eManifest / e-Manifest Approaches
Both U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have implemented electronic reporting systems requiring marine, air, rail and highway carriers to report the cargo onboard their conveyance(s) electronically prior to loading or reporting to the border. Each mode has specific advance reporting requirements. Highway carriers are mandated to successfully submit their electronic eManifest declarations at least one hour prior to reporting the border with a few exceptions such as: loads meeting the FAST requirements entering into the USA require ½ hour prior notice and, loads meeting CSA / FAST requirements entering into Canada can continue to use existing paper based declaration process.
Highway carriers essentially have six different methods of creating and monitoring their eManifest declarations. The six methods are:
1) Through the ACE / ACI government portals.
2) Using a 3rd party service provider to prepare and submit the eManifest declarations on the carrier’s behalf.
3) Preparing and submitting the declarations through a third party service provider’s software / web portal.
4) Integrating / interfacing their dispatch software through a Value Added Network (VAN) to submit and receive electronic eManifest declarations to and from customs using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) protocols.
5) Integrating / interfacing their dispatch software directly to U.S. Customs and Border Protection using a VPN and Canada Border Services Agency through the CBSA Customs Internet Gateway to submit and receive electronic eManifest declarations to and from customs using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) protocols.
6) Submitting a portion or all of their eManifest information from their dispatch system through a third party software as a service provider (SaaS) where the the software provider’s system may be used to validate, complete, submit, cancel, change, correct, amend the eManifest declaration and return customs messages and validations to the dispatch system. These types of solutions can be implemented to reduce the amount of data entry required by carriers while providing them with the capabilities and features that the SaaS provider's system may provide.
Note: Today many carriers use method 6 integrating their dispatch software to the SaaS provider using an Application Program Interface (API) to forward their dispatch information over the internet.
Carriers who interface their dispatch software to some SaaS providers may be able to obtain a Best of Breed solution. These types of solutions allow carriers to reduce their data entry while at the same time benefiting from some of the advanced validations and features the SaaS provider has developed (e.g. printing, faxing or e-mailing ACE and ACI barcoded lead sheets, printing A8A cargo control documents, sending e-mails, sending SMS text messages to SMART phones etc.) This type of approach may also negate the need for a carrier to update their systems when CBSA or CBP mandated new EDI standards.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency have created government portals that carriers can use to prepare and submit an ACE or ACI eManifest. Yet carriers wishing to use the government portals may find that portals may be slower, are cumbersome to use, have limitations and may not be designed to meet a carrier’s long term record keeping requirements. Carriers will also find they must maintain two independent databases. The government portals do not offer some of the features like faxing or e-mailing ACE / ACI barcode lead sheets or automatically sending SMS / Text messages or e-mails to your Professional Transport Operators or another designated party once the importer or customs broker’s declaration has been accepted. Would you like to try an alternative? Sign up for a Complementary 30 day trial using a system that has been designed to support cross border highway carriers!
Some carriers may also find their existing dispatch software solution may not offer all the features and benefits they require (such as printing A8A cargo control manifests, automatically sending Professional Transport Operators text messages or e-mails) etc. Some some systems may have procedural restrictions which may actually cost carriers time and money especially if their existing systems may require them to unnecessarily cancel and resubmit their eManifest declarations when errors and rejects occur resetting their prior notice time clocks. Some SaaS systems may be able to reduce these types of occurrences or delays through more robust validations and in some cases by allowing the carrier to make changes without cancelling and resubmitting the manifests / shipments and changing the prior notice time clocks. Each system may have their own idiosyncrasies that may have to be investigated to determine the causes and what may be the appropriate solution. In some situations it may make sense to use a hybrid solution to get the benefits of both worlds. Let us work with you to determine whether it makes sense to integrate your dispatch software to get the benefits of a hybrid solution. Please Contact Us so we can start the dialog!
eManifest Express recognizing carriers, their Professional Transport Operators, and internal staff may be under time constraints and offers an extremely FAST and advanced e-Manifest / eManifest system specifically designed for North American International Highway Carriers. The software can be used as a stand alone web based solution or integrated with your dispatch system. Higher volume carriers who may be using an existing third part provider or VAN may also wish to Contact Us to examine whether our competitive service offering and VAN EDI costs could save them time and / or money. Carrier’s who would like to try the ACE / ACI eManifest software can sign up for a Complementary 30 day trial. Carrier’s who would like to explore eManifest Express’s competitive service offering, VAN services or Best of Breed solution should Contact Us via e-mail, telephone or through this website to learn more about more about eManifest Express eManifest service offerings.
Complementary Trial
- Would you like to kick the tires so to speak! Sign up for a 30 day Complementary Trial!
- When you sign up for a free trial you will be able to submit ACE declarations once your account has been set up.
- You will be able to submit ACI declarations & obtain Release Notification Messages as soon Canada Border Services Agency completes your configuration!
- Are you using another providers solution? No Problem... customs systems are configured so carriers can submit their ACE and ACI declarations using independent systems. This will allow you to test the eManifest Express solution while using your existing solution.
- Any question please give us a call @ 306 242 9243 or send us a message & we will gladly assist you in kicking the tires so to speak!
