Indiana to Ontario flatbed and Conestoga, through Detroit
Fission Logistics runs flatbed and Conestoga freight from Indiana into Ontario on the same trucks that deliver south, running Interstate 94 and 69 to Detroit and crossing onto Highway 401. Our 6 axle units carry up to 76,000 lb out of Indiana, so a heavy coil order from the Lake Michigan mills that would take 2 tandems often moves on 1 truck. We are CTPAT validated, PIP, FAST and CSA approved, and dispatch files the ACI eManifest before the truck reaches the bridge.
The lane
Lake Michigan shore and South Bend loads run Interstate 94 across Michigan to Detroit. Fort Wayne and Indianapolis loads run Interstate 69 up to Interstate 94 and Detroit. The truck crosses on the Ambassador Bridge, or the Gordie Howe International Bridge when the lane calls for it, straight onto Highway 401, and delivers next day from Fort Wayne, South Bend and the Lake Michigan shore to the GTA, Hamilton, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, London and Windsor. Every other lane is on where we run, and the southbound half of this one is on Ontario to Indiana flatbed.
| Trailer | Payload into Ontario | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 6 axle curtainside | Up to 76,000 lb | Heavy coil and plate lots |
| Conestoga, 53 ft tandem | Up to 45,000 lb | Freight that has to stay dry: coil, plate, aluminum, machinery |
| Open flatbed, 53 ft tandem | Up to 45,000 lb | Structural steel, pipe, crane loaded freight |
| Step deck or double drop | Step deck up to 45,000 lb, double drop up to 42,000 lb | Tall machinery and equipment |
Up to 76,000 lb on a 6 axle unit out of Indiana, and up to 45,000 lb on a tandem. Heavy loads inside Ontario go on the same 6 axle units up to 86,000 lb.
Where the loads come from
We pick up anywhere in Indiana. Distances are road distance to Toronto, rounded.
| Area | To the GTA | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana | About 570 km (355 miles) | Next day |
| South Bend and Elkhart | About 640 km (400 miles) | Next day |
| Lafayette and Muncie | About 760 km (470 miles) | Next day |
| Gary, Burns Harbor and the Lake Michigan shore | About 790 km (490 miles) | Next day |
| Indianapolis | About 820 km (510 miles) | Next day on most loads |
| Evansville and southwest Indiana | About 1,050 km (650 miles) | Dispatch confirms the window |
Where the loads go in Ontario
Service centres, stampers, fabricators and plants in Windsor and Essex County, London, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, Hamilton and Toronto and the GTA, plus Quebec on the same truck when the load carries on east. Our yard is in Mississauga, so an Indiana pickup is a backhaul for a truck that delivered south.
Freight on this lane
Northwest Indiana is one of the largest steel making areas in North America, with the integrated mills and processors along the Lake Michigan shore, and the state builds RVs, auto parts and machinery from Elkhart down to Indianapolis. Northbound, the lane carries steel coil and plate from the Indiana mills to Ontario service centres and stampers, aluminum, machinery, and building products.
Imported steel off the ships at Burns Harbor moves to Ontario and Quebec in bond under our own US bond.
Crossing into Ontario at Detroit
- Detroit on the Ambassador Bridge or the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which runs straight from Interstate 75 to Highway 401. Port Huron to Sarnia when the Ontario end sits on the 402.
- Dispatch files the ACI eManifest before the truck reaches the bridge, and the ACE eManifest on the way back south.
- The customs broker is always the importer's. Send their contact with the commercial invoice.
- CTPAT validated and PIP approved. FAST lane when the importer and driver qualify. CSA approved, so a CSA importer's freight clears under Customs Self Assessment.
- Every tractor runs Samsara, so one tracking link follows the load on both sides of the bridge.
More on our border programs: cross border flatbed and certifications.
Oversize loads into Ontario
A load over 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) wide, 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) high, or over Ontario's legal length or weight needs an Ontario oversize permit from the Ministry of Transportation, plus an Indiana permit when the load is also over Indiana limits. Dispatch pulls the permits in house, checks the route and gives you 1 price before the truck moves. Limits as of November 2026; the permit governs the move. See oversize and overdimensional and how wide a load can be in Ontario.
Getting an Indiana pickup quoted
Send the Indiana pickup, the Ontario delivery, the commodity, the weights and the date. Dispatch names the trailer with the price within 1 business hour, 7 am to 5 pm ET, and answers at (905) 799 7900, press 1, 24 hours. Brokers and 3PLs: send the rate confirmation to dispatch and we email the carrier packet the same business day. Have the southbound leg too? Send both and dispatch quotes them together. A real run on this lane: 73 shingle loads from an Indiana plant to Ontario in 2 and a half weeks.
Questions shippers ask
Do you bring steel coil from the Indiana mills into Ontario?
Yes. Coil and plate from the Lake Michigan mills and processors move to Ontario on tandems at up to 45,000 lb or on a 6 axle at up to 76,000 lb. Imported steel off the ships at Burns Harbor moves in bond under our own US bond.
How heavy a load can you take from Indiana into Ontario?
Up to 76,000 lb on a 6 axle unit, and up to 45,000 lb on a tandem. Send the weights and dispatch picks the trailer.
Which crossing do you use from Indiana?
Detroit, on the Ambassador or Gordie Howe bridge, after Interstate 94 from the Lake Michigan shore or Interstate 69 from Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. Port Huron to Sarnia when the Ontario end sits on the 402.
How long does Indiana to Ontario take?
Next day from Fort Wayne, South Bend and the Lake Michigan shore, all within 500 miles of the GTA, and from Indianapolis on most loads at about 820 km. Evansville and the far southwest are a longer run, and dispatch gives the delivery window with the quote.
Who files the customs paperwork coming into Canada?
Dispatch files the ACI eManifest before the truck reaches the bridge. The customs broker is always the importer's. Send their contact with the commercial invoice and dispatch sends the broker the documents it needs.
Do you run Ontario to Indiana as well?
Yes. That is the southbound half of the same lane, on the Ontario to Indiana flatbed page. Send both legs and dispatch quotes them together.
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.