Creating a Split Shipment (ACE Manifest)

This article is part of the BorderConnect ACE Manifest Guide

A Split Shipment occurs when a single PAPS entry, using a single PAPS number, is transported across the border in more than one load because of the size of the shipment.

In ACE eManifest, split shipments are typically used when one entry must move in multiple physical loads, such as large machinery, oversized freight, or components that cannot all move on one truck.

It is not the carrier's responsibility to determine whether a load is a split shipment. The customs broker or importer should tell the carrier when the freight is clearing as a split shipment. The importer or customs broker should also have obtained approval from the CBP port before the split shipment PAPS entry is set up.

Video Tutorial

How to create an ACE eManifest with split shipments

Video walkthrough: How to Create an ACE eManifest With Split Shipments

Overview

A split shipment uses one Shipment Control Number, normally the PAPS number, for multiple physical crossings. The master shipment represents the full shipment, while each split shipment segment represents the quantity moving on one ACE eManifest.

CBP regulations allow a single entry for certain shipments that arrive on separate conveyances at the same port in multiple portions. This can apply to shipments split by the carrier or to components of a large unassembled or disassembled entity, depending on the applicable CBP requirements.

In BorderConnect, the master shipment is sent first as an unassociated ACE shipment. After CBP accepts the master shipment, each physical load is filed on its own ACE eManifest as a split shipment segment using the same Shipment Control Number.

Enabling Split Shipments

Before split shipments can be processed in BorderConnect ACE Manifest Software, the option must be enabled in the company preferences.

Go to Account and select Company Settings.
Under ACE Shipment Settings, set Allow ACE "Split Shipments" to Yes.
Click Save at the top of the page.

Enabling Split Shipments from the Company Settings page.

Only account administrators or users with permission to update company settings may be able to change this option. If the split shipment option is not visible when creating the ACE shipment, review the company setting before continuing.

Creating the Master Shipment

The master shipment is created first and represents the total quantity for all split shipment segments.

Go to ACE eManifests.
Under Shipments, click Start New ACE Shipment. Do not use Start New ACE eManifest for the master shipment.
Enter the Shipment Control Number. This should be the PAPS number that the broker is using for the entry.
Enter the shipper, consignee, and commodity information.
In the commodity quantity field, enter the total quantity for all loads combined.
Save the shipment.

Each split shipment segment quantity will be subtracted from the total quantity on the master shipment. When the total reaches zero, the master shipment is acquitted and no more loads can be moved under that PAPS number.

After saving the master shipment, return to the ACE Shipment Details page. At the top of the page, use Shipment Only Send to CBP and select Send Unassociated Shipment.

Sending the master shipment as an unassociated shipment.

Once CBP accepts the unassociated shipment, the split shipment segments can be created.

Creating Split Segments

After the master shipment has been submitted and accepted by CBP, create one ACE eManifest for each physical load.

Go to ACE eManifests and click Start New ACE eManifest.
Enter the manifest information, including the trip number, port, ETA, truck, trailer, and driver.
Click Save and Start New ACE Shipment.
Enter the master shipment control number. The same shipment control number must be used for every split shipment segment.
Select Split Shipment Segment.
Leave the shipper and consignee fields blank if the master shipment already contains that information.
Enter the quantity physically moving on this load only.
Click Save.

The commodity details do not need to be re-entered on the segment because they are already on the master shipment submitted to CBP.

Selecting Split Shipment Segment on the ACE shipment.

After the segment shipment is saved, click Back to eManifest. Confirm that the shipment is shown with a green light and is marked as a split shipment. Then click Sync with CBP at the top of the eManifest details page.

In about 30 to 60 seconds, the eManifest with the split shipment segment should be accepted and show three blue bars.

Repeat this process for every split shipment segment until all shipment quantities are fulfilled. If the segment quantities do not total the master shipment quantity, the manifest may be rejected.

Master vs. Segment

Master Shipment	Split Shipment Segment
Created as an unassociated shipment with no eManifest.	Created as a split shipment within an ACE eManifest.
Created first.	Created after the master shipment is accepted by CBP.
Uses the total quantity for all loads.	Uses the partial quantity for that physical load.
Uses the same Shipment Control Number.	Uses the same Shipment Control Number.
Contains the full shipper, consignee, and commodity details.	Usually contains only the segment quantity because the full details are on the master shipment.

Example showing the master shipment and split shipment segments.

Changing Split Shipments

Changes to split shipments should be made carefully because the master shipment and segment manifests are connected by the same Shipment Control Number.

If the broker or importer changes the entry setup, confirm whether the existing master shipment and segment manifests can still be used. If the Shipment Control Number, total quantity, or port approval changes, you may need to cancel and recreate the master shipment and related segments.

Changing Segment Quantity

To change the quantity on a split shipment segment, detach the shipment from the manifest first.

On the ACE eManifest Details page, detach the shipment from the manifest.
Click Cancel eManifest.
Find the detached shipment.
On the ACE eManifest Details page, use Quick Assign Shipment and search for the Shipment Control Number.
Select the detached shipment to attach it back to the manifest.
Click Edit under the Actions column.
Change the quantity and click Save.
Click Back to eManifest.
Click Sync with CBP to send the updated eManifest back to CBP.

The segment quantity should match the freight physically moving on that crossing. If the total of all segment quantities exceeds or does not match the master shipment quantity, CBP may reject the filing or the master shipment may not acquit correctly.

Removing a Segment

To remove a split shipment segment, detach the shipment from the manifest using the detach link on the right side of the page.

After the shipment is detached, click Cancel eManifest at the top of the ACE eManifest Details page.

If the segment was already accepted by CBP, confirm the cancellation is accepted before reusing or correcting the segment information.

Changing Master SCN

To change the Shipment Control Number on the master shipment, the unassociated master shipment must be cancelled first.

Go to ACE eManifests.
Click Search ACE Shipments.
Search for the Shipment Control Number if the shipment is not already listed.
Open the master shipment.
On the shipment details page, use Shipment Only Send to CBP and select Cancel Shipment Message.

After the master shipment has been cancelled, every ACE eManifest containing a split shipment segment must also be cancelled.

Once the master shipment and all split shipment segments are cancelled, reopen the unassociated master shipment from Search ACE Shipments, click Edit, change the Shipment Control Number, and click Save. Then use Shipment Only Send to CBP and select Send Unassociated Shipment.

After CBP accepts the corrected master shipment, update each cancelled ACE eManifest containing a split shipment segment so it uses the new Shipment Control Number. Then send each one again using Sync with CBP.

Best Practices

Confirm with the broker or importer that the shipment is approved and intended to move as a split shipment before creating the master shipment. The carrier should not decide on its own to split a PAPS entry across multiple ACE eManifests.

Use the same Shipment Control Number on the master shipment and every split shipment segment. Enter the total quantity on the master shipment and only the physical quantity moving on each individual segment.

Do not create the segment eManifests before the master unassociated shipment is accepted by CBP. If the master shipment is not accepted first, the segment manifests may reject because CBP does not have the master shipment on file.