Flatbed trucking for the automotive industry: stampers, assembly plants and tool shops
Fission Logistics is an automotive flatbed carrier with 80 trucks and 140 trailers out of Mississauga, running flatbed, Conestoga, step deck and 6 axle loads for stampers, assembly plants, tier suppliers and tool shops across Southern Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Coil and plate for the press, dies and machinery when the line is down, and racks and parts between plants, on one truck dock to dock, with the 6 axle carrying up to 86,000 lb into Michigan and inside Ontario.
At a glance
| Item | Fission |
|---|---|
| Who | Stamping plants, assembly plants, tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, tool and die shops, mould shops |
| Freight | Steel coil and plate for the press, aluminum extrusions and coil, dies and machinery, racks and returnable dunnage, crated parts |
| Trailers | Conestoga for coil and parts that stay dry, step deck and double drop for tall dies, 6 axle for heavy coil pairs, open flatbed for crane loads |
| Weight | Up to 45,000 lb on a tandem; up to 86,000 lb on a 6 axle inside Ontario and into Michigan, 76,000 lb into Ohio and Indiana |
| Where | Windsor, London, Woodstock, Cambridge, Kitchener, Guelph, the GTA and Oshawa; Detroit and the Michigan plants, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee |
| Timing | Next day inside 500 miles of the GTA; rush die and machinery moves on weekends and in shutdown weeks |
| Border | CTPAT validated, PIP, FAST and CSA approved; ACE and ACI eManifests filed by dispatch |
| Tracking | Samsara link for every load |
What moves for automotive
Stampers take steel coil and plate from the Hamilton mills, the Michigan and Ohio processors and the ports. Tool shops send dies and machinery out for repair and back to the press, mostly on weekends and in shutdown weeks. Suppliers move aluminum extrusions and crated parts between plants, and racks and returnable dunnage ride back the other way. Windsor is a daily lane for dies, coil for the stamping plants and auto parts trucking both ways; see flatbed carrier Windsor.
Coil pairs on one truck
A tandem carries 45,000 lb of freight. Two coils for a press can weigh about 76,000 lb together, so a tandem carrier sends 2 trucks. Fission's 6 axle units carry up to 86,000 lb inside Ontario and into Michigan, and 76,000 lb into Ohio and Indiana, so the pair rides on 1 truck with 1 crossing and 1 crane lift at the dock. A real one is on 2 coils, 76,000 lb, 1 truck, and the rule is on why a 6 axle moves 86,000 lb.
Dies and machinery when the line is down
When a die comes out Friday night and has to be back on the press Monday, dispatch answers 24 hours, matches each piece to a step deck, double drop or flatbed, pulls any permit and sets the trucks against the window. For a shutdown week with several pieces, send the full list with weights and sizes before the shutdown. See expedited flatbed and the shutdown die move guide.
The border, every day
Most automotive loads cross at Detroit on the Ambassador Bridge, or the Gordie Howe International Bridge when the lane calls for it, with Buffalo for Ohio's east side. We are CTPAT validated and PIP, FAST and CSA approved, dispatch files the ACE eManifest south and the ACI eManifest north before the truck reaches the bridge, and the customs broker is always yours. Lanes are on Ontario to Michigan, Michigan to Ontario, Ontario to Ohio, Ontario to Indiana and Ontario to Kentucky.
Getting a load quoted
Send the pickup, the delivery, the part or die, its weight and size as it will ride, and the time it has to be on the floor. For a shutdown week, send the full list before the shutdown. 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. Real moves for this kind of freight are on load stories.
Questions shippers ask
Do you move dies on weekends?
Yes. We move dies and machinery on weekends and in shutdown weeks. Dispatch answers 24 hours at (905) 799 7900, press 1, and the plant gets a Samsara link for the truck.
How heavy can a coil pair be on one truck into Michigan?
Up to 86,000 lb of freight on a 6 axle unit, inside Ontario and into Michigan. Into Ohio and Indiana the 6 axle carries 76,000 lb. A tandem carries 45,000 lb.
Can coil and dies ride without a tarp?
Yes. In a Conestoga the roof and curtains slide open for the crane or forklift and close over the load, so coil, plate and finished dies stay dry and nothing touches them. A die taller than 102 inches goes on a step deck or double drop.
Do you run the Windsor and Detroit plants every day?
Yes. Windsor is a daily lane from our Mississauga yard, some of our drivers are based near Windsor, and Detroit is our main crossing. Dies, machinery, coil for stamping and auto parts move both ways.
Who files the customs paperwork?
Dispatch files the ACE eManifest going south and the ACI eManifest coming north on every load, before the truck reaches the bridge. The customs broker is always yours; send their contact with the commercial invoice.
How fast can you quote an automotive load?
Within 1 business hour, 7 am to 5 pm ET, Monday to Friday. Dispatch answers the phone 24 hours for loads that cannot wait.
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.