Referencing Another Carriers ACI Shipment (ACI eManifest)

This article is part of the BorderConnect ACI eManifest Guide

In ACI eManifest, a Referenced Shipment occurs when a primary carrier hires a secondary carrier to physically transport goods into Canada. CBSA’s ACI/eManifest highway documentation states that highway carriers must provide advance cargo and conveyance information to CBSA, which is why the cargo and conveyance portions must still be accounted for even when different carriers are involved.

Video Tutorial

Video tutorial

This process requires two separate filings that link together in CBSA's system:

• Primary Carrier: Owns the shipment and submits the Cargo Data.
• Secondary Carrier: Transports the goods and submits the Conveyance (Trip) Data.

Authorization: No formal authorization letter is required for this specific linkage; the electronic link between the Trip Number and Cargo Control Number (CCN) serves as the authorization.

Roles & Responsibilities

Role	Responsible For	Carrier Code Used
Primary Carrier	Shipment (Cargo) Information	Used in the Cargo Control Number (CCN)
Secondary Carrier	Trip (Conveyance) Information	Used in the Trip Number

The referenced shipment process is most common when the carrier that controls or owns the cargo record is not the same carrier that is physically crossing the border. BorderConnect’s tutorial explains that this is used when the other carrier will submit the ACI shipment through its own ACI service provider, and the carrier registered in BorderConnect then references that shipment in the manifest once the shipment is on file with CBSA.

Role 1: The Primary Carrier

The Primary Carrier must submit the shipment data without attaching it to a trip.

1 Create Unassociated Shipment

• Navigate to ACI eManifests -> Start New ACI Shipment.
• Crucial: Leave "Attached to Trip Number" BLANK.
• Enter the Port of Entry where the Secondary Carrier will cross.
• Complete all Shipper, Consignee, and Commodity details normally.
• Click Save.

2 Transmit to CBSA

• Inside the shipment, locate the Send to CBSA menu.
• Select Send New Shipment Request.
• Wait for the status to change to On File with CBSA.

Next Step: You must provide the Secondary Carrier with the Cargo Control Number (CCN) and the Port of Entry you used.

The Primary Carrier should not attach the shipment to its own trip if another carrier will physically transport the goods into Canada. If the shipment is already linked to another conveyance, the secondary carrier may receive a reject indicating that the CCN cannot be related to two conveyances.

Role 2: The Secondary Carrier

The Secondary Carrier creates the trip and links to the Primary Carrier's existing shipment.

1 One-Time Setup

Before starting, ensure your account is configured to allow this.

• Go to Account -> Company Settings.
• Under ACI eManifest Settings, set Allow ACI "Reference Only" Shipments to Yes.
• Go to Account -> Canadian Carrier Codes and add the Primary Carrier's code so the system recognizes it.

BorderConnect’s mobile tutorial also notes that if the reference-only option does not appear, the user must enable Allow ACI Reference Only Shipments in Company Settings.

2 Create the Trip

• Navigate to ACI eManifests -> Start New ACI eManifest.
• Enter your Trip Number, Driver, Truck, and Trailer.
• Crucial: Ensure the Port of Entry matches the Primary Carrier's shipment exactly.
• Click Save.

3 Link the Shipment

• Click Create New Shipment.
• Check the box: Shipment Reference Only.
• Enter the Cargo Control Number (CCN) provided by the Primary Carrier.
• Click Save.

When the shipment is marked as reference only, the additional shipment fields disappear because the other carrier is responsible for submitting the shipment data with its own provider.

4 Transmit

• Click Sync with CBSA on the manifest page.
• Once accepted, the status will update to On File with CBSA.

Under ACI eManifest rules, the complete eManifest, including trip and shipment information, must generally be on file with CBSA at least one hour before the driver arrives at the border. The secondary carrier should therefore confirm that both the referenced cargo and the trip are accepted before the driver reaches the port.

Verifying Release (PARS)

Using Status Queries

Because the shipment uses another carrier's code, transaction numbers or PARS updates may not auto-populate on the secondary carrier's board. The carrier may need to request them manually.

• Open the Shipment Details Page.
• Click Send Status Query.
• CBSA will return the current status, such as a Transaction Number, if available.

BorderConnect’s tutorial notes that in most cases a status query must be sent to retrieve the transaction number and move the manifest to the released or accepted stage after a declaration accept message is found.

See: Status Query Guide

Common Rejects

Reject Message	Meaning / Fix
Invalid Status of Related Request	The shipment is not on file yet. Confirm the Primary Carrier has accepted the shipment first.
CCN Cannot Be Related to 2 Conveyances	The shipment is already linked to another trip. Ask the Primary Carrier to de-link it from any previous trips.
Port Code Must Match	The trip port differs from the shipment port. Correct the trip port or ask the Primary Carrier to update the shipment port.

Best Practices

• Confirm the CCN and Port of Entry with the Primary Carrier before creating the secondary carrier’s trip.
• Make sure the Primary Carrier has transmitted the shipment and received an On File with CBSA status before the secondary carrier transmits the trip.
• Do not re-enter the shipment as a normal shipment if the Primary Carrier is already filing the cargo data; use Shipment Reference Only instead.
• Use a status query when PARS or release details do not appear automatically.
• Keep the primary and secondary carrier responsibilities clear so that shipment updates, de-links, and corrections are handled by the correct party.

See also

• ACI eManifest Software User Guide
• Status Query Feature
• Creating and Submitting a New ACI eManifest
• ACI Shipment Details Page
• Cargo Control Number