running canada

[pballer]

what is required to run in canada? as in alberta. I was told by someone in one of the large transport companies that they have nothing special. they said all you need is the par stickers and you are good to go. but then they told me the have only gotten stopped once in Ontario and gotten in trouble for not having canadian authority. I guess my question is, outside of having the par stickers, would I need anything else special to run into alberta?

[bighornrmk]

You have a PM.

[LGarrison]

You need a passport too.

[Roadmedic]

Alberta requires a permit when over 26,000 lbs.

[ColoradoRVHauler]

You need to apply for canadan authority so insurance can cover you. There are agencies that will get you set up just like the agencies that get you set up for US Authority. BC you will need BC insurance.. Its like 60 bucks plus fees which ends up being like 100 or so per trip. To get canadian ins coverage you will need canadian authority.

Carey

[pmmjarrett]

You need the operating authority and certain provinces like ON and QC have permits that you will need to have in your permit book.

Trip permits needed in SK for vehicles not running IFTA when loaded. All you need to run is the permit number, not the actual permit in hand which usually gets sent to the drivers house weeks after the run is over. As long as you have the number the officer will look it up and it's not an issue. No permit and IIRC it's about a $300 fine for not having a roughly $40 reimbursable permit.

BC insurance needed for all vehicles loaded or empty. This is a single trip permit that allows you to get in deliver and go out. You need to get this even if you were just cutting across the bottom corner of BC empty going from alberta into idaho or washington. If you call it in and don't have access to a fax or printer to print out an emailed permit, no problem. Just stop at the first open scale and take in the permit number and they will print out the permit for you. Don't enter BC or cross the scale without a permit (insurance) or at least the number for it first. You will be fined and shut down and made to buy the insurance before you can leave.

If running across MN to get to the western provinces you will also need a MN transporter plate as MN doesn't recognize the IN transport plate. You can run the MN plate east of MN but need to swap it out and put the IN plate back on west of MN. ND doesn't bother you with the MN plate but SK will nail you.

SK also likes to get guys in pickups for having more than 50 gallons of fuel in a transfer tank slapped in the bed of a pickup in Estevan. They will get you in the middle of town too not at the scale or the POE into Canada.

In SK you can legally bypass the scales if you are under 22,000 lbs. DON'T blow the coops in AB, they will run you down. In BC there are areas that ALL trucks have to stop and check brakes before going down certain grades. STOP at ALL of these locations, even when you just stopped at another a few miles back. They WILL stop and ticket you for failure to obey a traffic control device in these areas and the fine is over $100..... A buddy of mine recently got one of these awards.

Good luck.

[Roadmedic]

Minnesota plates are not a problem in Sask. Many companies only run the Minnesota tag anymore and use Indiana in states like Washington. When I was at Quality, we only had MN tags.

As far as the fuel in SK, it really is for all provinces. However, they are the only one after it. I was never stopped at anytime and always ran with the tank full. Most likely, just lucky.

I no longer run Canada.

[pmmjarrett]

Minnesota plates are not a problem in Sask. Many companies only run the Minnesota tag anymore and use Indiana in states like Washington. When I was at Quality, we only had MN tags.

As far as the fuel in SK, it really is for all provinces. However, they are the only one after it. I was never stopped at anytime and always ran with the tank full. Most likely, just lucky.

I no longer run Canada.

I have seen that and wondered about it. I think it will depend on how the MN plate is set up which is something he will have to carefully look into. I was spot checked in MT when with Horizon specificly for the MN plate, he came out and walked to the back of the trailer looked at the plate and commented on the IN plate ("good, you have the IN plate mounted") seen my log book was current and sent me on my way.



The fuel issue in Canada is supposed to be about tanks that are not actually part of the trucks fuel system and guys runnng around with twenty 5 gallon cans in the back of the truck. By carrying more than 200 liters (52.8 gallons) you are considered to be an importer not a user and have to pay tax on the excess above 200 liters. In SK it's about $0.30 CAD per liter or $1.16 CAD per USG. So if you had a full 100 gallon slip tank you are looking at $60 in tax + the fine if caught. It is revenue agents running around close to the border that are ticketing on this.

