Ohio to Ontario flatbed and Conestoga, through Detroit or Buffalo
Fission Logistics runs flatbed and Conestoga freight from Ohio into Ontario on the same trucks that deliver south, crossing at Detroit or Buffalo depending on where the load starts. All of Ohio sits inside about 500 miles of the GTA, so loads deliver next day, and our 6 axle units carry up to 76,000 lb out of Ohio. We are CTPAT validated, PIP, FAST and CSA approved, and dispatch files the ACI eManifest before the truck reaches the bridge.
The lane
Dispatch picks the crossing for the pickup: Toledo, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati loads run Interstate 75 to Detroit and onto Highway 401, and Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown loads run Interstate 90 to Buffalo and onto the QEW. From Buffalo it is about 160 km to Toronto and from Detroit about 370 km, and every Ohio metro delivers next day 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 Ohio flatbed.
| Trailer | Payload into Ontario | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 6 axle curtainside | Up to 76,000 lb | Heavy coil, plate and steel orders |
| 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 Ohio, and up to 45,000 lb on a tandem. A Cleveland load on a 6 axle goes through Detroit too. 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 Ohio. Distances are road distance to Toronto, rounded.
| Area | To the GTA | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Toledo and northwest Ohio | About 400 km (250 miles) | Next day |
| Cleveland, Akron and Canton | About 460 to 550 km (290 to 340 miles) | Next day |
| Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley | About 490 km (305 miles) | Next day |
| Columbus | About 700 km (435 miles) | Next day |
| Dayton | About 770 km (480 miles) | Next day |
| Cincinnati | About 790 km (490 miles) | Next day |
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 Ohio pickup is a backhaul for a truck that delivered south.
Freight on this lane
Ohio makes and processes steel from Cleveland and the Mahoning Valley down to the Ohio River, and builds machinery, auto parts and building products across the state. Northbound, the lane carries steel coil and plate from Ohio mills and processors to Ontario service centres and stampers, aluminum, machinery and dies, and building products.
Imported steel off the ships at the Port of Cleveland and Toledo moves to Ontario and Quebec in bond under our own US bond, with a TWIC driver at the gate.
Crossing into Ontario at Detroit or Buffalo
- Dispatch picks the crossing for the pickup: Detroit for the Interstate 75 side of the state, Buffalo for the Interstate 90 side.
- 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 Ohio permit when the load is also over Ohio 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 Ohio pickup quoted
Send the Ohio 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.
Questions shippers ask
How heavy a load can you take from Ohio 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 Ohio?
Detroit or Buffalo, depending on where the load starts. Toledo, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati usually go up Interstate 75 and through Detroit. Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown usually go along Interstate 90 and through Buffalo.
How long does Ohio to Ontario take?
Next day. Cleveland is about 460 km from Toronto and Cincinnati about 790 km, so all of Ohio sits inside the 500 mile radius we deliver next day. Dispatch confirms 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.
Can you pick up steel at the Port of Cleveland or Toledo for Ontario?
Yes. Port steel moves to Ontario and Quebec in bond under our own US bond, with a TWIC driver at the gate. The Port of Cleveland and Toledo page has the terminal details.
Do you run Ontario to Ohio as well?
Yes. That is the southbound half of the same lane, on the Ontario to Ohio 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.