Cross-Border · Canada–US

Canada-US Cross-Border

Daily north and southbound capacity. In-house ACE/ACI filing, PARS and PAPS, CARM-ready customs brokerage. C-TPAT and PIP carriers on every lane.

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Customs

ACE + ACI direct filer

Pre-clearance

PARS / PAPS

Canada

CARM-ready

Trusted trader

C-TPAT + PIP

Overview

The Canada-US ground freight lane, simplified.

About $2.6 billion in goods cross the Canada-US border daily, most of it by truck. Five major crossings handle ~70% of volume. The complexity isn’t the driving — it’s the paperwork: ACE (US customs system, used for southbound), ACI (Canadian, used for northbound), PARS (Pre-Arrival Review System for northbound — broker review before arrival at border), PAPS (Pre-Arrival Processing System for southbound). And now CARM (Canada Border Services Agency’s Customs Revenue Assessment Management) is mandatory for all commercial imports into Canada. We handle all of it in-house — no third-party broker handoffs, no surprise customs delays.

How it works

From quote to POD, step by step.

Booking with customs prep

We collect commercial invoice, packing list, USMCA cert, COO and any permits at booking. Customs entry started immediately.

Carrier dispatched

C-TPAT / PIP validated carrier dispatched. Tracking GPS active.

Pre-arrival customs entry

PARS (northbound) or PAPS (southbound) filed. Broker review completed before truck reaches border. CBSA / CBP gets pre-arrival data.

Border crossing

Truck arrives, presents PARS/PAPS bar code, gets released if no exam. C-TPAT lane reduces inspection rate to <1%. Standard lane ~5-15% inspection rate.

Delivery + customs receipt

Truck continues to delivery. Customs receipt (B3 / 7501) and proof of payment uploaded to your account. CARM-compliant duty payment processed in-house.

Pricing

What drives the rate?

Transparent inputs, not mystery margins. Here’s exactly what goes into a canada-us cross-border quote.

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Lane (origin / destination)

Detroit-Toronto cheaper than Vancouver-Toronto. Most US-CA traffic concentrated on a few high-volume lanes

Customs brokerage

Per-entry fee for clearance ($75-150 typical). Bundled with freight for our managed customers

USMCA qualification

If goods qualify, duty-free. If not, MFN duty applies. Our brokers help qualify when possible

Crossing

Detroit-Windsor & Buffalo-Fort Erie busiest. Wait times vary. We monitor and route accordingly

C-TPAT / PIP status

Trusted-trader status (yours or carrier’s) reduces inspections and speeds up release. Cheaper effective cost over time

Industries we serve with this

Verticals where canada-us cross-border is the right call.

Retail & Consumer

Industry desk →

Automotive & New Mobility

Frequently asked

Canada-US Cross-Border questions, answered.

What’s the difference between PARS and PAPS?

PARS = Pre-Arrival Review System for goods entering Canada (northbound). PAPS = Pre-Arrival Processing System for goods entering the US (southbound). Both are pre-clearance — broker reviews customs data before the truck reaches the border so release is faster.

How does CARM impact me?

CARM is now mandatory for commercial imports into Canada. Importers must register with CBSA, post their own financial security (or use a broker’s), and have a CARM Client Portal account. We’re a CARM direct filer and can manage this on your behalf if you don’t want to handle it in-house.

How fast is the typical cross-border transit?

Toronto-Detroit: same day. Toronto-NY: 1 day. Vancouver-Seattle: 4-6 hours. Border crossing adds 1-4 hours typically, less than 1 hour for FAST/C-TPAT carriers.

What is C-TPAT and do I need it?

C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) is the US trusted-trader program. C-TPAT-validated importers/carriers face dramatically reduced inspection rates and faster clearance. We work with C-TPAT carriers on every cross-border lane. Importers can apply directly to CBP — we can advise on the process.

What if my goods don’t qualify for USMCA?

Non-qualifying goods pay MFN (Most-Favored-Nation) duty per HS code. Our customs team will tell you the duty rate at quote so there are no surprises. Sometimes a small product change qualifies goods that would otherwise pay duty — we’ll help find that.

You may also need

One file. Multiple services. Same team.

Full Truckload (FTL)

Dedicated trailer, single shipper, point-to-point — fastest transit and full chain-of-custody.

Less-than-Truckload (LTL)

Shared trailer space for shipments under a full load — predictable rates and reliable transit.

Flatbed

Open-deck capacity for oversize, machinery, building materials and steel — with permits and escorts.

Let’s move it

Have a shipment? Get rates in 10 min.

Tell us the origin, destination and mode. A Qeep specialist replies within the hour with live capacity, lane price, and a transit window you can actually plan around.

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