Quebec to Boston trucking
A full truck or a few pallets from Quebec to Massachusetts, U.S. 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 Quebec going to Massachusetts (excluding works of art and energy products): CAD 2.2 billion in the 12 months to September 2026 (-15.6% on the year before). Largest group: Wood and wood products, 14.7%. Usual crossing: Saint-Armand–Highgate. Montreal–Boston: about 500 km. Statistics Canada figures; page checked November 11, 2026.
- Montreal
- A-35 · I-89 · I-93
- Saint-Armand–Highgate
- Boston
- Goods from Quebec going to Massachusetts (excluding works of art and energy products)
- CAD 2.2 billion-15.6% vs. the 12 months before
- Goods from Massachusetts cleared in Quebec (excluding works of art and energy products)
- CAD 1.0 billion-5.8% vs. the 12 months before
Top goods Quebec ships to Massachusetts
- Wood and wood products14.7%
- Base metals: steel, aluminum and others13.9%
- Pulp, paper and paperboard13.1%
- Live animals and animal products11.7%
- Machinery and electrical equipment10.0%
Wood leads what Quebec ships to Massachusetts with 14.7%, then base metals, paper and animal products, a group that includes fish and seafood. It is the most varied of these Quebec lanes. Energy products are a large part of the raw total and are left out of these figures.
- Usual border crossings
- Saint-Armand/Philipsburg (QC)–Highgate Springs (VT), Route 133 / I-89
- Stanstead (QC)–Derby Line (VT), Autoroute 55 / I-91
- Typical road distance
- Montreal–Boston: about 500 km
- Montreal–Saint-Armand: about 80 km
- Main highways
- Autoroute 35 and Route 133 to Saint-Armand, then I-89 and I-93 to Boston; or Autoroute 55 and I-91 for western Massachusetts.
- Typical transit time
- Usually 1 to 2 business days for a full truck, 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 Quebec-to-Massachusetts truck shipment works
Describe the shipment
Tell us the pickup city in Quebec, the delivery address in Massachusetts, what the goods are and roughly how many pallets. One request covers the truck and the U.S. customs clearance.
Invoice, species and grades
You prepare the commercial invoice and, if the goods qualify, a CUSMA certification of origin. For lumber, describe the species, grade and dimensions exactly; for fish and seafood, say if the load must stay cold.
U.S. customs filed before the border
Before the truck reaches the border, the carrier sends its advance manifest to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and a U.S. customs broker from our network files the U.S. entry ahead of the truck, for your U.S. customer as importer of record.
Highgate Springs or Derby Line
Many trucks for Boston cross at Saint-Armand/Philipsburg into Highgate Springs, Vermont, and take I-89 to I-93; others use Stanstead–Derby Line and I-91 for central and western Massachusetts. U.S. officers release the goods or examine them at the crossing.
Delivery and U.S. duties
The truck delivers in Greater Boston or elsewhere in the state. Some goods owe U.S. duties despite CUSMA: softwood lumber from Canada is subject to U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duties, and metals can fall under Section 232. The U.S. customs broker confirms before the truck leaves.
What the price depends on
A Quebec-to-Massachusetts truck is quoted on the trailer as much as the distance: lumber rides on flatbeds, seafood in refrigerated trailers, paper and metals in vans. Ask for a quote that keeps the freight, the U.S. brokerage fee and any U.S. duties apart.
- Trailer: flatbed, refrigerated or dry van
- Delivery point: Greater Boston or western Massachusetts
- Full truckload or shared LTL space
- Weight, pallet count and dimensions
- Fuel surcharge
- U.S. customs brokerage, billed separately
Popular lanes into Ontario
Popular lanes from Quebec to the U.S.
Quebec to Massachusetts: questions
Which border crossing does a truck from Quebec to Massachusetts use?
For Boston, Saint-Armand/Philipsburg to Highgate Springs, Vermont, then I-89 and I-93, is a common route. For Springfield and western Massachusetts, Stanstead–Derby Line and I-91 is often shorter. The carrier picks the crossing; the U.S. entry works the same way at each.
Lumber to Massachusetts: what should I know?
Wood is the largest group on this lane. Softwood lumber from Canada is subject to U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duties, deposited at entry, so the species, the producer and the value must be exact on the invoice. Loads usually travel on flatbeds, tarped. Ask the U.S. broker for the current rates before you quote your customer.
Fish and seafood to Boston: anything to plan?
Animal products, which include fish and seafood, are among the top groups Quebec ships to Massachusetts. They need a refrigerated trailer, a tight schedule and clean paperwork, since a delay at the border shortens shelf life. Say in the request what temperature the load needs.
How long from Montreal to Boston?
Boston is about 500 km from Montreal, so a full truck usually arrives in 1 business day, plus customs. Refrigerated and flatbed loads can take longer to book than dry vans. Our partner gives you an estimate with the quote.
Do I need to report the export to the CBSA?
Usually not: goods going to the U.S. for use there are exempt from Canadian export reporting. You must report in CERS if the goods need an export permit or are otherwise controlled. See CERS export reporting.
- 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 D20-1-1: Exporter Reporting (CBSA)
- Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) (Global Affairs Canada)
- ACE import manifest documentation, including the truck manifest (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
- Antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
- Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum: frequently asked questions (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Ready to move your freight?
One request covers the truck and the U.S. customs clearance. We usually reply within 1 business day.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Exporting
What you need in place before shipping commercial goods out of Canada.
Read →Export to the USA
Canada to the United States: CERS exemptions, CUSMA origin, entry on the US side.
Read →CERS declaration
When a CERS export declaration is required, and the deadline for each mode.
Read →Export readiness
Check your export readiness: export account, CERS reporting, permits, origin.
Read →