Tweet

Feb 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Charles E Wilson

View all
Grupo Transportes Monterrey photos

EXECUTIVES at Grupo Transportes Monterrey (GTM) spent years building a robust fleet maintenance capability. That effort is helping the trucking conglomerate weather one of the toughest Mexico economies in recent decades.

The maintenance operation is credited with keeping the company's fleet of more than 1,800 tractors running at peak efficiency. One of the largest trucking entities in Mexico, Grupo Transportes Monterrey built a network of maintenance facilities across Mexico.

“We're doing all we can to ensure that our tractors and trailers run as efficiently as possible,” says Carlos Mujica Campos, commercial director of the specialized cargoes division at Grupo Transportes Monterrey. “Operating costs were up more than 22% in 2009, but we worked hard to contain those costs. Prices increased for just about everything, including fuel, parts, and even maintenance itself.

“Fortunately, we have built a significant in-house fleet maintenance system that helps keep our operating costs under control. A GTM subsidiary handles major vehicle maintenance at centralized shops in Monterrey and Mexico City. We also have smaller shops for minor repairs at most of our terminals.”

Diverse fleet

The maintenance network serves a diverse fleet operation that was assembled over more than 60 years. GTM consists of five trucking entities: Auto Lineas America SA de CV, Transportes Monterrey SA de CV, Transportes Jorge Ancer SA de CV, Transportes Lopez e Hijos SA de CV, and Transportes Minerva SA de CV. Operations are focused in Mexico's industrial triangle that encompasses Monterrey, Nuevo Leon; Mexico City; and Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Pablo Martinez Montemayor established Transportes Monterrey in 1960 as dry freight hauler based in Monterrey. During the regulated years, the carrier was limited to transporting freight only between Monterrey and Mexico City. By the 1980s, Montemayor and his management team had initiated a diversification effort that brought an expansion into liquid and dry bulk and refrigerated cargoes.

They launched Transportes Jorge Ancer, a tank truck fleet that was created just to serve the chemical market. That same year, GTM bought Transportes Lopez e Hijos, a diversified trucking company that had been in business for five decades. Transportes Lopez e Hijos handled liquid chemicals and dry freight.

Auto Lineas America, a dry freight carrier that provides dedicated and less-than-truckload service, was acquired in 1986.

The most recent addition came in 2006, when GTM bought Transportes Minerva, a tank truck carrier that specializes in liquid and dry foodgrade cargoes.

“Each of these companies runs independently,” Fernando J Bernal Gonzalez, director of sales & marketing for Transportes Monterrey and Auto Lineas America. “Each carrier has its own management team that sets objectives based on the market focus of that fleet. Our overriding objective at GTM is to achieve steady, controlled growth throughout the operation.”

(Continued on next page)