If you move or buy truck freight in Mexico, compliance is not “one NOM”: it is a stack — federal permit, unit, driver, securement, insurance, and the tax layer (CFDI with Carta Porte). The carrier operates those layers; the 3PL or shipper verifies and declares what is theirs. Mixing both roles in one sentence is what confuses the tower and accounts payable.
This guide is the hub for Official Mexican Standards (NOMs) on federal motor transport under SICT (formerly SCT): seven-core matrix, layer diagram, and an operable dual path. OCL Cargo is an autonomous transportation management system (TMS): it can stamp invoices and Carta Porte and gathers evidence in the trip file; it is not a SICT authority. Typical recovery when auditing 100% of freight in a pilot: 5–7% in 6–8 weeks.
- permit, unit, and driver to load, insurance, and tax
- 6 layers
- 3PL/shipper verifies · carrier operates
- 2 paths
- general freight core (verify in DOF)
- 7 NOMs
- only reliable source of force
- DOF
Cluster context: hazmat NOMs · SICT vs SAT · freight tax hub.
Short answer: what you must cover
If you are a carrier or permit holder: a valid SICT permit coherent with the configuration, a fit unit (NOM-068 / 014 / 035 family), a driver inside hours (NOM-087), weight and dimensions (NOM-012), securement checked (NOM-015), insurance in force, and — when you invoice freight — a stamped CFDI with Carta Porte.
If you are a 3PL, shipper, or freight buyer: declare real weight, do not force overload, secure the load if you stow it at your dock, ask for carrier evidence before the trip leaves, and do not pay without CFDI + Carta Porte + proof of delivery (POD). You do not “comply with NOM-068” for the carrier: you verify it with evidence.
For general (non-hazmat) freight, the seven NOMs in the matrix below cover most real conversations. Hazmat adds a separate layer.
Compliance stack: six layers
Read the trip from the bottom up: without a permit there is no legal circulation; without a fit unit and driver the trip stops on a federal road; without securement and insurance a loss leaves you uncovered; without the tax layer accounts payable cannot close payment.
- 01
Federal SICT permit
Valid trucking permit aligned to the trip’s vehicle configuration (not just “I have a PDF”).
- 02
Unit NOMs
Physical-mechanical condition (NOM-068), rear guards (NOM-014), and trailers/semi-trailers (NOM-035) when they apply.
- 03
Driver and fatigue
Correct license/type and driving time / rest breaks (NOM-087). An update project may exist — confirm the DOF before changing logbooks.
- 04
Weight, dimensions, and securement
NOM-012 (weight/dimensions/route) + NOM-015 (securement). Shipper declares; whoever loads secures; carrier does not run outside the tables.
- 05
Insurance
Liability cover and, per contract, cargo insurance in force on the trip date.
- 06
SAT tax layer + buyer verification
CFDI + Carta Porte 3.1 (stamped) and, on the 3PL / accounts payable side, a match to rate, GPS, and POD before paying.
NOM, SCT/SICT, and DOF in one sentence
A NOM is mandatory technical law. The historic SCT-2 prefix points to land transport; the ministry is now SICT, but many standards are still published as NOM-…-SCT-2-….
The DOF publishes the official text and effective date. A chamber PDF or a twenty-year-old “STATUS: Vigente” spreadsheet does not replace that check.
Matrix: 7 core NOMs × who complies × risk
Titles and years verified against DOF / standardization catalogs (2026 check). Each NOM name opens the published text; confirm later amendments before auditing a carrier.
What it requires: Maximum weight and dimensions on federal roads
Who: Carrier (config/route); shipper (declared weight)
If it fails: Hold, fine, road damage, insurance denial
What it requires: Physical-mechanical and safety condition of the unit
Who: Permit holder / carrier
If it fails: Out-of-service unit, crash, roadside stop
What it requires: Cargo stowage and securement; inspection intervals
Who: Whoever loads/secures (dock or contract)
If it fails: Load shift/fall, loss, liability
What it requires: Rear underrun guards (design GVW > 4,536 kg; see scope)
Who: Manufacturer/importer and applicable operator
If it fails: Spec / rear-impact safety risk
What it requires: Trailers, semi-trailers, and converters
Who: Manufacturers/importers; fleets adding equipment
If it fails: Non-conforming equipment (supersedes 035-2010)
What it requires: Indivisible oversized/overweight objects; cranes
Who: Specialized carrier + permits; shipper
If it fails: Illegal move, bridge damage, escort stop
What it requires: Driving time and rest breaks (fatigue)
Who: Permit holder and driver (logbook)
If it fails: Fatigue crash; logbook enforcement
NOM-087 note (freight): among other rules, a 30-minute break after up to five hours of continuous driving (or distributed within 5.5 h), max 14 driving hours in 24 h, and route planning with at least 8 continuous hours off when the 14-hour case applies. Exact detail: DOF text. Watch update projects published as PROY-NOM-087 before redesigning logbooks.
Dual path: 3PL/shipper vs carrier
We do not split this hub into two articles because the NOM matrix is shared. What we do separate is the work path: one operates the unit; the other buys freight and closes the file. A 3PL with its own fleet uses both.
3PL / shipper (verifies)
- Declare real weight and goods; do not force overload (NOM-012).
- If you load at your dock: secure and document (NOM-015).
- Ask for SICT permit, unit evidence, and insurance before assignment.
- Do not impose appointments that force broken rest rules (NOM-087).
- Before paying: CFDI + Carta Porte + POD tied to the trip ID.
Carrier / permit holder (operates)
- Keep permit and authorized configuration for the road type.
- Unit, guards, and trailer in conformity (NOM-068 / 014 / 035).
