Border crossings for cargo: arrive knowing the hours.

The 18 crossings: which one handles cargo, and at what time

From Paso Canoas to Tecún Umán: whether the crossing handles cargo, at what time and how firm the data is. The map marks the 9 on the trunk network; the entries add the alternates and the ones that do not work for cargo. The name of each crossing leads to its entry, where the notes and the hours on the other side are.

How to read the hours.Official source means hours read in a notice or a regulation from the authority. Indicative means data from the press or from a transcription: it is good for planning, not for dispatching without confirming, and 6 of the 18 crossings are currently in that state. Also, “open 24 hours” does not mean cargo clearance 24 hours a day: physical inspection, quarantine and immigration may work fewer hours, and the real crossing window is that of the side that closes first.

Where your cargo crosses: route by route

The crossings each corridor uses, in travel order. The ones that start in San José are those of the regional dry van; the rest are shown as a reference for the region. The route planner link opens the route on the map, with its kilometers, its legal weight and its alternate.

indicativeApproximate distances, calculated on open mapping data. Confirm them before dispatching.

Outside those corridors, these also handle cargo, as alternates or as a connection between other points in the region: Las Tablillas / San Pancho, El Espino / La Fraternidad, El Poy, San Cristóbal, Anguiatú / La Ermita, Agua Caliente, Corinto and Tecún Umán II / Ciudad Hidalgo.

From south to north: crossing by crossing

One card per border. For each crossing, the two posts, the road, whether it handles cargo and the hours with their source stay in view; the notes and the corridors open with a click. What applies to every crossing on a border appears only once, under its heading.

Before dispatching: confirm what changes

A border does not fail because of the distance: it fails because of the hour, the holiday or a document. This is what gets checked before the truck leaves.

1. The hours for the day, on both sides

   Find the crossing in the summary and confirm the hours for the date of the crossing. The side that closes first sets the limit, and an open crossing does not mean physical inspection or quarantine is available at that hour.

2. Holidays and seasons

   Holy Week, El Salvador’s August holidays (vacaciones agostinas), Honduras’s Morazán holiday, year-end and the Costa Rican public holidays bring special hours or congestion. That is the case at Peñas Blancas: hours are reduced on public holidays. Examples from 2026: on August 15, cargo 06:00–18:00; on September 15 (a Tuesday), cargo 06:00–24:00 and not 24 hours.

3. Bans on heavy trucks

   Some countries suspend or limit truck traffic during vacations and holidays. The documented ones are in the list further down, each with its validity.

4. Documents ready before leaving

   GoTruck’s regional dry van travels with a waybill (carta de porte) and under customs transit (in-bond), with carrier code CR02343. Depending on the cargo, the crossing requires: DUCA-T (the Central American single transit declaration), waybill, cargo manifest, commercial invoice and sanitary and phytosanitary permits. What each one is and who issues it, in Documents: DUCA-T, waybill.

5. Sanitary inspection, if the cargo requires it

   Check the hours of the agency that inspects, not only those of customs. At Peñas Blancas, on the 24-hour days: Customs, Immigration (carrier service windows) and the SENASA spray arch operate 24 hours; SFE and SENASA service windows and inspection, 06:00–24:00; SFE pest laboratory, 08:00–20:00; CNP sampling and analysis, 07:00–24:00.

6. The alternate crossing, at hand

   A blockade, a road collapse or a long line changes the plan. Locate the alternate for each border and its hours, which are usually shorter. The route planner shows the alternate route and its kilometers.

7. The crossing counts toward travel time

   Each border adds hours to the transit. The ranges by corridor and what moves them are in Transit times; the legal weight in each country, in Weights and dimensions by country.

The hours, the road sections and the validity of each permanent restriction are in transit times. For Honduras and Nicaragua no source on bans on heavy trucks was found, which does not mean there are none.

Is your cargo leaving this week? Tell us the route and the date and we will go over it with you. The full service is in Regional dry van.

Las Chinamas / Valle Nuevo: not this way

It appears on any map of the border between El Salvador and Guatemala, on this road: CA-8. It handles travelers. For a loaded truck it does not work.

Why. The bridge on the Guatemalan side cannot carry heavy trucks: loaded trucks cross between El Salvador and Guatemala through San Cristóbal (CA-1) or through Pedro de Alvarado / La Hachadura (CA-2). According to official reports from March 2017 and August 2023; situation in 2026 not verified.

Where it does cross. Cargo between El Salvador and Guatemala crosses at La Hachadura / Pedro de Alvarado or at San Cristóbal. The full entry for the restricted crossing is at Las Chinamas / Valle Nuevo.

Customs union: one stop, not two

Guatemala and Honduras have had a customs union in force since June 26, 2017. On their shared border there is no longer a customs office on each side: the authorities of both countries work in the same facility, the integrated border post (PFI). For the truck it is a single stop.

A dry van that leaves Costa Rica crosses these posts in international transit, with a DUCA-T: it is handled at the Control Center. That is how cargo moves under customs transit.

El Salvador is joining in stages. It began its accession on July 26, 2017 and has been a full member of the Ministerial Body (Instancia Ministerial) since 2018; at the end of 2023 it was still not part of the single customs territory, according to SIECA. The scope of free circulation with El Salvador in 2026 is not verified: confirm it with your customs broker before counting on it.

Reference, not advice.General reference information, checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It is not legal, customs or commercial advice and does not replace the text of the regulations or the terms of each contract. The rules change: confirm your case with your GoTruck contact and with your customs broker before shipping.

The usual question: what time does it close?