Elizabeth, NJ to Montreal, QC freight

Lanes/

The Elizabeth to Montreal corridor runs across the U.S.–Canada border.

Direction

U.S. – Canada cross-border

Equipment on this lane

Dry van-led, with open deck and reefer demand

Carrier availability

Vetted carriers cover this corridor

Marketplace activity

Posted by brokers on the Cargado marketplace

<div class="lane-viz"><div class="lane-viz-mapwrap"><img class="lane-viz-map" src="https://cargado-lane-maps.pages.dev/elizabeth-nj-to-montreal-qc.svg" alt="Elizabeth, NJ to Montreal, QC freight route map on Cargado" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="620"></div><div class="lane-viz-panel"><div class="lane-viz-title">Transit time</div><div class="tr"><div class="trrow tot"><span>Transit</span><b>1 day</b></div><div class="trmi">372 mi driving</div></div><a class="lane-cta" href="https://cargado.com/brokers/get-a-demo">Get a Rate <span class="arw">→</span></a><div class="lane-viz-fine">Estimated drive time by road, split at the border. Border dwell varies with documentation and crossing.</div></div></div>

This corridor connects the Elizabeth market (Linden, Newark, Kearny, Elizabeth, Edison) with the Montreal market (Montreal, Rougemont, Varennes, Drummondville, Saint-Hyacinthe, Boucherville), running across the U.S.–Canada border. Over the past 12 months brokers posted this corridor to the Cargado marketplace.

What ships from Elizabeth

Freight out of the Elizabeth market leans toward consumer goods, food and beverage and plastics and packaging based on what brokers actually post there. You can read more about moving these goods on the freight types pages.

Equipment on this corridor

Dry van-led, with open deck and reefer demand. Browse equipment definitions in the glossary if a term is unfamiliar.

Customs on the U.S.–Canada leg

Entries are pre-filed electronically and cleared before arrival, and drivers need documentation in order at the booth.

Cargado's marketplace brings verified carriers to corridors like this one, with carrier vetting handled before bidding and banded rate context available in the product.

The markets on this lane

Origin market

Elizabeth, NJ

Elizabeth and Newark, New Jersey, are the container hub of the busiest port on the East Coast, with large marine terminals, on-dock rail, an airport cargo area and a large warehouse market. Containers move out by truck to nearby warehouses and by CSX and Norfolk Southern rail to the Midwest and Eastern Canada. Container terminal modernization and harbor deepening are planned, and a rebuilt truck entrance is scheduled for completion in 2028.

Industries: Container shipping, rail intermodal, vehicle imports and exports, air cargo and express parcels, warehousing and distribution

Seaport: Marine container terminals at Port Newark and Elizabeth, part of the Port of New York and New Jersey, the busiest port on the East Coast. 5,955,798 loaded TEUs port-wide in 2025 (operating). Source
Seaport: Modernization and expansion of container terminal operations and infrastructure across the port, and planned harbor deepening to 55 feet with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. More than $1.2 billion in private investment (planned). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: ExpressRail on-dock rail system, reaching the Midwest, New England and Eastern Canada (operating). Source
Seaport: Port Street Corridor northern entrance, a truck entrance rebuild; construction began November 2023; completion scheduled 2028. $220 million (under construction). Source
Airport: Newark Liberty International Airport cargo area. About 680,000 short tons of air cargo in 2025 (operating). Source
Foreign-trade zone: Foreign-Trade Zone No. 49, covering Port Newark, the Elizabeth marine terminal and the Port Jersey marine terminal. Source

Distribution: The Port Authority counts nearly one billion square feet of warehouse and distribution space within 50 miles of the port (2020).

Destination market

Montreal, QC

Montreal is a major container port and rail intermodal gateway for Eastern Canada, with the Port of Montreal handling 34.3 million metric tons in 2025. The Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle crossing to the U.S. is being rebuilt through summer 2028. The region also has an all-cargo airport and an aerospace sector.

Industries: Port and container logistics, rail intermodal, aerospace, bulk cargo, air cargo

Seaport: Port of Montreal, handling containers, liquid bulk and dry bulk including grain. 1.52 million TEUs and 34.3 million metric tons in 2025 (operating). Source
Seaport: Contrecoeur container terminal expansion with integrated rail, road and marine infrastructure; construction underway since October 2025 and full operation targeted for 2030. Adds up to 1.15 million TEUs of annual capacity (about 60%), two berths (under construction). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: CN Montreal Intermodal Terminal in Saint-Laurent. Open 24 hours daily (operating). Source
Airport: Montréal-Trudeau International Airport and the all-cargo Mirabel airport. 249,403 metric tons of cargo at the two airports in 2024 (operating). Source
Customs bridge: Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle land port of entry, the main gateway for trade and travel between New York and Montreal; primary inspection line being rebuilt until summer 2028, with reduced lanes. Almost 300,000 commercial vehicles a year (under construction). Source

Distribution: Freight moves through the Port of Montreal, CN's Saint-Laurent intermodal terminal and the Montréal-Trudeau and Mirabel airports, with the Contrecoeur terminal expansion adding container capacity.

Market profiles describe industries and facility types from public government, industry, port, railroad and industrial-park sources. They name no shippers, manufacturers, retailers or logistics companies.

Common questions about this lane

How do I find carriers for Elizabeth to Montreal?

On Cargado, brokers post the corridor and vetted carriers bid on it. Every carrier is verified before it can bid, which replaces cold-calling unknown carriers.

What equipment is available on the Elizabeth to Montreal corridor?

Postings here lean dry van-led, with open deck and reefer demand. If you need a type you do not see, post the load anyway. Carriers with matching equipment get notified automatically.

Do carriers on this corridor handle customs paperwork?

Carriers handle the transport side and customs brokers clear the freight. Have your customs broker's entry filed before the truck reaches the border, and look for carriers with the right border credentials.

Moving freight on this lane?

Post it to 2,350+ vetted Mexico and Canada carriers, or check market rates built from real carrier bids before you quote.

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