Aluminum transport: extrusions and ingots across Ontario and the US
Fission Logistics runs aluminum extrusion transport out of Mississauga, hauling extrusions across Ontario, into the US and across Canada, and ingots and sows inside Ontario. Extrusions ride strapped inside one of our 106 curtainside trailers, on tandems to the US and across Canada, and ingots move on 6 axle units that carry up to 86,000 lb inside Ontario. Aluminum marks and bends under a chain, and a tarp rubs the finish, so inside a Conestoga nothing touches the extrusions but the straps and the dunnage.
Aluminum transport at a glance
| Extrusions | Inside a 53 ft Conestoga, up to 102 inches tall and wide and up to 45,000 lb. Straps only, never chains, edge protection at every contact point |
|---|---|
| Ingots and sows | 6 axle curtainside, up to 86,000 lb inside Ontario, so an order that often takes 2 tandems moves on 1 truck |
| Aluminum coil | On pallets inside a Conestoga, 4 inch straps, never chains, with rubber belting under every strap |
| Fleet | 106 curtainside trailers: 90 tandem Conestogas and 16 multi axle units |
| Where | Extrusions across Ontario, Quebec and Western Canada, and into Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky through Detroit and Buffalo. Ingots and sows inside Ontario, and from the Quebec smelters into Ontario on the 4 axle |
| Port coil | Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, and Trois-Rivières, delivered to Ontario |
| Quote | Within 1 business hour, 7 am to 5 pm ET, Monday to Friday |
What we haul
Extrusion bundles in mill finish and anodized, ingots, sows and billets in bundles or on skids, and aluminum coil on pallets. Ingots and sows go to the extruder. Extrusions go to fabricators, window and door plants, automotive suppliers and distributors.
| Load | Trailer we send | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Extrusions, any finish | Conestoga, 53 ft tandem | Straps only. Loaded from the side, dry dock to dock. |
| Ingots and sows, Ontario and from Quebec | Multi axle curtainside, 50 ft | Up to 86,000 lb on the 6 axle inside Ontario, about what 2 tandems carry. From the Quebec smelters, the 4 axle carries more than a tandem. |
| Aluminum coil on pallets | Conestoga | Dry, with belting under every strap. |
Aluminum extrusion transport companies: what to check
Aluminum shows every mark. Ask any carrier these questions before the first load.
- Will it ride under a tarp? Not with us. Extrusions ride inside a Conestoga, so no tarp rubs the finish.
- Chains or straps? Straps only. Chains mark and bend aluminum.
- What happens at the contact points? Edge protection under every strap, and more straps instead of tighter ones when the load needs more hold.
- Does it stay dry? Dock to dock, under the cover the whole trip. What winter road spray does to a wet load is in road salt and tarping.
- How does it unload? From the side with a forklift, once the cover slides back.
- Can heavy ingot orders go on one truck? Inside Ontario, yes: a 6 axle carries up to 86,000 lb. See why a 6 axle moves 86,000 lb.
Several fabricators on one load? See partial and multi stop loads.
How we secure aluminum
- Extrusions: straps only, never chains. Bundles sit on timbers with blocking between them, and every strap gets edge protection. When a load needs more hold we add straps instead of tightening harder, because aluminum marks and bends. Mill finish or anodized, it rides under the cover the whole trip.
- Ingots and sows: strapped on timbers with belting under every strap and blocking between bundles, to your spec. No chains on aluminum.
- Aluminum coil on pallets: 4 inch straps go over the top and in an X, sized to the coil weight. Trip straps go around the front and rear coils, with rubber belting under every strap.
The aluminum coil procedure is on our load securement page.
What to send for an aluminum quote
- Extrusions, ingots, sows or coil, and the number of bundles, lifts or pallets
- Length of the longest piece
- Total weight
- Finish: mill finish or anodized
- Pickup and delivery addresses, and the drop order if there is more than one stop
- How it unloads at each end, and the ready date
Lanes
We run aluminum regularly around the GTA, Hamilton, Kitchener and Cambridge, Windsor and London. Mississauga extruders are next door to our yard; see the trucking company in Mississauga page, and for Peel's other extruders and fabricators, trucking companies in Brampton. Window and door plants and fabricators inside the city are covered under flatbed trucking in Toronto. Heavy ingot and sow orders inside Ontario go on the multi axle units, and ingots from the Quebec smelters come into Ontario on the 4 axle. See heavy haul trucking in Ontario. Extrusions ride tandems into Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, and across Canada to Montreal, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Imported aluminum coil comes off the Ohio River at the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky terminals and off the ship at Trois-Rivières, and rides covered to Ontario plants.
Questions shippers ask
Why Conestoga for extrusions?
In a Conestoga nothing touches the bundles but the straps and dunnage, and the forklift unloads from the side.
Can you take heavy ingot loads inside Ontario?
Yes. Our 6 axle curtainsides carry up to 86,000 lb inside Ontario, so a heavy ingot or sow order that often takes 2 tandems can move on 1 truck. Ingots from the Quebec smelters come into Ontario on our 4 axle units, which carry more than a tandem under Canadian weight allowances.
Do you run aluminum cross border?
Yes. Extrusions go south on tandems through Detroit and Buffalo.
How are extrusions secured?
With straps only, never chains, and edge protection at every contact point. We add straps rather than over tighten, so the finish isn't marked.
Do extrusions ever ride under a tarp?
No. A tarp rubs the finish, so extrusions ride inside a Conestoga instead. The 53 ft Conestoga takes loads up to 102 inches tall and wide and up to 45,000 lb.
Can one truck deliver to several fabricators?
Yes. Send every stop with its address, contact and hours, in the order you need them. The driver delivers in that order and calls each site before arriving.
Do you pick up imported aluminum coil at ports?
Yes. Aluminum coil comes off the Ohio River at the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky terminals and off the ship at Trois-Rivières, and rides covered to Ontario plants. US port freight moves in bond under Fission's own US Customs bond.
How fast can you quote an aluminum load?
Within 1 business hour, 7 am to 5 pm ET, Monday to Friday. Send the number of bundles or lifts, the longest piece, the total weight, the finish and both addresses.
Related
Rather talk it through?
Call dispatch with the load and the lane. They'll tell you which trailer it goes on, and someone picks up 24 hours a day.