If you live in Canada

Coming back into the states was always more of a hassle for me too and when I spec’d out my new truck it some how ended up being to long to go north of the border.

 

I cross every week both ways. If you have a good company you ACE or ACI is done quickly and the broker does the clearance way before you get to the border. I ALWAYS have a clearance number from Customs before I get to the border, show my FAST card and just breeze thru. No issues. If your ducks are in a row it's easy.

 

Sounds like you need to go to a company that will pay you for your downtime when they screw up.

 

How long does it take to get to customs though? I cross there a couple time year to cross Canada to Buffalo and every time I go there is a line of trucks half way back to Water St. Or is it just the time of day I hit it, as I tend to leave the house about the same time of day when I do?

 

If it’s in the middle of the afternoon, that could be it. I’m thinking it has something to do with shift change on the Canadian side. I think the lunchtime shift change takes a longer than normal amount of time to complete.

 

The odd time I hit there in the middle of the day I have lost 30-45 minutes. I have sat longer, but it's rare and only when there is an issue on the bridge, US customs computers down etc. 99% it's a breeze. I leave Halifax, end of day 1 at 152 in Qc, end of day 2 I cross late, breeze thru, and crash at the Michigan rest area for the night. Short day to Chicago then.

 

I cross every week, sometimes a cpl times a week. Haven’t had a single problem. Pigeon river, Sault Ste. Marie, sarnia. Never an issue. In or out. Must be my charming personality.

 

Been crossing five days a week for 20 years. Drama a few times, brokers screw up on occasion, it happens. It’s not nearly as bad as folks make it out to be.