Crossing the border - What is required?

Stop at Walmart, buy 500W inverter for $49.95 that plugs into a 12v outlet in the truck. Problem solved. More than enough power to run a 3-function printer. I ran one (plus computer) from a 200W Canadian Tire cheapie for about 10 years... and it still works.

 

Never had a truck without an inverter. Didn't realize they were optional lol

 

For going to USA. Get a load from a customer. Shipper will give bill of lading and also commercial invoice. Put 1 paps on invoice not covering any information. Send invoice to customs broker. Write beside sticker what port you are going through. Check their website for an entry number. Log in to border connect and make your ace.
Reverse the process for going USA to Canada just use pars and aci. Sometimes going to Canada the shipper does not provide an invoice so just put it on bol and send to broker. Always ask shipper if they provide customs invoice or it is sent electronically.

Technically you don't need paps stickers but I find it is a lot easier to use them that way I never reuse a number. They are not expensive for a roll of 1000.

 

And if you try to run a laptop and a printer through a cigarette lighter inverter you will blow the fuse or breaker. They aren't good for very much at all. You want one wired directly to the batteries.

 

Yep, ff you choose to use the stickers and then create your ACE, you need to make sure the Shipment Control Number on your ACE is the same as your PAPS sticker. The electronic manifests replaced the stickers but you can still use them. Just kind of redundant is all. I have never used a PAPS sticker but I continue to use my PARS stickers just to use them up. Only ~800 more to go!

 

If possible, it's a good idea to call the shipper and get them to fax the customs invoice as soon as you get your rate con. Gives the players a chance to deal with any FUBARS before you are loaded. Ideally before you dead head 300 miles to your PU. If you leave customs invoices until the last minute you will eventually get one of these:
1. The office staff at the steel mill in Roanoke, VA have gone home for the weekend you'll have to wait until Monday.
2. There's a problem with the paperwork, they will have to do it tomorrow.
3. The customs invoice doesn't match what the freight broker said you're supposed to pick up.
4. The customer hasn't paid for the septic tanks yet and the shipper won't do an invoice until they are paid
5. The customer taking delivery of the Fecon mulcher hasn't paid the HST yet and the customs broker won't clear the shipment
6. After hours personnel at Livingston won't take your call.
7. Shipper is using a customs broker you've never heard of and you don't have a contact number
8. The shipper in Waynesboro, PA wants to load a skid of car batteries to save time installing them on their electric dump trailers. Unfortunately, if they are listed separately and not installed they are HAZMAT.
9. You're oversize and the two hours you spent waiting for the shipper to give you the customs invoice has put you in a curfew situation and now you can't leave until 10:00 AM tomorrow.

 

I think I found the reason I still use paps.

What happens when you have multiple shipments going to multiple customers Canada to USA? Each shipment needs it's own paps number.... and for your ace you just make a trip number that will cover all paps numbers. I usually do my trip numbers like ABCD051717TF
SCAC date driver initials
If doing more than 1 trip per day just put 2,3, etc after driver initials

 

Hmmmmm now you're making me think. You can do multiple shipments in the US Customs ACE portal. One trip number and multiple SCN's. It's been a long time since I've done two drops but iirc my trip number would be ABCD 0518201701955 for my 1955th trip. Then I would enter two shipments with SCN's like ABCD00001954A and ABCD00001954B.

 

Ah ok that makes more sense to me now. Essentially you are doing the same thing I do.

Some of my customers like me to scan or leave a page of paps at their office, they make all the customs paperwork and send it to the broker. They often have multiple deliveries. This is where I really find value in paying my customs service $7 per ace +$1 per paps or pars. Well worth it for me. For full loads I'm sure I could probably handle it all myself.