In September 2025, freight forwarders report record congestion at the Russian–Kazakh road border crossings. Long queues of trucks have led to severe delivery delays, affecting full truckload (FTL) shipments across Central Asia.
Current situation
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Border congestion: up to 7,000 trucks are reported to be waiting at major checkpoints.
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Average delivery times: for FTL shipments now exceed 25–30 days, while for larger vehicles the delay can reach 40–45 days.
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Main bottlenecks: the situation is particularly critical at the Orenburg and Astrakhan crossings, where customs and inspection capacity cannot keep up with demand.
Reasons for delays
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Surge in cross-border trade — rising volumes of shipments from China to Russia via Kazakhstan.
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Customs inspections — more thorough document and cargo checks.
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Infrastructure limits — border terminals and inspection facilities are struggling with increased traffic.
Impact on business
For importers and exporters, the delays mean:
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Missed delivery deadlines for scheduled shipments.
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Higher logistics costs due to idle trucks and drivers.
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Difficulty in planning FTL supply chains across Russia and Central Asia.
Market participants expect that the congestion may last until at least mid-October, as peak seasonal demand coincides with infrastructure limitations.
Growex’s perspective
Growex offers alternative multimodal solutions, combining road, rail, and sea routes to minimize delivery risks. By leveraging multiple border crossings and flexible routing, we help clients avoid the worst delays and maintain predictable supply chains.
