Does this replace a customs broker?

No. It is a preparation checklist so nothing is missing or misassigned before dispatch. Customs clearance itself still runs through a licensed customs broker.

Does it cover both Mexico and Canada?

Yes — both US/Mexico and US/Canada lanes, with the documentation differences between them called out rather than merged into one generic list.

Do I need an account to use it?

No. The checklist is free and open. An account is only needed to post or book freight on the board.

FleetBase

Cross-Border Freight Documents

Pick a lane and work the checklist -- each document is tagged with when it's needed and who typically files it, so nothing surfaces for the first time at the border.

This is an organizational checklist, not customs or legal advice -- requirements vary by commodity, value, and carrier program (FAST, C-TPAT, etc). Confirm specifics with your licensed customs broker before relying on it.

0 / 4 required documents checked

Before pickup

Commercial Invoice

Filed by: Shipper / exporter

Full description, HS/HTS classification, value, and Incoterms for every line item -- this is what the Mexican customs broker builds the pedimento from, so gaps here become delays at the border.

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Packing List

Filed by: Shipper / exporter

Piece count, weight, and packaging detail matching the commercial invoice.

USMCA/T-MEC Certificate of Origin

Conditional

Filed by: Shipper / exporter

A signed statement (no fixed government form) certifying the goods qualify as North American originating goods.

Only needed if the shipper/importer is claiming preferential (reduced/zero) tariff treatment under USMCA/T-MEC/CUSMA -- goods can still cross without it, just without the tariff break.

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Before the border

Complemento Carta Porte (CFDI)

Filed by: Mexican customs broker / your carrier's Mexican counterpart

SAT's electronic bill-of-lading supplement, required for the Mexican inland leg of the move (including the stretch from the border to the consignee) -- tied to a CFDI, not the US-side paperwork.

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At the crossing

Pedimento de Importación

Filed by: Licensed Mexican customs broker (agente aduanal)

Mexico's official customs entry declaration -- only a licensed Mexican broker can file it. This is the document that actually clears the goods into Mexico.

Know the paperwork before the truck reaches the border

Cross-border freight fails at the crossing for document reasons far more often than for anything about the freight itself. This walks the specific paperwork a US/Mexico or US/Canada shipment needs, so the gaps surface while you can still fix them.

It covers the documents themselves and who is responsible for each — customs broker, carrier, or shipper — which is usually the part that gets assumed rather than agreed.

When people use this

Running your first Laredo or Detroit crossing and wanting a concrete checklist
Confirming which documents the carrier owns versus the customs broker
Briefing a driver on what has to be in hand before the crossing

Common questions

Does this replace a customs broker?: No. It is a preparation checklist so nothing is missing or misassigned before dispatch. Customs clearance itself still runs through a licensed customs broker.
Does it cover both Mexico and Canada?: Yes — both US/Mexico and US/Canada lanes, with the documentation differences between them called out rather than merged into one generic list.
Do I need an account to use it?: No. The checklist is free and open. An account is only needed to post or book freight on the board.

Every tool here is free. An account adds the freight side — post a load, book a verified carrier, and track it live.