Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky trucking to Ontario and Quebec
Cincinnati to Toronto is a straight run up Interstate 75 to the Detroit bridges, about 791 km. Fission Logistics trucks steel coil, aluminum coil, plate and pipe from Ohio River terminals around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, and down river at Louisville and Jeffersonville, to plants in Ontario and Quebec.
At a glance
| Carrier | Fission Logistics, Mississauga, Ontario. Port drayage and trucking to Ontario and Quebec only, in bond, on flatbed and Conestoga. |
|---|---|
| Terminals | Ohio River docks in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Louisville Riverport. Ports of Indiana, Jeffersonville. |
| Operators | By dock. Send the dock name and the stevedore's contact with the release. |
| Gate | Interstates 71, 75, 471 and 275 around Cincinnati. Jeffersonville: Interstates 64, 65 and 71 by Interstate 265. |
| Free time | Set by each dock. Get the last free day in writing. |
| Customs | Cleared river steel as a regular export. In bond steel on a T&E under our own US bond. |
| TWIC | River terminals set their own check in rules. |
| Crossing | Detroit (Gordie Howe or Ambassador) |
| To Toronto | About 791 km from Cincinnati, 945 km from Louisville |
The second busiest inland port in the US
The Port of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky covers 226.5 miles of the Ohio River, and in 2020 it was the second busiest inland port district in the US, at 34.5 million tons. Northern Kentucky alone has 129 docks and terminals, with iron and steel among the barge cargo. Down river, two terminals are known for steel:
| Terminal | Steel handling |
|---|---|
| Louisville Riverport, Louisville, KY | Over 2,000 steel coils in a single year, about 23 tons each. 42 ton gantry crane. Steel and aluminum. Ohio River mile 618. |
| Ports of Indiana, Jeffersonville, IN | Steel campus moving over 2 million tons a year, 15 steel related businesses. |
Using a different dock on the river? Send its name and the stevedore's contact with the quote.
Straight up Interstate 75
Cincinnati to Toronto is about 791 km, through Dayton, Toledo and Detroit. The Gordie Howe International Bridge opened in July 2026 and connects Interstate 75 straight to Highway 401, which suits this run. Louisville is about 945 km.
| Trailer | Payload | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 53 ft Conestoga or flatbed, tandem | Up to 45,000 lb | Any terminal on the river |
| 6 axle curtainside | Up to 76,000 lb | Ohio and Indiana side pickups |
Cleared or in bond
Some of the steel that reaches the Ohio River by barge has already entered the US and moves to Canada as a regular export. Freight still in bond moves on a T&E under Fission's own CBP custodial bond to Detroit. Whoever filed it, Fission or your customs broker under our bond, reports the arrival and export in ACE at the crossing. See in bond port pickups.
Free time
No dock on the river publishes free time, and it changes by commodity and tariff. Ask the terminal or your forwarder for the last free day in writing when the arrival notice comes, and send it to dispatch with the release. We plan the trucks back from that date.
Gate access at river terminals
Inland river terminals are usually not MTSA regulated, so most of them do not ask for a TWIC card at the gate. Each one sets its own check in rules and we follow them. See how we handle TWIC.
Aluminum coil
Aluminum coil marks and scratches easily and has to stay dry. It rides in a Conestoga with the cover closed, on belting and timbers, straps only, never chains, with edge protection under every strap and extra straps instead of over tightening. See aluminum transport.
Getting a Cincinnati area pickup quoted
Send the dock and the stevedore, the release or bill of lading number, the barge or vessel and its discharge date, and whether the steel is cleared or in bond. Add the piece count, weights and delivery address. Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky pickups are inside 500 miles of the GTA and deliver the next business day. Louisville and Jeffersonville are outside that radius, and dispatch gives the delivery day with the price. Dispatch names the trailer with the price within 1 business hour, 7 am to 6 pm ET, and answers at (905) 799 7900, press 1, 24 hours. What else to send, and how tracking works, is on the port trucking page.
Questions shippers ask
Do you truck from Cincinnati to Canada?
Yes, to Ontario and Quebec. Cleared river steel moves as a regular export. Steel still in bond moves on a T&E under our own US Customs bond to Detroit. Either way your customs broker clears it into Canada. We do not deliver to US addresses from the port.
Do you pick up at Louisville and Jeffersonville too?
Yes. Louisville Riverport handles steel coil and the Ports of Indiana terminal at Jeffersonville moves over 2 million tons of steel a year. Louisville is about 945 km from Toronto.
How heavy can a load from the Cincinnati area be?
Up to 45,000 lb on a tandem from any of these terminals. On the Ohio and Indiana sides, a 6 axle takes up to 76,000 lb. A single coil over 45,000 lb from the Kentucky side, like the 23 ton coils Louisville Riverport handles, is quoted after dispatch checks the permit route.
Which bridge do these loads cross?
Detroit. The Gordie Howe International Bridge, open since July 2026, connects Interstate 75 straight to Highway 401. The Ambassador Bridge is the other option.
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.