How to Handle Customs Holds and Border Delays

A customs hold stops a truck cold. Whether it's a document problem, a targeted exam, or a random inspection, the result is the same: the driver waits, the clock runs, and someone is going to pay for the time. Here's how to manage customs holds effectively — what causes them, what the driver should do, how dispatch coordinates the response, and how to document detention properly.

Why Freight Gets Held

Not every hold has the same cause, and understanding the reason matters because the fix is different for each one:

• PARS or PAPS not on file: The most common preventable cause. The customs broker hasn't filed the entry yet when the driver arrives at the border. The system can't release the load because there's no entry to release against. The fix requires the broker to file immediately and the system to update — which can take 15–45 minutes or more depending on workload.
• eManifest mismatch or rejection: The ACE or ACI filing has errors — wrong barcode, wrong trailer plate, wrong port of arrival — and the system flagged it. The carrier must correct and refile, and the corrected filing must be accepted before the driver can proceed.
• Random exam selection: CBP and CBSA use targeting algorithms to select loads for examination. Some percentage of trucks will be selected regardless of how clean their paperwork is. There is nothing the driver did wrong; the load was flagged for routine inspection.
• Targeted hold: Intelligence or past history has flagged the carrier, the shipper, the consignee, or a specific commodity for examination. These holds tend to be more thorough and take longer.
• Paperwork discrepancy: What the commercial invoice says doesn't match what the BOL says, or the declared commodity description doesn't align with what officers can see in the trailer. Border officers have authority to detain freight while they resolve these discrepancies.
• Regulatory hold: A government agency other than customs — FDA, CFIA, USDA, EPA — has placed a hold on the specific commodity or shipment pending their own review or inspection.

Types of Exams

When freight is held for examination, the level of inspection varies:

• Document review: Officers review the paperwork only. Relatively quick — usually resolved in under an hour if the documents are in order.
• Non-intrusive inspection (NII): The trailer passes through an X-ray or gamma-ray imaging system. The driver waits while images are reviewed. Typical wait: 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the facility's queue.
• Canine inspection: Drug-detection dogs sweep the trailer or tractor-trailer. Usually quick, but adds time to the process.
• Intensive (physical) examination: Officers physically unload or partially unload the trailer to inspect the cargo. This is the most disruptive. Depending on the load, a full intensive exam can take 4–12+ hours. The carrier is responsible for reloading after the exam; customs does not reload cargo.

What the Driver Should Do

When a driver is directed to secondary or told there is a hold, the immediate steps matter:

1. Stay calm and cooperative. Arguing with officers delays everything and can escalate the situation. Cooperate fully.
2. Call dispatch immediately. The driver should not try to resolve document issues alone. Contact the dispatch office with the exact reason for the hold and any reference numbers given by the border officers.
3. Document the time. Note the exact time the truck was held in secondary. This is the start time for any detention claim. Take a photo of the dashboard clock or log it in the ELD.
4. Get the officer's information if possible. The port of entry, the port director, and any reference numbers associated with the hold are useful for follow-up.
5. Do not leave the area without clearance. The truck is under customs control until released. The driver cannot move without authorization.

Communicating with Broker and Dispatch

When dispatch gets the call, the response process should be immediate and organized:

• Contact the customs broker. Give them the PARS/PAPS barcode, the driver's name, the crossing, and the nature of the hold. A good broker can often resolve a paperwork issue within 30–60 minutes remotely.
• Contact the shipper if the hold relates to a document discrepancy or commodity question. The shipper may need to provide supplemental information or corrected documents electronically.
• Keep the consignee informed. If the delivery appointment is at risk, the consignee needs to know as early as possible to reschedule receiving or adjust their operations.
• Update the driver regularly. A driver sitting in secondary with no information from dispatch is a driver who will be frustrated and stressed. Check in every 30 minutes.

Detention from Border Delays

Detention is time-based compensation when the carrier is delayed beyond a free-time allowance through no fault of their own. Border holds — especially intensive exams — are a legitimate basis for detention claims, but they require documentation:

• The timestamp when the truck was directed to secondary (start of delay)
• The customs exam report or inspection number if one is issued
• The timestamp when the truck was released and cleared to proceed
• Any customs-issued documentation (exam receipt, inspection order)

Detention claims for border holds can be contentious. Shippers and brokers sometimes push back on the grounds that they did not cause the hold. Document everything, submit the claim with supporting records, and be prepared to follow up. Carriers who fail to document holds in real time often lose valid detention claims because they can't prove the timeline.

Prevention: What You Can Do Before the Border

Most document-related holds are preventable with pre-departure discipline:

• Confirm the PARS or PAPS is on file with the broker before the driver leaves the shipper — not when the driver is at the crossing.
• Verify the eManifest was accepted (not just submitted) with adequate lead time. "Submitted" is not the same as "accepted."
• Cross-check the BOL, commercial invoice, and packing list for consistency in commodity description, quantity, and weight before dispatch.
• For regulated commodities — food, agriculture, chemicals — confirm all required permits and FDA Prior Notices are filed and accepted before the driver picks up.
• Track your carrier's exam rate. If a specific lane or shipper keeps generating holds, investigate whether there's a pattern — it may indicate a systemic document or commodity issue worth addressing proactively.

Running cross-border? We coordinate PARS/PAPS and eManifest so your loads clear smoothly. Get dispatched with TRUCC — carrier-side dispatch across Canada and the USA.