There are a lot of transporters with tanks that are just transfer tanks where they have to pump it into their fuel tank. Quite frankly there is a ton of cobbled BS out there. On a truck like my F800 that had 2 - 150 gallon saddle tanks that were directly plumbed to the fuel pump and return but did not run IFTA it was not an issue. I was stopped in Estevan for that in the middle of town on the truck bypass. The original 40 gallon tanks on that truck were completely disconnected, dry and used for steps only.


I don't run Canada anymore either...... Come to think of it, the only running I do anymore is from my recliner to the dinner table.:D

[Roadmedic]

Montana is another state that we had to have the Indiana tag or pay a permit fee.

[pmmjarrett]

Montana is another state that we had to have the Indiana tag or pay a permit fee.

That sounds about right. It's all about the green american dollar.

Just about everything west of the I35 corridor is a PITA with different permit requirements, taxes, regs and the way they run their scales. They want to play by their own rules, make a little mistake and it'll cost $$$

[ColoradoRVHauler]

Mt and Wa requires there own state plate or use an Indy plate. Mn is no good in Mt and Wa. Reasons are both Mt and Wa require a plate in windshield that matches the trailer. Indy issues 2 plates, Mn only issues 1. Both Mt and Wa transporter plates include a windshield plate. Both states require a permit if running a Mn plate. Mn doesnt have reciprosity(spellling) in Mt and Wa. Indy does.

Carey

[pmmjarrett]

Let see if we can put this all together for towaway for him if he starts running west to try to keep him out of trouble as best we can. I'm winging this from memory as I don't have a permit book anymore since I'm off the road. Some states and provinces have permits you carry in the permit book also that I don't have listed here.

It would be a good idea to meet with a few drivers in Elkhart to look at their permit books. I know the Horizon book has a pretty good list in the legalization section that explains a lot of the various permit requirments for towaway and driveaway and I'm sure others do too.

AZ - permit for the trailer (towaway) - purchase at POE There is also an annual AZ oversize permit for RVs over 102 wide. (RVs with awnings on both sides are over 102 wide. and many 102 wide trailers are over 102 wide at rain gutters etc.
NM - permit for the truck if not IFTA and permit for the trailer if no annual permit on file for towaway. Purchase at POE
CO - will stop you at scales if no VIN# on side of truck. Just a minor inconvienience.
WY - makes everyone come inside at POE to show registration and IFTA
MN - need MN transport plate
ID - need permit for trailer, $60 (towaway) Purchase at POE or truck stops (truck permit locations are marked with signs on highways) NOTE - Dutchman in Burley ID often issues Temp tags for trailers to put in windshield, no permit purchase needed.
MT - need permit if running MN plate
WA - need permit if running MN plate
NV - need 24 hr permit for all trucks over 10,000# without IFTA or NV registration on truck- purchase through 3rd party vendors (PITA and pricey... about $130 with permit fee included) Citation for this is VERY pricy.... $500 IIRC If you have IFTA and NV is on IRP card, don't need permit.
SK - need trip permit if not IFTA avg about $40-45
BC - need BC insurance permit.... roughly $95-100

[tbc27143]

I never needed anything special to get into Canada hauling trailers. Best if you use a Canadian broker, especially one located at the border crossing. Need a passport to get back in the US.

I made a lot of trips to Canada, especially Alberta.

[ColoradoRVHauler]

Wy- also requires an oversize permit if over 102". Its 250 a year. One permit can be shared thruout the fleet. Wy just checks the number on the permit. If its valid its all good.

Co- if licensed for under 26k and not transporting an unlicensed vehicle, they could care a less about ya. So if say you were pulling a backhaul that was already licensed, no need to stop in the ports in Co. No need for a VIN on the outside of the truck if licensed under 26k. The VIN is used to recognize registration in Colorado if plated for over 26k.