Answers for importers who move goods across the border regularly
Practical notes on release, ISF, FDA, USMCA, and how to send a clean file. Written for traffic managers and foreign Importers of Record who ship weekly by truck and also move air or ocean freight.
Start here
What "released" means when the truck is already at the plaza
A truck at the crossing is not a released truck. Here is what release is, who decides it, and what usually holds it up.
Read the guide →Guides cover what to send and when. Explainers walk through specific filings. Updates note rule changes (always check the date).
Importer education
How entries, ISF, USMCA, FDA and release actually work at this border. Written for the person who has to ship the freight.
Explainer · Oct 27, 2026
What "released" means when the truck is already at the plaza
A truck at the crossing is not a released truck. Here is what release is, who decides it, and what usually holds it up.
Read →Explainer · Oct 27, 2026
ISF on a northern-border truck lane: when it applies, when it does not
The Importer Security Filing is an ocean-cargo requirement. Here is how to tell whether your northern-border shipment needs one.
Read →Guide · Oct 27, 2026
USMCA claims: what we need from you
A USMCA preference claim depends on a certification and on your records. What to have ready before you ask us to claim it.
Read →Guide · Oct 27, 2026
How to send a file so the entry is not the delay
Most entry delays start with the paperwork. A short list of what to send, in what form, and when.
Read →Explainer · Oct 27, 2026
FDA and food entries with CBCBS
Food imports have an extra layer: FDA. What it adds to the entry and what to have ready.
Read →Guide · Oct 27, 2026
Shipping US → Canada with FreightBoy (who files)
FreightBoy moves the freight. A licensed Canadian broker partner files the Canadian entry. CBCBS does not hold a CBSA licence.
Read →Guide · Oct 27, 2026
Using the warehouse as a near-border node: cross-dock, storage or pick-and-pack
The FreightBoy warehouse a few miles from the crossing can hold, cross-dock, or fulfill. Here is how the three options differ.
Read →Industry news
Dated updates when tariffs, CBP rules or border conditions change, with what to check and who to ask.
CBCBS resources
Checklists and guides for working with us: first shipment, onboarding, Riffs.
Checklist · Oct 27, 2026
First-time importer checklist
The things to have in place before your first U.S. import: who you are to CBP, what you need on file, and what to send.
Read →Explainer · Oct 27, 2026
What a Riffs seat is for, and what it is not
Riffs is a premium login we can issue to importers. What it shows, who it suits, and what it does not replace.
Read →Guide · Oct 27, 2026
Working with CBCBS: what to expect
How a new client is set up, what we ask for, and how the first shipment goes.
Read →Received
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