Five easy steps for the newbie importer

Note to self, always ask questions. And then ask more questions. Be polite and maybe feign the ‘innocent, bewildered blonde’ look and ask more questions. 

The border officer kindly gives you a printout of the steps needed to ‘properly import’ your vehicle. 

Step 1) Consult the list, note yet another almighty government website, visit said website. 

Step 2) Go through the ritual and confirm that yes, there’s no recalls issued for your vehicle. And pay the inspection fee.

Step 3) Email the governing authority of vehicles, as indicated, a copy of Form ‘x’ from the border. 

Step 4) Wait three business days to receive Form ‘x2.’

Step 5) Receive said form and get RIV (registrar of imported vehicles) inspection done.

Once this process is done, you may now be able to properly license and insure your vehicle in Canada.

Got it. This will be easy peasy. No problem-o.

Steps one through three I checked off rapidly.

Step four… a week goes by and nuttin’. I call, using a frustrated pleasant tone of voice.

Automated message ensues… select a number… “If you’ve have not received Form x2 and did send us a copy of your recall clearance letter…”

Hold the phone.

I had to send in the bloomin’ recall clearance letter?!??

Thank you, almighty government website, for once again screwing with me; that would have been nice to know a week ago.

More web page searching, find the appropriate number for the recall clearance department of my vehicle and I explain my predicament. Thankfully, it’s painless conversation and I’m assured I will receive an email with the letter in three business days.

A week goes by.

I call back. Good thing I kept that number, eh?

“Oh, it looks like that email bounced back. Was it spelled like….?” Umm, no. Piece of fluff from the other end had somehow transposed two letters in my email. Crucial, ya?

Once again I’m reassured of another three business days.

Finally, the recall clearance letter has hit my inbox!

Forward that baby immediately!

Surprisingly two days later I had a notification that Form x2 was ready to download.

Now, for step five!

I go to my local Canadian Tire and ya sure you betcha we can do that pesky RIV inspection right now.

To my dismay and disgust, this ‘inspection’ which cost me approximately two hundred dollars was just a brief check that my truck had daytime running lights, air bags, seat belts and other odds ‘n ends. The kid, probably still in high school or collegiate, as they like to say; signs and stamps, done. He faxes (faxes?!?!?!) the signed form off to the RIV and then I’m done.

Yaaaaaay. That was so cool. No hint of sarcasm there, right?

Whew! That’s done now I can make my way to the local office for licensing and insuring. Eh, I’ve busy this week, I’ll do it next week. (Keep in mind though, that you have forty-five days from import to get that all done.) Business days or regular days, is anyone’s guess. 

I get my RIV sticker to put on my driver’s side door, proof that it’s been properly exported/imported, I guess? And I’ve got time, let’s get this licensing business done.

Paperwork, paperwork… drivers’ license. Sure let’s do that too.

‘Sorry but we have to take your old license. They don’t allow you to have both here in this province.’

Oh, well, that’s a bummer. Not going to lie, I was pretty sad about that. I had been hoping to keep it as a memento, not to mention I had a really great SMILING color photograph on that license. Plus, I’ve had a SoDak license my whole driving life. It was really hard to let it go, she practically had to peel my fingers off of it one by one.

‘Shall we license and insure your truck today as well?’

Well, ya, that’s kind of the whole point of getting this crappy temporary paper driver’s license (I’m assured the actual one will arrive via mail in a couple of weeks, with the black and white, grim reaper-esque photo). Mug shot anyone?

And then it begins again. ‘Do you have this form… that form… etc.?’

‘Wait, where’s the safety paperwork?’

The safety paperwork from the RIV is right there, on your desk.

‘No, no, you have to have an ‘actual’ safety done. The RIV and this other safety.’

Well, double crap.

My fairy godmother of paperwork aka paperwork gremlin had struck again.

The hopes, dreams and wishes of registering and insuring my truck fell flat and died. They died right there on her desk with a pathetic ‘oomph!’

Apparently, paperwork lightning can strike the same place (or person) more than once. 

