Mexico is potentially going to end daylight saving time and many wonder if it will affect cross-border shipments.
Daylight saving time in the U.S. will end the first Sunday in November and will begin again on the second Sunday in March. In Mexico, daylight saving time in the U.S. will end on the last Sunday in October and will begin again on the first Sunday in April. This is when clocks in majority parts of the country are set to start one hour ahead of standard time.
Recently, Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that would end daylight saving time (DST), it is now expected to face a vote in their Senate sometime this week.
What would happen if the bill does pass?
If the bill does indeed pass, it would stop clocks from turning forward and back by one hour each spring and fall. The clocks would not be turned forward for daylight saving time in Spring 2023.
According to legislation the ending of DST would NOT affect the Mexican states throughout the U.S. border, including Baja California, Chihuahua Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. They will be synchronized with the U.S.
Will this impact the trucking industry?
It has the possibility to, yes. As for the significance of it all, that kind of depends on how you look at it.
Since the DST is a one-hour shift, one point some in the trucking industry mention is this could have an impact on trucker’s sleep. However, it seems as if it comes down to personal preference. For some, daylight saving time does indeed impact their sleep patterns but for some they just roll with it as if it’s just another day.
However, freight scheduling and truck drivers’ hours of service to the normal workday hours throughout Mexico and the cost of shipments could be affected, Freightwaves reports.
Could this impact the U.S. – Mexico trade?
It’s undecided on whether cross-border trade professionals feel like the potential ending of DST in Mexico will impact trade.
Some believe it has the potential to impact trade. Some argue that a challenge for those in Mexico is when they receive information or documentation from their U.S. contacts. They feel that since the typical workday in the U.S. ends around 5pm it can be difficult to reach their counterparts in the U.S. Some suggest if counterparts in Mexico would have until 6 pm to ask for any missing information, it could potentially close some of the current gaps they face. All of that to say, communication is crucial.
While some don’t think it really changes things, and that they have not ran into any issues during these time changes. Their reasoning is, there are a few weeks’ difference between when the U.S. changes their clocks to when Mexico changes their clocks. Giving those involved, time to adjust to the time changes.
Looking Ahead
While it is not a sure thing that daylight saving time will cease in Mexico, it does seem rather likely, and it’s important to be prepare and be aware.
As always, we will continue to provide updates on the latest in the industry throughout the year and beyond. Should you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today!
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