- Driver with correct license/type and logbook inside NOM-087.
- Recheck securement; reject poorly stowed freight.
- Stamp CFDI with Carta Porte when you invoice the freight.
Weight and dimensions (012)
3PL / shipper: Declare real weight; pick FTL/LTL accordingly
Carrier / permit holder: Authorized config; do not run outside the tables
Safe unit (068 / 014 / 035)
3PL / shipper: Ask for evidence of a fit unit and active insurance
Carrier / permit holder: Maintain unit, guards, and equipment in conformity
Securement (015)
3PL / shipper: If you load at your dock: secure and document the method
Carrier / permit holder: Recheck securement; reject poorly stowed freight
Fatigue (087)
3PL / shipper: Do not impose impossible appointments
Carrier / permit holder: Logbook, second driver when required, respect limits
SAT tax layer
3PL / shipper: Verify CFDI + Carta Porte before paying
Carrier / permit holder: Issue / stamp via PAC when applicable
Two checklists: verify vs operate
Use the buyer checklist in the tower or assignment email. Use the carrier checklist in the yard / traffic desk. Neither replaces SICT physical inspection; both avoid “it already left and nobody asked.”
Elige un paso para ver el detalle
Detalle del paso · 01
Valid SICT permit…
Elige un paso para ver el detalle
Detalle del paso · 01
Permit and config…
Permit and config in the tax XML: SICT errors that kill the CFDI.
Hazardous materials: a separate layer
Hazmat NOMs (marking, packing, limited quantities, tank vehicles, ocular inspection, etc.) do not fit in one general-freight table. The UN list and packing instructions were updated with the NOM-002-SCT-SEMAR-ARTF/2023 family; other pieces (e.g. marking/labeling) circulated as 2023 projects — confirm force in DOF/SICT before operating.
Dedicated guide: hazmat NOMs for truck freight. Tax XML angle: hazmat in Carta Porte 3.1.
Bridge to CFDI and Carta Porte (SAT)
Passing NOM-012 does not stamp a Digital Tax Receipt (CFDI). Having Carta Porte 3.1 does not prove NOM-015 securement. Different layers:
- SICT / NOM: circulation, safety, trucking permits.
- SAT / CFDI + Carta Porte: document the move and freight charge for tax.
Short explainer: SICT operational norms vs SAT tax duties. Tax hub: Mexico freight tax. Carta Porte errors: Carta Porte 2026. Pre-pay audit: CFDI + Carta Porte + GPS + POD.
Out of scope: rail-only and old catalogs
This hub covers truck freight. Rail-only NOMs (e.g. historic 044, 076 families) are out of scope, unless your multimodal compliance has a separate owner.
We also do not republish early-2000s listados gremiales/SCT lists as “in force.” They are number hints; force is confirmed in DOF/SICT.
OCL trip file: evidence, not authority
OCL does not inspect brakes or issue a NOM opinion. What an autonomous TMS with agents does is tie to the trip ID the evidence your tower and accounts payable already need: permit, config, declared weight, securement photos, GPS, proof of delivery (POD), CFDI, and Carta Porte — and hold payment if it does not square.
Trip file
From assign to pay
Assign
Permit and config
Depart
Weight and securement
Cross-check
CFDI and Carta Porte
Pay
Complete file
OCL can stamp invoices and Carta Porte; it also audits the trip file on the buyer side. It coexists with your current TMS in a 6–8 week pilot.
Key takeaways5 points
- A healthy federal trip has six layers:SICT permit, unit NOMs, and driver to load/securement, insurance, and CFDI/Carta Porte (plus buyer verification).
- Carriers operate the unit and permit; 3PLs/shippers declare weight, secure when they load, and verify evidence before paying — different jobs.
- Seven general-freight NOMs cover most risk: 012, 068, 015, 014, 035, 040, and 087 (always confirm force in the DOF).
- SICT NOMs ≠ SAT CFDI/Carta Porte. You need both layers on the same trip ID.
- OCL can stamp invoices and Carta Porte and assemble the buyer-side trip file; it does not certify NOMs or replace SICT.
Trip-file diagnosis (NOM + tax)
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
An Official Mexican Standard (NOM) is mandatory technical regulation. For federal trucking, NOM-SCT-2 rules (under today’s Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes, SICT) set weight, dimensions, vehicle condition, cargo securement, driving hours, and more. Authority for what is in force is the Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) and SICT catalogs — not a commercial summary.
NOM-012-SCT-2-2017 sets maximum weight and dimensions on federal roads. DOF text: 26 Dec 2017. Always check for later amendments in the DOF.
No. The carrier / permit holder operates: SICT permit, unit (NOM-068 and kin), driver (NOM-087), insurance, and — when collecting freight — stamps the CFDI with Carta Porte. The 3PL or shipper that buys freight verifies and declares: real weight, securement if they load, carrier evidence before departure, and tax cross-check before paying. If the 3PL also runs its own fleet, it uses both paths on the same trip.
No. Operational NOMs govern how freight moves safely. The Digital Tax Receipt (CFDI) with Carta Porte complement is an obligation before Mexico’s tax authority (SAT). They coexist: see SICT norms vs SAT duties.
No. OCL is not a SICT authority and does not replace physical verification or a legal opinion. The trip file can hold evidence (permit, config, weight, POD, CFDI/Carta Porte) for your team’s decision — not an official compliance stamp.
In the DOF and SICT / standardization listings. Chamber catalogs from 2003–2004 are not proof of current force. If the year in the number changed (e.g. NOM-035-2010 a 2022), use the new text. For driving hours, NOM-087-SCT-2-2017 remains the published reference; watch later projects (e.g. PROY-NOM-087) in the DOF before changing logbooks.