under the North American Free Trade Agreement is exploding and millions of trucks are needed to transport goods internationally.

But U.S. leasing companies wanting to market their services across the border must deal with a complicated web of regulations spun by the Mexican government, not to mention the different language, customs and ways of doing business.

Leasing trucking equipment south of the border is a whole new ball game for trucking suppliers — perhaps to the benefit of Mexican truck operators, who until 1995, had access only to traditional financing of vehicles from home-grown sources. The wide range of service-offerings, heretofore unknown in Mexico, is coming from the north.

For the full story, see the Apr. 24 print edition of Transport Topics. .