Customs fine $5000

[Finn777]

Well opened my mail today and saw a $5000 fine from us customs, I came over the border the day this new law was implemented was not informed by my carrier am I liable?.I know for a fact that there was other trucks from same company that came across that night and am who sure will be on the phone to the company tommorow.I have found out that the companies were told of this pre-clearance law 2months ago but failed to pass on the info to drivers. am appealing this and if something is not right in the future the fine goes up to $10000 and the third time it is $35000 so i think like all the guys that were there that night swore that if we got fined that would be our last trip into canada they (us customs) made copies of all the truck registrations so they know the next time you cross you had a violation previous so more likely to pay special attention to you it is not worth the aggro any more any other drivers get a fine? this was way back in dec so the fines were all sent out on 29th dec happy new year!!

 

[Glen Rice]

What exactly were you cited for? I hope your carrier is going to step up to the plate, but I would'nt count on it!

 

[bigjimhp]

read up on what is going on. Your company will liklely pay it and charge back to you.

 

[Finn777]

We were cited for failure to file required cargo info.In short you have to give customs two hours notice now on cross border freight even if you are picking up at the border ie:windsor the paperwork must be Paps to the broker or line cleared the only way to verify that you sent the paperwork is a copy of the fax or coversheet so if it does not clear at least you have proof you sent it but as with everything it all depends on what mood the customs officer is in that day wether they accept your copy or not we are basically at their mercy. The days of pulling up at the border and telling the customs agent you are clearing thru your broker are gone so be careful and double check that they got it if they did get it and did not clear they(brokers) get the fine by the way US Customs now have the ability to bring up all the faxes sent to brokers so they can verify if you sent it or not I just wished we and the 50 or so other drivers that night knew this. most were company drivers so they do not pay but us o/o are on our own but how were we to know without being told?

 

[Weave]

We had a discussion on this subject on the Canadian Expediters Forum back in November:
http://www.expeditersonline.com/dcforum/DCForumID20/13.html

Yes, they really will fine you now and you will not be allowed to cross. I hope drivers who have already been fined are with companies who will step up to the plate for them. Don't even try bringing freight into the USA from Canada without a PAPS barcode faxed to the broker on the paperwork now. Also, a FAST card is now a requirement to be able to use the RRD form when bringing big 3 auto production parts into Canada.
-Weave-

 

[Marty]

After reading this post how many people still want to take loads into Canada? If so please raise you hand. Anybody?? Come on now. If anyone still wants loads to Canada please raise your hands. Anybody? I don't see any hands. Anybody? Oh well.

 

[ChuckWVP]

I wound up working for a company that keeps me in the southeast US. I always figured going back and forth across the US/Canadian border was somewhat of a hassle. After reading this post I am so thankful that I don't have to deal with that, but I feel for those of you who do.

Chuck

 

[highway star]

Sorry to here about your fine FINN. I hope your company steps up and takes responsibilty for their negligence. For those now more leary of running Canada, it's just a new procedure. Just do what your supposed to do and it's not a problem for you. Weave, what's an RRD form? Are you refering to the BRASS barcode? The big 3 are using the FAST program now, with PAPS being used when FAST is down.

 

[Lonleyboy515]

Hi everybody. I run for an expedite co. out of Ontario. It seems a lot of Canadian co. are more informed than our American friends.Our co. has been working on getting everything for FAST Approval for well over a year. They have kept us well informed with news letters and driver meetings so we wouldn't be caught with our pants down.If you checked the Canadian site re ''PAPS''Redbeard 2001 spelled it all out for you and even gave a ''web site to go to''.These fines are not just for you your co. gets a fine to of $5000.IT is just not up to us drivers to be informed but for our co. to inform us and give us all the tools to do the job.This means you should have enough PAPS & PARS stickers a list of phone & fax numbers for all customs brokers on both sides of the Border.Rember to use a PAPS you need to have a FAST card as well.You should get a copy showing that you faxed your paperwork this way you will not be fined.I hope this helps everybody. GOODLUCK AND BE SAFE.HAPPY NEW YEAR.:+ :+

 

[Lawrence]

Marty,

The way I read it - it's the inbound freight into the US that will get you cited if not processed correctly.

Lawrence,
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[Doggie Daddy]

>Rember to use a PAPS you need to
>have a FAST card as well.

This part is not true, you do not have to have a Fast card to use paps.

 

[Weave]

DD is correct, you don't need to have the FAST card to use PAPS, just be sure when approaching the checkpoint you don't go into the FAST only lanes if you don't have the card. I got nagged at for that once
-Weave-

 

[Weave]

Yes, Lawrence is correct.
I can understand this new ruling to some effect, yet feel the DHS did not do enough to properly inform carriers about it, and the fine is more than a little bit too steep.
-Weave-

 

[Weave]

Here is the phone number for the DHS border offfice in Buffalo, who have been helpful in answering my questions. (716) 646-3400
Best to call between 9 AM to 5 PM if you have any questions or concerns about the new PAPS rules.
-Weave-

 

[RichM]

I don't run Canada very often but in looking at my Paps stickers I noticed that there are 2 identical numbers and a Filer Code box. Do you put one sticker on the in-bound manifest and the other one on the broker paperwork.Do you fax both to the broker? Who gives the filer code? Is that from the broker after they have processed the in bound freight? Thanks in advance.

 

[hitek]

after reading your post, I decided to stay out of Canada. Found myself in Toledo and of course was offered loads going up there. After trying to explain to dispatch my reason for not going up, which apparently fell on deaf ears, my load acceptance percentage plummeted yesterday. Theres just no conceivable way I could pay a 5000 dollar fine. They offered me load after load to places up there and I kept turning them down. I dont care, living in Cincinnati theres no shortage of trucks to drive. Sitting in that sleeper for days on end waiting for a load is getting a little old anyway. After 2 months in expediting its time to move on I'm afraid.

 

[DocRushing]

One possible approach is to learn the right way to do it, then do it the right way.
Yes, the stakes are higher when the fines are so high.
But we do not incur any fine at all if we just do it the right way.
Is that different from anything else?
Learn the rules, then follow the rules.
Doc.
PS. That same principle is very useful in avoiding speeding tickets -- even in the double-nickel states.

 

[hitek]

Buddy I dont have any problem following rules or obeying the law but when an inadvertent mistake can blow you out of the water I draw the line.

 

[DocRushing]

The subject fine here deals not with an inadvertent mistake by someone else
but rather a failure to follow the new rules --
the new rules which have received much publicity (including discussion in this forum) since last fall.
When we follow the new rules while crossing back into the US, then we need not fear getting zapped with a fine.
Doc.

 

[Doggie Daddy]

hold on here people,let's not panic over this.doc rushing is right,"know the rules and follow the rules"this is just a part of doing our business. i don't agree with the exorbitant fines either,it will cause us to be more careful with our paperwork but its no reason for us to say that we will no longer go into canada.it's like hitek said, if you decide that you are no longer going to go there your load acceptance percentage will go to h**l in a hurry. also it will hit you in the wallet pretty hard too.the majority of the loads coming out of ohio and michigan are canadian bound frieght,turning down these loads or taking them and deadheading back into the states just to avoid problems is not a good option either.this is not rocket science, it just involves making sure that you dot your i's and cross your t's. DD.