Canada: Greasing the Wheels

As long as the paperwork is in order, your Pars is cleared an hour or two before crossing, you'll be fine. The only time I've had to cut a seal at the border is for a meat inspection. Otherwise it's in and out.

Oh, I don't carry a FAST card. It just means I can't take hazmat over the border. Sometimes I had crossed the border quicker than the FAST guys.

 

Some automotive loads require you to have a fast card. Most cases going in is smooth, it coming out that get to be a headache. I ran automotive loads in for 2 years and made very good money. I quit a little over a year ago when it went to the electronic manifest become mandatory, too much hassle. Before that if it the BOL was addressed to a major auto plant all we had to do was fill out a A49 form and hand it over as we crossed, no preapproval.

 

I have not had a CBSA guard ever ask for an E-manifest. Only had them going south. I do have one coming home, but nobody ever asked for them. Had one load, gave them the manifest, and they told me it was only cleared with pars.

 

E-manifest going back to Canada is going to be the norm soon, there is some deadline, I don't know, I am already on it. But they are forcing us onto the same system as going into the US. It really does work better if you have multiple shipments ... and it streamlines the process when Canada customs wants to come and see that yes indeed certain things were cleared and all is legit. They didn't even need to come to my office to do it. Getting setup is pretty easy, I just paid an agent to do it for me, cost peanuts to do it, I don't even recall. They setup my shipments for $7 per load and if you have extra shipment it is another $1. Well worth the money for me as an o/o.

 

as long as paperwork was good going into canada was a breeze,getting back into the states is usually where the trouble starts. and if you have a pet make sure all shots are up to date and you can prove it. lots of luck

 

Women inspectors are nosey and ask more questions.

USA will run you through the xray and might look in the back.

I've had 2 inspections for cat litter. But took less than 20 minutes so no biggie. Feel like stretching your legs while they rip off your sheets on your bed and not put them back on.

Boats get picked on or live animals of course going into Canada. ....now that took 4 hours going through immigration etc...

I try not to go through the french lanes anymore usually encounter a woman.

Try to cross after 9 pm or before 4am.

Weekends it doesn't matter as much patrols are busy picking on the 4wheelers.

 

Don't do that to yourself.

Unless, you get some nitch-deal, that makes the hassle worth it.

 

Most of the time the stories you hear are because of the idiot drivers who don't understand instructions OR have a "its not my job to fix this" attitude. <<== speaking of expediters.

Good for you, it is something you will enjoy, Canada is a foreign country and you can add it to your list of exotic places you went to in your life.

I have both now, I use the fast card for my border crossings but I have had to use my passport for the OPP. YOU can't use the FAST card except at the border and if you get caught using it as ID other than the border, you can lose it.

Getting a fast card is easy, just get fingerprinted (yes again), apply for it on line and then go to the interview. Pretty straight forward and a direct write off (all related costs).

MOST of the time it is a glich in paper work. the broker usually screws something up but they can fix it. The other times the officer will ask you trick questions like how long have you been in Canada or where is your place of birth and if you don't answer right, you are sent to an inspection. Oh and you get random inspections because they have to do so many of them per hour or day.

As for a seal, I never seal my truck or the trucks I drive. I have not been told to or not to but if they want to look in the back, they don't have to ask permission to do so - you have zero rights on a border entry inspection.

 

When crossing back to Canada, they typically ask me where I live, how long I've been gone, did I purchase anything, any weapons in the truck, any packages from someone else, minor things. I just answer everything with a plain and simple yes/no and they stamp my top copy of the Bol and I'm good to go. I'm sure you would get the same going back home to the USA.

The CBSA officers have got to be the least of my worries.