A few extra kilometres to cross at the Gordie Howe Bridge can save hours at the border. Here's how we think about tolls, miles and driver hours on every cross-border load.
When the Gordie Howe International Bridge opened on July 27, a lot of people in our industry had the same first question: what's it going to cost us?
It's a fair question. But after years of running freight between Ontario and the U.S., we've learned that the toll is almost never the number that matters. Time is.
First, the toll
Trucks pay per axle on the Gordie Howe. That works out to about US$43.75 for a standard five-axle rig, or about US$34.50 with an electronic pass.
That's actually less than the Ambassador Bridge was charging when the new rates were announced in March. Five-axle trucks with a pass were paying around US$75 there. Tolls on both bridges can change, so it's worth checking current rates, but the new bridge isn't the expensive option it's sometimes made out to be.
No more Windsor traffic lights
If you've ever driven a truck to the Ambassador, you know what happens after you leave the 401: city streets, stoplights and traffic.
The Gordie Howe skips all of that. The Herb Gray Parkway takes you straight from the 401 onto the bridge, and on the other side you come off the brand-new U.S. port of entry right onto I-75. It's freeway the whole way.
The miles question
From our yard in Ayr, the Blue Water Bridge at Sarnia is sometimes the shorter way across, especially for freight going toward Chicago, Wisconsin or Iowa. So sending a truck through Windsor can mean extra kilometres.
This is where a lot of shippers look at the wrong number. A few extra kilometres cost a little fuel. A long border wait can cost you the whole day.
Here's what happens when a truck sits in a border lineup:
- The clock keeps running. U.S. hours-of-service rules give a driver 11 hours of driving inside a 14-hour day. Every minute spent inching toward the booth counts against that.
- Run out of hours and the load stops. If the driver's day ends before the receiver, your freight waits until tomorrow. That's a missed appointment, maybe a redelivery fee and a customer who isn't happy.
- Idling burns fuel for nothing. A heavy truck idling in line burns roughly 3 litres of diesel an hour.
- Someone pays for the wait. Trucks and drivers cost money whether the wheels are turning or not. Sooner or later that shows up in rates and detention.
So picture this: going over the Gordie Howe adds 40 km to a trip but gets you past an hour-long wait. The detour costs a bit of fuel and a toll. The hour you save might be what gets your freight delivered today instead of tomorrow. On time-sensitive freight, that's an easy call.
It won't be the right choice on every load. It depends on the destination, the time of day and what the border looks like that morning. The point is to look at the cost of the whole trip, not just the distance on the map.
How shippers can help
You have more influence over border time than you might think:
- Ask your carrier how they pick a crossing. If the only answer is "the shortest one," keep asking.
- Get your customs paperwork to your broker early. A truck that's already cleared before it reaches the booth rolls right through. Our guide to ACE, ACI and customs covers what's needed.
- Work with a FAST-approved carrier. FAST lanes, C-TPAT and PIP all speed things up at the border. We hold all three, plus CBSA bonded carrier status.
- Leave room for the border in your delivery windows. A realistic appointment beats a missed one.
Our take
The Gordie Howe Bridge is good news for anyone shipping between Ontario and the Midwest. More importantly, it's a reminder that the cheapest route on paper isn't always the cheapest in real life.
If you'd like to talk through routing on your lanes, give our dispatch team a call at 519-465-8553 (we're there 24/7) or send us a quote request.