Michigan to Toronto trucking
A full truck or a few pallets to Toronto or anywhere in Ontario, customs clearance included.
- One request for transport and customs
- Answer usually within 1 business day
- Free, no commitment
Customs rules change — confirm with the official sources on this page or with a licensed customs broker before you ship.
This lane at a glance
Period: October 2025 to September 2026 (12 months), compared with the 12 months before.
In short. Goods from Michigan cleared in Ontario (excluding works of art and energy products): CAD 27.3 billion in the 12 months to September 2026 (+3.8% on the year before). Largest group: Vehicles and transport equipment, 65.2%. Usual crossing: Ambassador Bridge. Detroit–Toronto: about 370 km. Statistics Canada figures; page checked November 11, 2026.
- Detroit
- I-94 · Hwy 401
- Ambassador Bridge
- Toronto
- Goods from Michigan cleared in Ontario (excluding works of art and energy products)
- CAD 27.3 billion+3.8% vs. the 12 months before
- Goods from Ontario going to Michigan (excluding works of art and energy products)
- CAD 42.1 billion-2.6% vs. the 12 months before
Top goods cleared into Ontario
- Vehicles and transport equipment65.2%
- Machinery and electrical equipment13.4%
- Base metals: steel, aluminum and others6.3%
- Plastics and rubber3.0%
- Food, beverages and tobacco2.5%
Vehicles and parts are 65.2% of what Michigan ships to Ontario, far ahead of machinery and base metals. Mineral products such as fuels are left out of these figures. For vehicles and parts, CUSMA's rules of origin are product-specific, so get the certification of origin right before the truck leaves.
- Usual border crossings
- Ambassador Bridge (Detroit–Windsor)
- Gordie Howe International Bridge (Detroit–Windsor), opened in July 2026
- Blue Water Bridge (Port Huron–Sarnia)
- Typical road distance
- Detroit–Toronto: about 370 km
- Port Huron–Toronto: about 300 km
- Main highways
- I-75 and I-94 to Detroit, then Highway 401 from Windsor; I-69 and I-94 to Port Huron, then Highway 402 from Sarnia.
- Typical transit time
- Usually the same or the next business day from Detroit, plus customs. A typical time, not a guarantee.
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 12-10-0099-01, customs basis, in Canadian dollars. Figures and shares exclude works of art and antiques (HS section XXI) and mineral products such as fuels and electricity (HS section V). See the table
How a Michigan-to-Ontario truck shipment works
Describe the shipment
Tell us the pickup city in Michigan, the delivery address in Ontario, what the goods are and roughly how many pallets. For auto parts on a production schedule, say so: the pickup and delivery windows shape the quote.
Pickup in Michigan
Your supplier prepares the commercial invoice and, if the goods qualify under CUSMA, a certification of origin. The carrier picks up in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing or elsewhere in the state.
Customs filed before the border
Before the truck reaches the border, the carrier sends its ACI eManifest to the CBSA, at least one hour before arrival (30 minutes for a FAST carrier), and your customs broker sends the release request, linked to the carrier's cargo control number.
Across the Detroit or St. Clair River
The driver reports at the Ambassador Bridge, the Gordie Howe International Bridge or the Blue Water Bridge, and the CBSA officer releases the goods or refers them for an examination. From Windsor the truck takes Highway 401; from Sarnia, Highway 402.
Duties and final accounting
Your broker then files the final accounting in CARM, within 5 business days of release in most cases, and you pay the duties and taxes by the due date on your statement. With RPP security, the goods are released before you pay.
What the price depends on
A Michigan-to-Ontario truck is quoted shipment by shipment. The run is short, so waiting time, appointments and how often you ship weigh more in the price than on long lanes. Ask for a quote that keeps the freight, the customs brokerage fee, and the duties and taxes apart.
- Pickup and delivery points
- How often you ship, and the time windows
- Full truckload or shared LTL space
- Weight, pallet count and dimensions
- Fuel surcharge
- Customs brokerage, billed separately
- Duties and taxes, owed to the CBSA
Popular lanes into Ontario
Popular lanes from Quebec to the U.S.
Michigan to Ontario: questions
Ambassador Bridge, Gordie Howe or Blue Water: which one?
All three take trucks. The Ambassador Bridge and the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which welcomed its first travellers in July 2026, both link Detroit and Windsor. The Blue Water Bridge links Port Huron and Sarnia, at the end of I-69 and I-94. The carrier picks the crossing from the pickup point and the traffic; the customs release works the same way at each.
How long does a truck from Detroit to Toronto take?
Detroit is about 370 km from Toronto, so a full truck usually arrives the same or the next business day, plus customs. LTL takes longer because the pallets go through the carrier's terminals, and a missing document or a CBSA examination adds time. Our partner gives you an estimate with the quote.
What is FAST, and does it help on this lane?
FAST (Free and Secure Trade) is a joint Canada–U.S. program for pre-approved importers, carriers and drivers. A FAST carrier can transmit its eManifest 30 minutes before arrival instead of one hour. If your shipments are regular, ask whether the carrier quoting them is FAST-approved.
Do goods from Michigan come in duty-free?
Only goods that qualify as originating under CUSMA's rules of origin, and only if you claim it: being shipped from Michigan is not enough. You need a certification of origin, completed by the exporter, the producer or you as the importer, and GST applies either way. Some U.S. goods can also owe Canada's counter-surtaxes; see U.S. surtax remission and proving origin.
Do I need a customs broker for freight from Michigan?
The law doesn't require one: your business can clear its own goods. In practice the release request has to reach the CBSA electronically before the truck arrives, or the truck waits, so most importers use a licensed broker. You stay responsible for the declaration and the duties either way. Here is what doing it yourself involves.
- Sources:
- Table 12-10-0099-01: Merchandise imports and exports, customs-based, by HS section, provinces and U.S. states (Statistics Canada)
- Border wait times: United States to Canada, busiest land crossings (CBSA)
- Memorandum D3-4-2: Highway Pre-arrival and Reporting Requirements (CBSA)
- Memorandum D17-1-4: Release of Commercial Goods (CBSA)
- Memorandum D17-1-8: Release Prior to Payment Privilege (CBSA)
- Memorandum D17-1-5: Accounting for Commercial Goods (CBSA)
- Memorandum D11-4-2: Proof of Origin of Imported Goods (CBSA)
- Statement by the interim CEO, July 27, 2026: first travellers on the Gordie Howe International Bridge (Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority)
- Specialized loads: oversize, overweight and dangerous goods on the Gordie Howe International Bridge (Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority)
- Customs Notice 26-23: United States Surtax Order (2026) (CBSA)
Ready to move your freight?
One request covers the truck and the customs clearance. We usually reply within 1 business day.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Importing
The whole path to importing commercial goods into Canada, in order.
Read →Importing vehicles and e-bikes
RIV inspection, the 15-year rule and how e-bikes are assessed.
Read →Certificate of origin
Which proof of origin the CBSA accepts under each trade agreement, and when you need none.
Read →Duty recovery review
A free review of 12 months of entries to find duty you can still get back.
Read →