Consolidated Freight (CBSA Shipment Type)

This article is part of the BorderConnect ACI eManifest Guide and the Shipment Release Types Guide

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How to create a Consolidated shipment in ACI using BorderConnect.

A consolidated freight shipment refers to multiple individual cargo shipments that are grouped together under a single Cargo Control Number (CCN) by a carrier, consolidator, or freight forwarder for reporting to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Under this arrangement, a consolidated shipment moves across the border as one shipment, with the expectation that individual shipment details (“house bills”) need to be filed prior to arrival. From a CBSA perspective, consolidated freight exists when a number of separate shipments are forwarded together and reported under one CCN.

Definition and Policy

CBSA policy defines a consolidated shipment as two or more separate shipments grouped together and reported under a single cargo control document. A deconsolidation occurs when that consolidated shipment is later divided into its individual shipments, each reported to CBSA on separate cargo control documents (house bills).

In ACI eManifest reporting, carriers must clearly indicate when a shipment is consolidated so that CBSA can expect subsequent house bill reporting from the freight forwarder or party responsible for deconsolidation.

All consolidated freight shipments are subject to standard ACI timing rules, including the requirement that cargo and conveyance data be received and validated by CBSA at least one hour prior to arrival at the first point of arrival (FPOA).

Declaring Consolidated Freight in ACI eManifest

When reporting consolidated freight, the carrier transmits a single ACI shipment under one CCN and indicates that the freight is consolidated. This informs CBSA that additional shipment details (house bills) will be provided separately.

Consolidated freight may be reported by highway carriers or freight forwarders depending on the business arrangement; however, the carrier remains responsible for the accuracy and timeliness of the primary ACI transmission.

When an ACI shipment is declared as consolidated, a customs broker cannot file an entry using the consolidated shipment’s Cargo Control Number (CCN). Instead, the broker must file entries using the freight forwarder’s individual house bill CCNs, once those house bills have been submitted and linked to the consolidated ACI shipment. This ensures CBSA can correctly associate the broker’s entry to the appropriate shipment within the consolidation rather than to the consolidated primary cargo document.

Processing Consolidated Freight in BorderConnect

A list of uncommon data elements found on the Start New ACI eManifest page.

Uncommon data elements can be found on the Start New ACI Shipment page. It allows the user to enter additional shipment details that are not usually common on most ACI shipments, such as a Consolidated Freight Indicator, a Unique Consignment Reference Number, an In-Transit Indicator as well as entering any Special Instructions for the ACI shipment. The Uncommon Data Elements are hidden by default. To reveal the Uncommon Data Element fields, click the Show All Fields on the top right of the page.

Once the uncommon data elements are revealed, the user will have additional ACI shipment details.

Consolidated Freight

Optional field, should only be completed to indicate to CBSA that freight forwarder house bills will follow this shipment. Consolidated freight is a number of separate shipments grouped together by a consolidator or freight forwarder and shipped under one cargo control document, in which case CBSA would expect deconsolidated details on house bills after the shipment has moved in bond.

Consolidated Freight

This field should only be completed to indicate to CBSA that freight forwarder house bills will follow this shipment.

Consolidated freight refers to a number of separate shipments grouped together by a consolidator or freight forwarder and shipped under one cargo control document. In these cases, CBSA expects house bill details to be filed prior to arrival and subsequently linked to the consolidated ACI shipment.

House Bill Reporting and Deconsolidation

For consolidated freight, CBSA policy requires that house bill details be transmitted separately and linked to the consolidated shipment. These house bills allow CBSA to:

• Identify individual shipments within the consolidation
• Apply targeting and admissibility controls
• Issue release decisions at the shipment level

Failure to provide required house bill information for consolidated freight may result in delays, referrals, or enforcement action.

Deconsolidation Status and D4-ACI Notices in BorderConnect

When consolidated freight is deconsolidated, CBSA issues D4-ACI notices that reflect the linkage status between the ACI shipment, the house bill(s), and any subsequent entry or clearance activity.

In BorderConnect, users can monitor deconsolidation progress by reviewing the following ACI Notice messages on the ACI shipment history section.

House Bill Status Messages

ACI Notice: House Bill Close Not On File

Completeness Level: [Document Not On File]

Indicates that a consolidated ACI shipment has been filed, but no house bill has yet been submitted or linked to the shipment.

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ACI Notice: House Bill Close Message On File

Completeness Level: [Cargo Complete]

Indicates that the freight forwarder has submitted a house bill and it has successfully linked to the ACI shipment.

If the shipment is moving in-bond to a warehouse, this is typically the final status observed for the shipment.

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ACI Notice: House Bill Close Message On File

Completeness Level: [Document Package Complete]

Indicates that a broker or importer has submitted an entry that is linked to the house bill, completing the full document package for the shipment.

When this message is present, the driver can proceed to cross the border.

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ACI Notice: Shipment Deconsolidated

Completeness Level: [Deconsolidated]

Indicates that CBSA has authorized the transfer of cargo control from the consolidated shipment to the related individual house bills submitted by the freight forwarder.

According to Customs Notice 16-20, this notice confirms that the consolidated primary cargo document and related house bills have been acquitted and serves as electronic authorization for the warehouse or terminal operator to release control of the goods to the freight forwarder.

Tracking D4-ACI Deconsolidation notices in BorderConnect

Tracking these D4-ACI notices in BorderConnect allows carriers, freight forwarders, and brokers to:

• Confirm when house bills are received and linked to consolidated ACI shipments
• Understand how far a shipment has progressed through the deconsolidation process
• Identify whether additional house bill or entry information is still outstanding
• Determine whether a shipment is ready to cross the border or will remain in-bond
• Support compliance when moving consolidated freight in-bond or for final release

In addition to viewing D4-ACI notices directly on individual ACI shipments, all deconsolidation notices associated with your company can be accessed from the following navigation path:

ACI eManifests → Deconsolidation Notices

This opens the Deconsolidation Notices Search Page, which provides a centralized, company-wide view of all deconsolidation activity. From this page, users can search, filter, and monitor D4-ACI notices across all consolidated shipments to quickly identify outstanding house bills, linkage status, and completion levels.