New Guy Here! Want to start with hay hauling.

Some states are more strict than federal. I do believe MA is 10,001. They've been nailing the landscapers big the last couple of years.

 

Ben, how heavy will you be with a dually, a tridem trailer and a load of hay? FYI, you'll probably require an IFTA sticker and a US DOT number too>probably a CVOR also.

 

Ben, weight restrictions are total/gross weight.
US DOT takes a couple of weeks to get.
Remember once you "activate" your US DOT you are abliagted to go through a compliance audit. It's not a huge deal BUT they'll make sure that everything you are doing is by the book and that you're enrolled in drug testing among other things.

 

Ah yes. Where to begin?

The demand for hay changes. There is usually a demand in upstate NY, but this year there has been a market in eastern ON due to the drought last summer.

1st. To go into the US on a regular basis, the carrier will need to create an online ACE manifest for every trip. This requires that you set up an ACE account with US Customs.

2nd. The FDA also needs to be notified in advance of the hay arriving at the border (the shipper usually looks after this, but if they don't you will probably get turned around).

3rd. The shipper may also need to get a customs broker and create a customs invoice to send with the carrier to the border. Yes it is possible to skip this step by crossing on an "informal entry" but whether or not you get across will be up to the customs officer. Not a chance that I am willing to take.

4th. Hay is like produce. Lots of times you get there and the buyer rejects the shipment because he and the seller have a different opinion of what "good" hay is or, the because the buyer now holds all the cards and will say he doesn't want the hay unless there is a price reduction. Either way, the carrier is caught in the middle.

5th. I was talking to a guy who moves plastic tanks on a 53' goose neck with a super duty Ford diesel pickup. When he is loaded, (~11,000 lbs), he gets approx the same fuel mileage as I do with my T800 KW with M11 Cummins. A 3x3x8 bale of hay weighs 800 lbs so I doubt that you will save any money on fuel. I also think you will kill a pickup truck in short order, and you will probably have to pay more for the pickup truck to begin with.

So, with the above in mind I ask why hay hauling? As mentioned, if you're hauling hay you will be hauling it to the US and you might be better off looking at U-Ship to start out and just stay on the Canadian side.

my $.02

 

Great points rank.

We were never required to notify FDA>have things changed? If you crossed during business hours FDA was there and it was a mandatory visit to them for a stamp of the paper work. If they weren't there then sometimes Customs would attach an "FDA Notice" to the paperwork and the consignee was obligated to "quarantine" the hay for up to a week or ten days so they could come and inspect it if they wanted to. I NEVER gave that document to the consignee untill I was paid and the trailer was MT>I wasn't allowing some beurocratic nonsense to delay me!

Ben, if you're hauling hay south to the US on your dually there's a "loophole" that you can use to dispense with alot of the US Customs red tape. The value of a small load like that should be under $2K so you don't require a formal entry. A US Customs Broker can tell you everything you need to know about that to be compliant.

 

Can't remember when FDA said the "Prior Notices" were required to be submitted by internet but it was at least a year before ACE started. Maybe 2005?

Yep. That is called a "Hold Intact Letter" and they still do it when the FDA is closed.

Good advice on talking to customs, Ralph. Always best to go to the source.

I think it might be up US CBP to decide whether of not it can cross on an informal entry. We crossed on them for years and eventually one day they said nope and turned the truck around and said you need a broker. I *think* depend on how many shipments you do. We were doing about ~250 - 350 shipments a year when they pulled the plug on the informals IIRC.

 

I think you want to look @ Kijiji. As crazy as it sounds there are always folks looking for someone to move something. Do you have a trailer? If not consider a gooseneck with ramps. Something that you can load/unload small tractors with. You may want to go to farm auctions on Saturday mornings, park in a prominent place and hand out flyers. See if you can leave flyers or business cards@ the registration desk...be nice to the gals at the desk and smile alot>they like that.

One thing we haven't discussed yet Ben>insurance. Once you start hauling someone else's stuff you are a business and you need good insurance including cargo insurance.