G Singh
1 year ago
Freight into Mexico and Canada,
handled at the line.
How a cross-border move
actually works
Southbound into Mexico the pattern is usually three carriers and two customs filings on one load. A US carrier runs it to the border city, most often Laredo. A transfer carrier licensed to cross shuttles the trailer over the bridge. A Mexican carrier takes it from the border to the final destination. A licensed customs broker files the entry on each side, and Mexican customs may select the load for inspection.
Every handoff is a place it can stall, which is why the planning matters more than the trucking. Northbound into Canada is usually simpler, since many carriers run a through trailer with no transfer, but clearance still has to be arranged before the truck reaches the crossing rather than after.
We are not a customs broker. Here is what that means for you
We arrange and manage the freight
Carrier sourcing on both sides, the transfer at the line, tracking through the crossing, and one point of contact for the whole move.
We do not file your customs entry
That is a licensed customs broker. A different license, a different regulator, and anyone telling you otherwise is guessing.
What we do about it
We coordinate with your customs broker, or connect you with one we work with, and we check the paperwork before the truck is at the bridge. The most expensive delays are documentation problems found at the border.
The paperwork that crosses with the freight
01
Commercial invoice and packing list
Required in both directions. The description, the quantity and the value have to be the same on both, and the same again on everything else in the file.
02
Certificate of origin
Needed wherever a trade agreement is being claimed. Without it the goods are dutiable at the ordinary rate, which is usually not the number your buyer was quoted.
03
The customs entry
Filed by a licensed broker in the destination country before the truck arrives. Southbound into Mexico this is the pedimento. Northbound it is the Canadian entry.
04
Carta porte
The Mexican leg carries a carta porte complement to the electronic invoice. It is a Mexican requirement on the Mexican carrier, and a load without it does not move inland.
05
HS classification and value
Correct classification, accurate values, and a consistent description across every document. Send us the paperwork before the truck loads and we will flag what looks wrong.
06
The mismatch problem
The single most common cause of a border delay is not a missing document. It is a description on the invoice that does not match the packing list, or a value that does not match the entry.
Where this connects
Customs clearance
What clearance involves on each side of the line, and what has to be in place before the truck gets to the bridge.
Customs brokerage
The licensed side of the work. Who files, what they need from you, and where our job ends and theirs begins.
The cross-border guide
The longer version: documents, timing, the crossings, and the mistakes that cost shippers a day at the border.
How long to
plan for
Add a day, and plan for two
Build one extra day into your transit for the crossing itself. When volume is heavy, or the documents need correcting, make it two.
What actually causes the delay
In rough order of frequency: documentation mismatches, customs inspection selection, transfer carrier availability at the bridge, and bridge congestion at peak hours.
Holidays on both sides
Mexican and Canadian holidays, not just US ones. A truck that reaches the bridge on a Mexican holiday sits there until it reopens.
Testimonials
Who ships cross-border with us
Automotive
The Midwest to Mexico corridor is one of the densest manufacturing lanes in North America, and line-down urgency does not pause at a border.
Produce
Northbound through the southwest crossings, where arrival temperature and customs timing compound on each other.
First time across
If this is your first cross-border lane, the guide covers what to have ready and what usually goes wrong. Then call us and we will walk the lane with you.
Before you book the lane,
read this
Tell us the lane, the commodity, and whether you already have a customs broker. We will map the crossing and quote it. If you would rather read first, the cross-border guide covers documents, timing and the mistakes that cost a day at the border. Or call 1-800-632-1760.