Canada–USA Cross-Border Compliance

CBSA & CBP Compliance

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) each maintain their own compliance requirements for commercial carriers — covering everything from carrier bonds to driver documentation.

CBSA Requirements (Canada)

• Valid carrier code registered with CBSA
• Customs bond coverage for duties and taxes owed
• Accurate commodity classification and valuation on all manifests
• Driver documentation including valid passport/enhanced license

CBP Requirements (USA)

• Bond coverage through a CBP-approved surety
• Compliance with C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) if participating
• Accurate HTS code classification for all cargo
• Driver eligibility verification for cross-border operation

Common Compliance Issues We Prevent

• Manifest discrepancies between declared and actual cargo
• Expired or insufficient customs bond coverage
• Missing or incorrect commodity classification codes
• Driver documentation gaps causing crossing delays

Titanways Compliance Support

• Ongoing review of your carrier profile with both agencies
• Bond coverage verification and renewal tracking
• Driver documentation audits before scheduled crossings
• Direct liaison if CBSA or CBP flags a compliance issue

Customs Broker Liaison

Titanways works directly with licensed customs brokers on your behalf — coordinating documentation, duty calculations, and clearance timing so your freight isn't held up by paperwork mismatches between carrier and broker.

Why Carrier-Broker Coordination Matters

Customs brokers handle duty and tax clearance, but they rely on accurate, timely documentation from the carrier side. Mismatches between what the carrier files (ACE/ACI) and what the broker submits to customs are a leading cause of border delays.

What Titanways Coordinates

• Ensuring manifest data matches broker's customs entry exactly
• Timing manifest submission to align with broker's clearance window
• Flagging documentation gaps before they cause a hold at the border
• Acting as a single point of contact between your dispatch and the broker

Note on Scope

Titanways is not a licensed customs broker and does not handle duty/tax payment or formal customs entry — we coordinate with your existing broker (or refer you to a trusted partner) to ensure the transport side of your shipment is fully aligned with the customs clearance side.

FAST Lane Eligibility

The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program provides expedited border clearance for pre-approved, low-risk carriers and drivers — significantly reducing wait times at major Canada–USA crossings.

What FAST Provides

• Access to dedicated FAST lanes at major crossings, bypassing general commercial lanes
• Reduced inspection rates for pre-approved shipments
• Faster overall transit time across the border, improving delivery reliability

Eligibility Requirements

• Carrier must be C-TPAT (U.S.) or PIP (Canada Partners in Protection) approved
• Driver must hold a valid FAST card (individual security clearance)
• Shipment must originate from and be destined to approved, low-risk participants in the supply chain

FAST Card Application Process

Carrier Onboarding

New to cross-border trucking? Titanways manages the full carrier onboarding process — from initial CBSA/CBP registration through bond setup, manifest system access, and first-shipment readiness review.

What's Included in Onboarding

• CBSA carrier code registration (Canada)
• CBP bond and ACE account setup (USA)
• IRP and IFTA registration if not already in place
• Driver documentation review and FAST card guidance
• First-shipment dry run to confirm manifest filing works end-to-end

Who This Is For

• New carriers planning their first cross-border routes
• Existing domestic carriers expanding into cross-border freight
• Carriers switching from a previous permit/compliance provider

Onboarding Timeline