Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania port trucking to Ontario and Quebec
Pipe, coil, plate and structural come off the Ohio River barges at Ambridge, and Fission Logistics trucks them to plants in Ontario and Quebec. We also pick up project freight at the Port of Erie. Both are close to Interstate 79, which runs straight up to Interstate 90 and the Buffalo crossings, about 504 km from Pittsburgh and 307 km from Erie to Toronto.
At a glance
| Carrier | Fission Logistics, Mississauga, Ontario. Port drayage and trucking to Ontario and Quebec only, in bond, on flatbed and Conestoga. |
|---|---|
| Terminals | Pittsburgh Intermodal Terminals, Ambridge, PA, on the Ohio River at mile 16.5. Port of Erie, Erie, PA. |
| Operators | Pittsburgh Intermodal Terminals at Ambridge. Erie Western Pennsylvania Port Authority at Erie. |
| Gate | Ambridge: access ramp to State Route 65, a short run to Interstate 79. Erie: Interstates 79 and 90. |
| Free time | Not published. Get the last free day from the terminal 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. TWIC driver assigned for Erie. |
| Crossing | Peace Bridge or Lewiston to Queenston |
| To Toronto | About 504 km from Pittsburgh, 307 km from Erie |
The terminals
| Site | What it handles |
|---|---|
| Ambridge | Pittsburgh Intermodal Terminals, 90 Century Drive. Coil, plate, structural, wire rod, pipe, billets, blooms. 450,000 sq ft covered in 3 clear span warehouses, 30 acres open, lifts up to 150 tons. |
| Port of Erie | Bulk and project cargo. 200 ton mobile and 300 ton stiff leg cranes. Foreign trade zone 247. |
The Pittsburgh river system
The Port of Pittsburgh district covers 13 counties and about 200 miles of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, and in 2020 it was the fifth busiest inland port in the US. Steel moves up and down those rivers by barge to terminals like Ambridge, where it comes off onto trucks. Ambridge handles every steel form on our list: coil, plate, pipe and structural.
Cleared or in bond
Some river steel has already entered the US by the time it reaches Pittsburgh. Some is still in bond. Cleared steel moves to Canada as a regular export. In bond steel moves on a T&E under Fission's own CBP custodial bond to Buffalo or Lewiston. 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
Neither terminal 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.
Port of Erie
Erie is Pennsylvania's only Great Lakes port and the closest US lake port to Toronto on our list. It is mostly a bulk and project port, with cranes for very heavy lifts. Project pieces out of Erie usually go on a step deck or double drop with permits for the route.
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. The Port of Erie takes Seaway ships, so we send a TWIC driver there and confirm the gate rules with the port before the truck leaves. See how we handle TWIC.
The run north
Ambridge is off State Route 65, a short run to Interstate 79. Erie sits on Interstate 79 where it meets Interstate 90. From there Interstate 90 runs east to the Peace Bridge or the Lewiston to Queenston bridge. Pipe and structural ride on open flatbeds, coil in Conestogas, each truck up to 45,000 lb.
Getting a Pittsburgh or Erie pickup quoted
Send the terminal, 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. Loads inside 500 miles of the GTA deliver the next business day. 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 Pittsburgh or Erie 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 Buffalo or Lewiston. Either way your customs broker clears it into Canada. We do not deliver to US addresses from the port.
Is river steel in bond or already cleared?
It can be either. Some steel that reaches Pittsburgh by barge has already entered the US; some is still in bond. Tell dispatch which, and we run it as a regular export or a T&E under our bond.
What does the Ambridge terminal handle?
Coil, plate, structural, wire rod, pipe, billets and blooms, with 450,000 sq ft of covered storage and lifts up to 150 tons.
How far is Pittsburgh from Toronto?
About 504 km. Erie is about 307 km.
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.