From securing credit to submitting your bill of lading forms, here's the information you need for shipping machinery.
Whether you're moving machinery, military or agricultural equipment, we can help you transport your items quickly and safely. To ensure your shipments arrive on time and are safely packed, please follow these steps:
1. Obtain a quote
To get a quote for your shipment, please contact:
or call 1-877-277-7283.
Special heavy-duty cars are available for dimensional and heavier-than-average loads. For dimensional loads, or if your load exceeds 11 ft. high and/or 11 ft. wide, 52 ft. in length AND is heavier than 150,000 lbs., please send accompanying drawings by contacting the Dimensional Clearance Bureau at:
1-800-363-0177
Phone: 403-319-7471
Fax: 403-260-5841
2. Secure credit
Unless you have an established account with us, you must apply for credit.
Contact our Credit Bureau at 1-800-463-3280 or
apply online
3. Order a rail car
We will need to be notified of your anticipated rail car requirements at least 14 days in advance. You will need to confirm your requirements by the Thursday of the week before your rail cars are needed by registering for Customer Station.
Register for Customer Station by contacting us at:
Phone: 1-888-333-8111
email: delta@cpr.ca
If you require dimensional clearance, you must call the Clearance Bureau (see item 1) to reserve your rail cars.
Other guidelines for worry-free transportation
Loading and inspection
You must arrange for your material to be loaded onto the rail car. Your shipment should be tied down by either you or a third party. To ensure your shipment is properly loaded the first time, contact the local CP Mechanical Inspector prior to loading. The Mechanical Inspector will inspect your load and make sure it's properly secured.
Customs documentation
All cross-border shipments need proper customs documentation. Please contact the Customs Bureau for more information. Our Border Services Guides are available here.
Customs Bureau:
Phone: 1-800-704-4000
Fax: 204-947-8203
Bill of lading (BOL)
Bills of lading help us identify shipments and material and are required for each shipment. Please include the following information on your BOL: origin, destination, routing, shipper, billable party, shipment, weight. If the shipment is dimensional, please identify it as so. We have our own templates for bills of lading, but you may use a generic one.
A final loaded clearance will be ordered by the inspectors. The Clearance Bureau must accept the loaded measurements before your shipment can move.
There are several ways to submit BOLs to CP:
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Online: We can set up an electronic bill of lading for you. Contact us 1-888-333-8111 or via email at CP_EDIServices@cpr.ca.
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Trusted Link Commerce: This is our Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) program. You must already be set up with us as a trading partner to submit a bill of lading through our EDI.
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Fax: You may fax your bill of lading to our Waybilling department, which is part of our Customer Service team. In Canada, fax your BOL to 1-800-704-3000. In the U.S. please fax to 1-888-762-7245.
Trace your shipments
Once your shipment is moving by rail, you can trace your rail car at any time by contacting the Customer Service Team (1-888-333-8111) or via our online Equipment Tracing application, which can be accessed through MyCPR.
Please keep in mind that rail cars and trains can be delayed due to environmental and technical reasons. If you have any concerns, please call the Customer Service Team, or your CP representative.
Terms to remember
Special train: This refers to your load being moved with its own locomotive. This is only necessary when determined by the Dimensional Clearance Bureau and will be specified on your clearance. Additional costs will ensue.
Heavy duty car: These cars have additional axles, or a unique design, to handle extremely heavy and/or dimensional loads. These cars are assigned by the Dimensional Clearance Bureau, and will be specified on your clearance. Additional costs will ensue.