A load from Fresno to Ontario covers about 2,500 miles of road and one line on a map. The road is the predictable part. The border is where loads wait — almost always because a document, a number or a cleaning job was not done before the truck arrived. This guide covers what has to be in place, and who is responsible for each piece.
This is a practical overview, not legal or customs advice. Your customs broker has the final word on your entry.
Who does what
Four parties are involved in most cross-border loads:
- The shipper — who hands the freight over and usually prepares the commercial paperwork.
- The carrier — that is us. We haul the freight and report the truck, driver and cargo to the border agency electronically before arrival.
- The importer of record — the party responsible for the goods entering Canada: declaring them, and paying any duties and taxes.
- The customs broker — licensed to make the customs entry on the importer’s behalf. Most importers use one.
The carrier and the customs broker each send the border agency their half of the picture. When the two halves match, the truck clears.
Going north: into Canada
The carrier’s half: ACI eManifest
Canada’s Advance Commercial Information program requires highway carriers to send cargo and conveyance data to the Canada Border Services Agency electronically, and to have it received and validated at least one hour before the truck arrives at the border. Carriers that arrive without it are not allowed past the first port of arrival and can be fined. As your carrier, this is ours to do.
The importer’s half: the release
The importer’s customs broker submits the information CBSA needs to release the goods, linked to the shipment by a cargo control number — often called a PARS number. We share that number with your broker before pickup so the two halves can find each other.
The documents that travel with the load
- A commercial invoice with a clear description of the goods, their value, the country of origin, and the shipper’s and importer’s details. Most border problems trace back to an invoice that does not match what is on the truck.
- The bill of lading.
- Anything specific to the goods your broker asks for. For equipment of North American origin, your broker can tell you whether it qualifies for preferential treatment under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Clean equipment is not optional
Canada does not allow goods contaminated with soil to enter. Under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s soil rules, used vehicles and equipment carrying soil or plant material are refused entry and ordered removed at the importer’s expense. Pressure-wash used machinery — tracks, undercarriage, buckets and blades — before pickup.
Going south: into the United States
The process mirrors the northbound one. The carrier sends an ACE eManifest to US Customs and Border Protection at least one hour before arrival (30 minutes for shipments in the FAST program), and the importer’s customs broker files the entry, linked to the shipment by a PAPS number.
Oversize loads and the border
A permit only covers the roads it names. An oversize load crossing the border needs permits on both sides — from each US state on the route, and from each Canadian province, which set their own dimension limits, travel-time rules and escort requirements. The two permitted routes have to meet at a crossing that suits the load. That is why we choose the crossing per load rather than defaulting to one.
In, out — but not between
A US carrier can bring freight into Canada and take freight out of Canada. It cannot carry a load from one point in Canada to another: that is cabotage, and it needs a Canadian carrier. If your equipment needs to go from Toronto to Montréal after it arrives, plan a Canadian carrier for that leg.
Before the truck leaves: a checklist
- Importer of record confirmed
- Customs broker appointed, and their contact details shared with us
- Commercial invoice ready and matching the freight
- Equipment washed free of soil and plant material
- Dimensions and weight confirmed, and permits arranged if the load is oversize
- Pickup and delivery contacts, hours and site access confirmed
Our main lane is Los Angeles to Toronto and back. When you ask for a quote, tell us the load is crossing the border and who your customs broker is — we will line up the rest with you.