Going in and Out of Canada

[coastie]

I maybe starting working for a company that goes from Georgia to Canada. Pays good and sounds promising. My concerns is the Border crossing, so How much of a pain is it now days? I did cross over once back in 1997 but not since. They claim to have a permit where all I would have to do is get my bills scanned.

[Orangetxguy]

If your company has all the paperwork faxed to the border, with the matching PARS sticker attached to your paperwork, crossing is good. If the paperwork isn't faxed ahead, and you don't have the PARS sticker on your paperwork..your gonna sit for a few..hours..or days.

Have your Passport along as well.

[Stainless]

Crossing into Canada is the easy part. The customs officers are fairly laid back and once you get to know the paperwork it'll become easy.

The real pain is crossing back into the US...cop killers are treated with more civility than Homeland Security treats truck drivers and thats why i'll never take another job that includes border crossing.

[Uturn2001]

So how much is the US charging now to get back in the states? Last I knew it was like $5, but someone said it went up.

[freebird]

So how much is the US charging now to get back in the states? Last I knew it was like $5, but someone said it went up.

Yeah, but look at what you get for the price of admission!! :wink:

[Orangetxguy]

So how much is the US charging now to get back in the states? Last I knew it was like $5, but someone said it went up.

I went into Canada last week..didn't pay a dime coming back....except for the toll for the bridge crossing at Port Huron..or is that what ya were referring to??

[gmh]

So how much is the US charging now to get back in the states? Last I knew it was like $5, but someone said it went up.

Yeah, but look at what you get for the price of admission!! :wink:

No lube, no reach around, no thanks.

[bikerboy]

You only gotta pay the 5 or 10 bucks i think it is now, if you don't have a US customs border crossing sticker, its only 100 bucks a year for the sticker, so alot cheaper than paying each time.

All canadian trucks have this sticker, it speeds up your crossing, since it also have a chip embeded in it, that US customs computers pick up when you drive to the booth.

I also have a FAST card, i drove up to the booth, held my card out the window, and everything flashes up on US customs computers.
Load info included.
Always make sure you have your ACE manifest entry numbers before trying to enter the USA, up to 5000 dollar fine for showing up at the border without ACE entry number.

You americans don't realize how easy you got it, most canadian drivers have to deal with this border BS on every load.
The longest i ever sat at customs was about 2 hours tho, so i had good luck.

Sitting for 12 hours or more can happen some days tho, if the broker messed up your paperwork.

[harleypiper]

I crossed at Niagra Falls 2 weeks ago and had no problems in or out. Going in the fee was $18.50. Last week I crossed at the Vermont Border at Rock Island. The Canadian Invoice was in order and faxed in with a crossing time of 1800 hrs. Knowing I wasn't going to cross till 0600 hrs. the next day. I hear they like to wait till the last minute to clear the paperwork. However, there was no problem in or out. When I came out the only thing was to scan the truck and check a couple of side compartments. Nov. I crossed in Cornwall with a bridge toll of $15.25 but now $18.50. Still no passport required, just I.D. but they may ask for Birth Certificate.

[wot i life]

Crossing into Canada is the easy part. The customs officers are fairly laid back and once you get to know the paperwork it'll become easy.

The real pain is crossing back into the US...cop killers are treated with more civility than Homeland Security treats truck drivers and thats why i'll never take another job that includes border crossing.

Sorry for going off track everyone, but this post reminds me of British Customs at Dover. They let Dmitri and Sergei and all their pals in without hardly ever bothering them but pull Brit drivers onto the inspection bays routinely enough(I wonder if it is because we have some disposable income and Sergei and co only have a side box with old mutton and mouldy cheese in?)

[murray]

crossing the borders is pretty good,,, AS LONG as your dispatcher and broker have done there jobs properly., Before faxing your paper work put as much info on as you cansuch as truck and trailer # along with the plate # make sure you put on what border you're crossing at and your ETA, if you're coming into Canada and you have a good dispatcher he/she will inform you ahead of time if it is cleared or not, if it's not your dispatcher should be working on the problem to get it fixed or else you'll be doing it when you show up so know what broker it is you need to go visit, my dispatcher is really good and i hardly ever have an issue any more, Going into the US is a bit different your dispatcher has to make sure it is cleared ,once cleared he/she will isssue an entry # or you can look it up on the computer,BUT don't show up without that # because biker boy is right about the fine, and invest in a fast card,it brings up all the info to the US border gaurd. Bridge fees are all different from free ( Buffalo) to 28.00 (Fort Erie) ,8.75(Lansdown) ect.. Not sure about the actuall border cross fees and cost of transponder . I do find it easier crossing into the US than into Canada though.

[mbadriver]

Getting out is the easy part. Coming back in is a pain. Everytime, I get run through the XRAY machine. Either I look awfully guility, or I look like an easy way for them to meet the XRAY quota.

I thought they charged at all crossings back to the USA :? I crossed at Derby Line Vermont. No bridge, no nothing. The price for admission was $10.75.

I don't have much faith in Homeland Security. It almost seems like another government "Make Work" program. I do know if I lived near a border xing I would want one of them jobs That is easy money!

One last thing, don't show up at USA Customs without your Entry Number. They can fine you a ton of money.

PARS out PAPS in.

So how much is the US charging now to get back in the states? Last I knew it was like $5, but someone said it went up.

[driver1989]

Log book is different in Canada , plate number on truck and trl . must be on log book. Beginning and ending miledge on log book , I never put miledge on the L. book. There hos are different . I used to go to Canada 50 or more times a year , it isn,t that big of a deal , even Quebec no biggy the signs are in french , no one talks on the cb . Use your debit card at an atm for exchange. Respect the boarder guards and you won,t have problems and if you get x rayed they search the truck , they don,t care about the log book. I had 12 dozen hormel dinners , enough stuff to last for 75 days out. Don,t say yes to any weapons even a pocket knife. If you cross at Windsor , watch your speed in jackson county in Mi. Best of Luck

[GMAN]

In talking with Canadian drivers, it seems that we have more difficulty getting back into the U.S. and they have greater difficulty getting back into Canada. We have more problems with our own government than the foreign one.

[bikerboy]

I always had more problems getting into the US than i ever had getting back home to canada.

I got X`rayed twice going into USA, never got X rayed coming into canada

never got searched either way either.

Had quite a few problems with my ACE manifest not matching my truck licence plate, then the officer couldn't find my ACE in their computers.
Spent a few hours inside getting ACE figured out each time that happened.

Almost never even got asked for ID coming in canada.
The US asked for ID just about every time.
I always used FAST card for ID
its just easier than passports and birth certificates.