Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

The issue with only the US miles showing is that the dispatchers only see those miles and therefore dispatch based on that. I tell them my hours are tight to make appt time and their reply is "it's only 500 miles you have plenty of time to run that"

I will keep the fax option in mind next time. I was instructed to come back to the yard and wait so that's what I did.

 

I'll be heading out of here about 3am so will probably pass you in TX.

 

I don't have my passport yet but I want to learn the routes we are supposed to take into Canada. Are these the 3 usually main point of entry?

 

If you drive in a generally northern direction, you will eventually hit Canada. Can't miss it, really.

I have been into Canada...six times now? Much less than JohnBoy, of course. All of my trips so far have been into Toronto or points nearby, so always the same port of entry and exit.

You will get pre-prepared customs paperwork from HQ that you will need to show to the folks at the border crossing, both entering and leaving Canada, and those pieces of paperwork say which port you're using for entry and exit. So if the paperwork says you're going into Canada via Fort Erie and you try to go in via some other port, there will be Problems(tm). Not sure what kind or how insurmountable they are, but I'm sure it will be a headache to straighten out for everyone involved.

First couple of times I went into Canada, they actually wrote down on the paperwork which port I needed to use to get into and out of Canada. Now they just send a Qualcomm message: Go in using Fort Erie, come out using Lewiston. My GPS likes to try and do it backwards: In at Lewiston, out at Fort Erie. So make sure you check your GPS routing if you use that. (Also, as long as we're on the subject of GPS routing, stay off the 407 in Toronto. It's a toll road and our transponders don't work there.)

First time I went into Canada, they inspected my truck. I had to bump a dock there at the border crossing and go inside and wait while a couple of customs agents climbed around inside the truck. Haven't had to do that since.

First time I came back into the US from my first Canada trip, the border crossing toll was pre-paid. That hasn't happened since either, and every subsequent time I've had to park the truck and go inside the US Customs building and pay $13.20.

 

Out of California?. I've re-entered the US via Detroit a couple times. In both cases it was when final delivery was to Lumber store about 10 miles from the Ambassador bridge. As mentioned the customs paperwork will dictate where you enter and exit.

As far as I know, we never reload in Canada so as soon as I get empty I head towards the appropriate border before getting any kind of deadhead or load plan.

 

Thanks JohnBoy for the information.

 

The border crossing user fee is a complete mystery to me. Sometimes I have been told I'm good to go at the drive up kiosk, other times I have been told to go in and pay. There have also been instances where the outside kiosk guy says go in and pay and when I go in to pay, the officer inside says I don't have to pay anything.

I sincerely think it depends on the mood of the officers in question. I'm pretty sure one of the times I went in to pay, the officer couldn't be bothered getting up from his desk to work the cash register so just told me to go.

Also the price keeps going up. It was around $7 first time I went in 2016, then it went to $11, then up to $13.05 where it held for a while. Looks like it's up to $13.20. Maybe they were getting too many nickels so raised the price 15 cents so the dimes would build up again.

In any case, make sure you have cash on you, not sure if they take cards, but cash is quick and easy and it's best to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible just in case the Xray operators get bored and go looking for trucks to scan.

 

Thanks for the information. I heard and understand that all weapons are confiscated if you have one and even pepper spray! But is it true that if you're caring carton's of cigarettes and they go inside the the truck they will confiscated them thinking your going to sale them? ( I don't smoke but I just want to know if is true).