Customers will be able to avail customs clearance, compliance, transportation and distribution and fulfillment solutions through the entity. (Artistic Operations/Getty Images)
key takeaways:
- The Des Moines, Iowa-based motor carrier and logistics company said Ruan launched a customs brokerage in early July. The brokerage will expand the truckload-focused carrier’s international trade and logistics capabilities across the United States
- The move taps strong cross-border demand, with US-Mexico trade expected to account for 16.8% of total US trade in 2025 and freight traffic valued at $86 billion in April.
- Ruan said the unit will support the rebrand of its freight brokerage and contract delivery services, as well as customs clearance and compliance.
The Des Moines, Iowa-based motor carrier and logistics company said Ruan launched a customs brokerage in early July.
The firm said the brokerage will expand the truckload-focused carrier’s international trading and logistics capabilities in the United States and Mexico.
Customers will be able to avail customs clearance, compliance, transportation and distribution and fulfillment solutions through the entity.
The customs brokerage is licensed in the US and Mexico, allowing Ruan to support clearance in key US-Mexico trade corridors, including land ports in Texas, as well as Manzanillo and Altamira sea ports and air cargo hubs in Mexico City and Monterrey. In the US, Ruan provides nationwide land, air and sea brokerage services.
Ruan ranks 30th on Transportation Topics’ Top 100 list of the largest freight carriers in North America and 10th on the Truckload/Dedicated Carrier freight segment list. It is also ranked 42nd in the TT Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies.
“Expansion into customs brokerage is a natural evolution of our capabilities and commitment to our clients,” said Chief Commercial Officer Marty Wadley. “With this addition, we are helping customers navigate cross-border requirements more efficiently while reducing delays and improving overall supply chain performance.”
Operations are supported by industry certifications and security procedures, including the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism in the US and similar OEA certification in Mexico.
Mexico is the US’s largest trading partner, with 16.8% of total trade in 2025, according to Census Bureau data, even as the Trump administration’s tariff strategy has increased global trade uncertainty.
According to Bureau of Transportation Statistics data released on June 25, the value of freight transportation between the US and Mexico in April was $86 billion, a 23.4% increase compared to April 2025.
Mexican law requires all goods on a truck to be cleared by a single customs broker, blocking the consolidation of less-than-truckload shipments from different suppliers or manufacturers headed to the same endpoint.
Meanwhile, as part of the customs brokerage launch, Ruan is rebranding its brokerage support service line as freight brokerage to separate it from the customs brokerage unit.
Ruan rebranded its value-added warehousing operations as contract distribution and fulfillment, the company said on July 2.
Ruan operates distribution and fulfillment centers in Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
