Your Open Shipments
PRO #I098900199
Delivered
PRO #I098900199
In Transit
PRO #I098900199
Failed
PRO #I098900199
Delivered
PRO #I098900199
Delivered

The Finest in LTL Service.

R+L Carriers is your trusted partner for LTL shipping for over 60 years.

Learn More

Global transportation solutions.

R+L now provides many global transportation solutions to better serve you.

Learn More

Canada Shipping:
Frequently Asked Questions

Let R+L Carriers help you move cross-border
shipments with ease.

Map of Canada Map of British Columbia Map of Alberta Map of Saskatchewan Map of Manitoba Map of Ontario Map of Quebec Map of Newfoundland Map of New Brunswick Map of Prince Edward Island Map of Novia Scotia Map of Canada British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Ontario Quebec Newfoundland New Brunswick Novia Scotia Prince Edward Island

British Columbia

  • Kelowna
  • Nanaimo
  • Burnaby
  • Surrey
  • Victoria

Arlington Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Blaine, WA
  • CN Crossing: White Rock, BC
  • CN Service Center: Vancouver
Close

Alberta

  • Calgary
  • Edmonton
  • Lethbridge
  • Red Deer

Arlington Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Blaine, WA
  • CN Crossing: White Rock, BC
  • CN Service Center: Vancouver
Close

Saskatchewan

  • Regina
  • Saskatoon

Janesville Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Pembina, ND
  • CN Crossing: Emerson, MB
  • CN Service Center: Winnepeg
Close

Manitoba

  • Winnepeg

Janesville Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Pembina, ND
  • CN Crossing: Emerson, MB
  • CN Service Center: Winnepeg
Close

Ontario

  • Brampton
  • Kingston
  • Mississauga
  • Ottawa
  • Windsor
  • Woodstock

Port Huron Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Port Huron, MI
  • CN Crossing: Sarnia, ON
  • CN Service Center: Toronto (HAZMAT)

Detroit Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Detroit, MI
  • CN Crossing: Windsor, ON
  • CN Service Center: Windsor

Buffalo Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Buffalo, NY
  • CN Crossing: Fort Erie, ON
  • CN Service Center: Toronto
Close

Quebec

  • Drummondville
  • Lachine
  • Montreal
  • Longueuil
  • Quebec City

Albany Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Champlain, NY
  • CN Crossing: Lacolle, QC
  • CN Service Center: Montreal
Close

New Brunswick

  • Bathhurst
  • Edmundston
  • Fredericton
  • Hartland
  • Moncton
  • Saint John

Manchester Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Calais, ME
  • CN Crossing: St. Stephen, NB
  • CN Service Center: Saint John
Close

Newfoundland

  • Clarenville
  • Corner Brook
  • Grand Falls
  • Marystown
  • St. John's

Manchester Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Calais, ME
  • CN Crossing: St. Stephen, NB
  • CN Service Center: Saint John
Close

Prince Edward Island

  • Charlottetown

Manchester Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Calais, ME
  • CN Crossing: St. Stephen, NB
  • CN Service Center: Saint John
Close

Novia Scotia

  • Dartmouth
  • New Glasgow
  • Sydney
  • Yarmouth

Manchester Gateway:

  • US Crossing: Calais, ME
  • CN Crossing: St. Stephen, NB
  • CN Service Center: Saint John
Close

Questions About Cross-border Shipping?

International shipping may seem confusing if you’re not familiar with the process. These frequently asked questions about cross-border shipping will help guide you.

What is a Customs Broker?

  • A customs broker clears goods through Canada customs on behalf of the importer. Working with a customs broker means you can leave the clearance of your goods in the hands of professionals who process and present shipping documents to customs. In most cases, the Canada Consignee will be the importer, meaning they will choose and pay for the services of a customs broker.
  • Services provided by the freight carrier and a customs broker are completely separate transactions.
  • The carrier will bill for freight charges and the customs broker will bill for clearance services
  • The customs broker can answer additional questions related to duties, taxes, permits, etc.

If my customer in Canada does not have a broker, am I required to hire one?

If the importer in Canada does not have a customs broker, the U.S. based shipper may consider becoming a Non-Resident Importer (NRI).

Benefits to becoming a Non-Resident Importer (NRI):

  • The U.S. shipper’s ability to quote a complete delivered price to the customer, inclusive of the cost of goods, cost of transportation, cost of brokerage, and related tax or duties.
  • A less complicated sales environment for your customer.

For assistance in locating a Canada customs broker, please contact the R+L Transborder Solutions Group.

How do I define my commodity descriptions on my paperwork?

To ensure your freight reaches its destination on time, it is essential to understand and adhere to the documentation, commodity descriptions and security requirements.

Provide Detailed Commodity Descriptions:
Provide specific and accurate descriptions on the Bill of Lading (BOL), Commercial Invoice or Proforma Invoice.

Vague terms can cause delays. For instance:

  • Instead of “caps,” specify “baseball caps.”
  • Instead of “Tide,” specify “Tide laundry detergent.”
  • Instead of “auto parts,” specify “automobile air filters.”

For more examples, refer to: Commercial reporting requirements – Detailed Commodity Descriptions

Provide Customs Broker Details:
Include the importer of record or your customs broker details to prevent shipment delays. Ensure all documentation is accurate and complete.

Why it Matters
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) mandates detailed commodity descriptions. Properly described shipments help prevent delays and ensure compliance with regulations.

Contact our Transborder team for assistance at 888.575.2632.

Quick Guide Resource for R+L Carriers Canada-transborder Commodity Descriptions

Prohibited and Restricted Items for Transborder Shipping

There are certain prohibited and restricted items that R+L Carriers will not ship due to laws or regulations.

What are Prohibited and Restricted Items?
Shippers are responsible for ensuring compliance with government regulations and laws in each country. Shipments may be subject to inspection and potential delays by customs or other government authorities. Any shipment that is prohibited by applicable law or regulation including any federal, state, provincial, or local government in the origin or destination country will not be transported by R+L Carriers.

View the full list of Prohibited and Restricted Items for Transborder Shipments.

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement on July 1, 2020. There are new rules of origin, origin procedures and product-specific rules, which will provide greater incentives to source goods and materials in the United States and North America. LEARN MORE

Who is responsible for duty and taxes?

The importer of record (purchaser of the goods, generally the Consignee in Canada), is responsible for taxes or duty (if applicable). If the shipper in the U.S. is a Non-Resident Importer (NRI), then the shipper is responsible.

Where does my freight cross the Canada border?

Crossing between the U.S. and Canada is determined by origin and destination of the freight. You can see our U.S. and Canada border crossings on the R+L Carriers Canada flyer here.

Canada Cross-border Shipping, Customs and Regulatory Terms

The freight shipping industry is full of terms and acronyms related to domestic and international transactions. Scroll down to discover more about cross-border shipping.

For a full list of transportation terminology, visit R+L Carriers Freight Glossary.

Track A Canada Shipment Trace your Canada origin or destination shipments

Forgot password?
Get Notifications of Helpful Shipping Resources

Join our email list today to receive the most up-to-date information related to our service offerings, online shipping tips, expansion updates, tech news and much more!