Jumping through hoops at the border has truckers frustrated

I am going to run under my own DOT authority, I have never been into Canada previously leased to a carrier. Now that I will be a carrier, what is the procedure for crossing the border (other than a long wait). Do you need certain paperwork from the shipper? I have never been to Canada before, I have no DUI's nor a criminal record. Is there ways to pre-register to speed things up? Thanks alot!

 

I don't know what people are talking about with these long wait times.

When I pick up in the states, I fax my papers immediately to the customs broker. If I can use the fax machine in the shipping office I do so, otherwise I stop at the next truck stop along the way and fax it from there.

I put my PARS sticker on the papers, and state where I am crossing, my ETA, and my phone number in case there are any problems.

I am always cleared well in advance of me getting to the border. When I show up, they do the quick "any guns/weapons/cash over 10,000? purchase anything? how long were you down for?" and I am on my way in a minute or two.

Going south, I usually get a US customs officer who does a cab inspection and walk around check (in addition to the Xray). Even then, the longest i have been there is 20 minutes. My work does up an ACE manifest so when I get to the border I hand them my passport and that manifest and they just scan it in, ask me the usual questions, and I am gone.

 

Funny how 5-10mins of prep saves so much time when crossing either way. Even if picking up just south of the border into WA and the time traveling to the border is lower than the time they need I stop for lunch or coffee of a place of my choosing. Most cases drivers who have loaded before me and booked it to the border are still sitting there when I roll through the booth and onto delivery, just because they didn't fax up papers to have them cleared before getting there. The ace set up while a pain in butt to wait for the office to get it back to you, it sure saves if they know who is driving and who is with me at customs when I get there.

Oh for those of you who have never done it, don't believe the office when they say they have it done until you have confirmed it your self or in best case set up, do it yourself to know it was done right or start your learning process of getting done right for next time.

 

You must look like a criminal ... I don't even get that.

 

When I cross at Sweetgrass I get left alone.....but when I cross at Eastgate or at Portal I get my cab searched every time. I have actually never been able to just drive through either of those 2 crossings and be left alone.

My eyes tend to dry out a lot while driving so my eyes look red a lot of times. That could be why (think I'm stoned?). I really have no idea. I keep my cab spotless, and I'm a non smoker so the searches never last a long time anyways. I just hate it how they make you wait in their office while some guy is digging around in your truck.

 

Could be the eyes? I don't cross at Portal, but at Sweetgrass about 70-75% and Eastgate the rest. So far, the guys at Eastgate have been really helpful, to the point of making a bunch of calls for me when my broker screwed up. Sweetgrass has always been professional and friendly and cut me a break a few times as well.

I usually cross in the middle of the night and I find that helps.

 

Portal used to be a good place to cross.

They have became a training base and they are extremely strict on the rules. They are even checking on the US side in the middle of the night.

Sweetgrass has more of the friendly officers on both sides and they are easy to deal with. There are searches here, but not as often.

 

Rat Fink wrote about having to stand in the office while a customs officer is going through the cab in the search of what ever. back in the 80's while crossing at Portal ND an officer had the idea of just wait here while I go and check your truck. I tried to explain before he left how to open the door of the old cab over we were driving at the time. He ignored me and told me to sit, and walked out the door, his supervisor looked at me and asked what I was trying to tell him before he walked out. I explained the door needed to have pressure on the out side skin while pulling on the door handle. This brought a laugh from the supervisor and he said to sit and watch just how long it would take for this officer to figure out he should have stopped to listen to me. 20mins later this guy comes in and unloads on me that the truck is still locked and should have been unlocked for his inspection. At that time the supervisor stops him and told him he should have listened to my telling him how to open the doors. So after walking out to push and pull the door pops open for him, then he gets on it was a unsafe door kind of thing. I explained to him how safe is a a door that can't be opened by an intruder ( snorting in the background by the supervisor ).

To bad they now have training there, it was a real nice port with very few officers giving you grief, unless you use their bathroom too much ( that's another story ).

 

The driver they quoted in that article. John Friesen, is the guy who got me into the business. I drove his truck as my first job when I still lived in Portage. Small world, eh....

 

See in Canada you Canuks say "you get off of my truck eh" and here in NY we say "eh you get off of my xxxxing truck", it's all good. Anywho the company I am looking at would be sending me across on a regular basis.