After I wasted so much time with the Newfoundland load I needed to set my cash flow straight. Pay per mile is great; but my bills have a numeric number and I need to make so much money each and every month. If I do 10 trips that pay $4 per mile and each trip is only 300 miles, that's not as good as doing 4 trips at $2.50 per mile and each trip is 2,500 mile long.

 

What the f--?! No wonder I'm going broke here ... I was afraid to touch US to US freight period. I never did anything similar to the scenario described above. Which seems quite logical and appears legal! Now, what about loads where the origin is US and the destination is Canada but they want me to drop some stuff off in US? Basically, the entire loads goes from A in USA to C in Canada, but some stuff picked up in A needs to be dropped in B inside USA ON THE WAY TO CANADA. Would that be legal to do for a Canadian driver?

 

That's what I knew too. I read the PDF rank provided a link to and US Customs allows 'incidental' cabotage while Immigration considers it illegal. At the same time, Customs says Canadian drivers must comply with Immigration requirements at all times, which means Immigration rules have priority.

 

Now please understand that I'm not here to argue with anyone (or everyone), especially since I was always under the exact same impression as the rest of you until I recently read about this. According to the recent article in Highway Star, the rules have been changed. Again, from the posted link:

The purpose of this change in cabotage regulations was to allow more efficient and economical
utilization of vehicles both domestically and internationally

I didn't read it that way initially, but now that I re-read it with your interpretation in mind, I will admit that it could be interpreted as equipment only......however impractical and ridiculous that may be.

Perhaps the prudent course of action is to call the telephone number listed in the link to get an interpretation.

 

But the link lists this as an INS rule does it not?

"The following document only paraphrases the regulations on cabotage of the Immigration
and Naturalization Service and the U.S Customs Service."

 

INS Requirements:

....

3. Key Principles Relating to Cabotage.
...
$ Drivers may not engage in point-to-point hauling within the U.S.
...

6. Examples of Movements Not Permitted by Canadian-based Drivers.
...
$ Pick up additional domestic shipments to fill up a partially filled trailer carrying
an international shipment.
...

 

One comment related to the NL trip: I found out Comdata cards do work in Nova Scotia at PETRO-PASS locations. I fueled up this morning in Sydney, NS because the card machine had a COMCHECK (U.S. CARDS ONLY) sign on it. Previously a fuel clerk told me PetroPass doesn't take Comdata in NS. Which is partially true because the only way to start the pump is if you do it yourself - at the Cardlock. The clerk cannot start it. I guess that's why on the phone they told me I cannot use ComData to buy fuel.

 

Your right....US Customs really doesn't care about Cabotage but the INS does and they can and will seize your truck and trailer,deport you and refuse you entry back into the US if they catch you making an illegal point to point move in the US if you are a Canadian Citizen.

INS would look at it the same way as they would a Mexican that is illegaly working in the US.

 

Unfortunatley you are wrong..... I have 2 very good friends who work for MCX in Detroit and both have regularly delivered loads that a canadian driver has brought up from Laredo and Brownsville. I JUST got off the phone with one of them and he said the canadian drivers take loads from Canada to their border yards in texas, and then will pick-up auto-parts usually somewhere in TX or MO and drop the trailer off at the detroit yard where he as a LOCAL US driver, then delivers the load to FORD and Chrysler. This is what the quote and article RANK was talking about. the trailer is CANADIAN based, but it has to be delivered by a US driver.

 

You are correct to a point...... just like now, you are heading to NV. You were just there earlier last month if I remember, and you had to dh 800+ miles to get a load. So lets say you get all those loads in Chicago and Ohio that are going to QC at $1200 a trip. Wouldn't 2 trips at 600 miles long pay just as well as 1 trip at 2500 miles loaded, and then say 500+ NOT PAID DH ??? plus, you could get 5 local loads at say $1000 each, and run 1500 miles TOTAL. So now you will be at home sat-sun, you made $5000 to the truck, and you know there will be more freight on monday in that area.

But now instead you will spend 5 days driving to NV and thats IF the interstate isn't closed for a few days like it tends to do in the winter. Now you also have to throw chains on your tires, and god only knows if you can find a load worthwhile coming back....... I'm just saying WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Now this is with-out me looking at the Landstar load board, but my experience was always with loads NOT ON THE BOARD. you need to do the local load search history for your hometown area. I will almost gurrantee that there is someone shipping EVERYDAY to and from your home. I know of several agents that would love for a dedicated canadian driver, but they all run van and not flat/step