Lumber, panels, logs and pulp moved from mill to distribution yard, across the border and into export containers, on trailers secured and tarped the way each product needs.
Canada is one of the world's largest exporters of forest products, and most of it moves by truck for at least part of the journey: logs to the mill, lumber and panels to distribution yards and retailers, pulp and paper to ports and plants. Mills and wholesalers use us to cover flatbed and step deck capacity on mill-to-yard and cross-border lanes, and to book export containers through Canadian ports. We confirm the load profile, tarping and securement with the carrier before pickup, and line up the customs paperwork for US-bound loads, where duties on Canadian softwood lumber apply.
Canadian softwood lumber entering the US is subject to anti-dumping and countervailing duties, with additional US tariffs layered on since 2025. Rates are reset by periodic reviews, so the entry has to be filed with the current deposit rates every time.
Bundled lumber and panels need tie-downs spaced for their length, edge protection and blocking. Logs have their own rules entirely. Loose bundles are a road hazard and a fine.
Kiln-dried lumber, panels and finished millwork need tarps. Green lumber and logs usually travel uncovered. The receiver's spec decides, and it has to reach the carrier before dispatch.
Spring thaw restrictions cut legal weights on the rural roads that serve many mills and woodlots, sometimes for weeks. Loads that move freely in winter need lighter trucks or other routes.
Lumber and logs for overseas buyers are often loaded inland into containers. Missing a vessel cut-off delays the shipment by a full sailing, not a day.
Product, bundle sizes, weights and whether it must be tarped. For logs: species, lengths and destination mill or port.
Flatbed, step deck or curtainside for lumber and panels; specialized log trailers through partner carriers; tarps sized for the load.
We book carriers who run mill-to-yard lanes and know the loading practices at sawmills and panel plants.
For US loads we coordinate the customs broker and duty paperwork. For export we book the container, the drayage and the port cut-off.
Distribution yards receive by appointment. We track the truck and send the signed bill of lading after delivery.
Log loads have their own securement rules in the US and Canada, covering stakes, bunks and the number of tie-downs by log length and how the logs are loaded.
Bundled lumber and building products are secured by tiers and bundle length, with specific requirements for tie-down placement and blocking.
Anti-dumping and countervailing duty deposits apply to Canadian softwood lumber entering the US. Your customs broker applies the current rates at entry.
Wood packaging must be heat-treated and stamped, and some log and lumber exports need phytosanitary certificates from the CFIA depending on the destination country.
Provinces and northern states reduce allowable weights on many secondary roads during spring thaw. Dates are published each year and shift with the weather.
Most Canadian lumber leaves the mill on a flatbed, a step deck or a rail car. Trucks cover the shorter and more flexible moves: mill to distribution yard, yard to retailer, and anything that needs to arrive on a specific day. Rail covers long, steady flows, often with a truck at one or both ends.
Lumber is loaded by forklift from the side, which is why it travels on open decks. Bundles are stacked in tiers, separated by dunnage, and secured with straps placed according to the bundle length. Panels such as plywood and OSB load the same way but are more sensitive to weather.
Building season sets the demand. Spring and early summer bring the peak in shipments to yards and retailers, at the same time as thaw restrictions limit weights on the roads around many mills. Committing capacity before the season, rather than in the first busy week, is the usual way to keep trucks on mill lanes.
Receivers have their own rules. Distribution yards and big-box retailers often require appointments, specific tarps or a particular bundle orientation. We collect those once per receiver and send them with every dispatch.
The US is the largest market for Canadian softwood lumber, and the trade has been under duties, export taxes or quotas for most of the past four decades. Anti-dumping and countervailing duty deposits apply on entry, with rates that change after each US administrative review, and additional tariffs have been added since 2025.
For the shipper, that means every US-bound load needs a customs entry with the correct duty deposits applied, and the commercial invoice has to match what the broker files. Errors show up as held trucks at the border and corrections months later.
Overseas buyers often take lumber and logs in containers loaded inland. That turns the move into a drayage and port problem: an empty container out, loading at the mill, and a full container back to Vancouver, Montreal or Halifax before the vessel cut-off.
Some destinations require phytosanitary certificates for logs and certain lumber, issued after inspection by the CFIA. Wood packaging used with any international shipment must meet ISPM 15. Both have to be in place before the container leaves the yard.
Yes. US-bound softwood lumber needs a customs entry with the current anti-dumping and countervailing duty deposits applied. We coordinate the customs broker and the carrier so the load clears and moves on schedule.
Kiln-dried lumber, panels such as plywood and OSB, and finished millwork are usually tarped. Green lumber and logs usually are not. The receiver's specification decides, and we pass it to the carrier.
Yes, through partner carriers with log trailers, and in containers for export. Log loads follow their own securement rules and often have seasonal road limits.
Yes. We book the ocean container, the drayage to the loading site and back to the port, and line it up with the vessel cut-off at Vancouver, Montreal or Halifax.
Flatbeds and step decks for most loads, curtainsides when the product must stay dry without hand tarping. The choice depends on loading method at the mill and the receiver's requirements.
Most lumber moves as full flatbed loads priced by lane, with extra for tarping and any permits. Spring thaw and peak building season both tighten capacity. Send the lane and product for a quote.
Lumber, drywall, fixtures, steel and pre-fab modules — flatbed and project cargo to job-sites.
Paper rolls, corrugated, packaging materials — high-density, high-volume freight specialists.
Grain, seed, feed and ag-equipment — bulk hopper, end-dump, and seasonal harvest capacity.
Tell us the origin, destination and mode. A Qeep specialist replies within the hour with live capacity, lane price, and a transit window you can actually plan around.