What is a "Port of Entry"?

Most states west have them. Inspection station would be a better name. They'll check your paperwork and weigh you sometimes.

 

Nothing to worry about... New Mexico was always the PIA if you did not have the state permit, they got their IFTA money up front. Been a few years since passing through there, but I always carried a couple hundred bucks cash, as they do not take American Express... Or Visa for that matter! And the ATM was back at the last exit! LOL!

 

If I went to the ship port in Baltimore and picked up a box of... fish feeders destined for retail sale in a store front up in Mount Holly Springs PA, I have to take that box and it's US Customs Redball seal on the doors to Harrisburg Airport and have a Federal Agent cut the seal and declare a paper form that this load is now a import load and we are clear to deliver same at that port of entry.

We did this pretty regularly believe it or not.

Wyoming is a POE state. If you came through say Salt Lake and crossed into Wyoming from the west there is a POE scales waiting for you just before Fort Bridger. You pull in, park, show your paper work, logs ID etc. They stamp this that and something else and say bye. And that's all there is.

Just keep in mind that in winter, there are no bathrooms inside the building due to frozen conditions and the outhouses provided for you are full of it. So keep moving along.

I don't recall the particulars of WY anymore and think to go out on a limb by saying that loads crossing wyoming going eastbound and down to georgia is not the same as loads going TO wyoming inside.

 

Basically they are Weigh stations. Wyoming at least will almost always have you come in to show them your IFTA license and truck registration and they usually ask what you are hauling. No big deal really. You don't have to go through all of them, only if you see a big white sign saying something to the effect of you must stop. You will be fine. Don't sweat it.

 

Believe it or not most Wyoming Port of entry's do now have inside bathrooms.

 

They check your boots too, for splatters to make sure you're not using the parking lot still.

 

South Dakota has weigh stations they call port of entry.

 

Port of Entry is not only a scale house though. A lot of states (That have waterways for cargo) have a commercial area/warehousing site that goods are taken to be inspected by customs or some other type of official. (Think overseas shipments)
Usually they are a national security site and may require a TWIC card to gain entrance (if no TWIC, then strict escort)

Once the goods/containers are inspected and cleared they move on to the next destination.