LANGLEY, B.C. — Canadian truckers are being warned that they will face major hassles at the Pacific Highway border crossing if they do not have documentation about their northbound load ready.

In response to complaints from U.S trucking companies that Canadian drivers may be illegally picking up and dropping off freight, U.S. Immigration warned Canadian truckers that they may be refused entry into the U.S. on their next trip if the required documentation isn’t available.

The British Columbia Trucking Association (BCTA) has reached a short-term agreement with U.S. Immigration, to reduce potential hassles facing truckers.

The solution involves having the owner or senior manager of the trucking company send a letter explaining why the company does not know what freight is onboard, an outline of how drivers are informed of return loads and a statement that the company abides by U.S. Immigration laws.

This letter is to be faxed to Bruce Bruner, U.S. Immigration area port director, at (360) 332-3747.

In the meantime, the BCTA is working with the Canadian Trucking Alliance to determine the Area Port Director’s authority to request the information about return loads of Canadian truck drivers.