In my ramblings and reading of many, many web pages and almighty government websites did it not mention that a ‘safety’ had to be performed, like a conductor to his orchestra so there must be a safety to my truck.

Thank goodness for cell phones, mobile internet, data and google. I locate a number with the focus and intensity of hawk watching a mouse. It’s Friday at 4:30, maybe I can still sneak it in.

‘Sorry, bring it in Monday.’

Dang, well, no worries, Monday and it’s done.

Monday morning rolls around and I’m bright eyed and bushy tailed like the squirrel sitting in the tree outside my window and it’s show time.

I roll in, park, nonchalantly stride into the office. I’m ready, confident that this will all be done by lunchtime.

‘Bob isn’t in today. I thought he’d be back today but he said tomorrow.’ (Bob being the owner and guy doing the inspection for this fancy safety thingie.) ‘Come back tomorrow, same time.’

It’s Monday.

Time to go drink coffee.

Part 1 Ex/importing my personal transport

You know that moment when you just ‘know’ it’s going to be a great day and then your dog lets loose a silent, killer gassy fart; while in your truck, buzzing down the interstate? Yeah, that’s my day, the day I finally export my truck. A total, non-plus moment right there. 

To export your truck aka vehicle aka personal transport:

1)      Check the almighty government website

a.       On border A side

b.      And on border B side

c.       To make sure proper protocol  is followed, reference the above, ha

2)      Concur  that they both say diddly squat (carefully covered in straightforward words of nothing)

3)      Ten web pages later FINALLY find the page you actually needed

4)      Hmm, they’ve updated their ‘site’ or ‘program’ for the worldwide market of export/import goods. For ‘tracking purposes’ of course.

5)      Found paperwork

a.       I can apply and do it myself

b.      Yay!

c.       Well, crap. Normal process allow x number of days for processing but due to high volume yada yada yada please allow for double the x number of days.

                                                               i.      Wait uber long to get my login code?

                                                             ii.      Then navigate uncharted webwaters for this process?

                                                            iii.      Or… google a company that specializes in this.

6)      Hmmmmmmm…

7)      Yup, google!

8)      Googled company + pure definition of efficiency = I’m exporting within a week

9)      Please note… the three day rule (advance notice of such activities IS required) is business days.

a.       This rule is noted only in days

b.      A real, live person at the appropriate office of ‘in the know’ tells me its business.

10)   Business. Days.

a.       Weekend days don’t count.

b.      That includes holidays in the ‘no count zone.’

11)   Hi Mom and Dad! I miss y’all so much when I’m gone that I’m going to stay for a few more days

12)   Parents = The Look

Me being carefully and overly prepared in such matters, I print all my export documents, triple check that important documents (vehicle title, passport, etc.) are accounted for and in the purse.

I’m driving down the interstate in my Chevy and then… the non-plus moment happens. My pup is a kill joy at times; that or I was interrupting his beauty sleep. Judging by his squinty glare, it was the nap disturbance. 

Ahh, the border. How I’ve missed you. Not.

Long line of cars, the slow inching forward and complete lack of scenery.

I do the whole stop on border A side, show my export docs and title. They say please sit and wait. The ‘hurry up and wait’ skill really does come in handy lately. Who knows what they do with it but they come back and then stamp it. I’m out the door and back in the truck. Then it’s… you guessed it, hurry up and wait.

Upon reaching the border officer’s window we go through the usual song and dance. Where are you from? Where are you going? Any yada yada yada items? Oh, here’s a yellow ticket aka magic pass, take this inside and they’ll assist you in the import process.

Cool beans!

When I finally receive the ‘come hither’ royal summons aka a brief wave, I walk up and explain to the officer that I’d like to export my truck.

Blank. Look.

I try again.

Nothing.

Finally he says, 'we don’t do exports here.'

Oh. Duh. I’m going IN to Canada and not the other way around.

My words WOULD confuse themselves and come out backwards. Yikes.

So I try yet again, that I would like to ‘import’ my truck into Canada as I’ve already exported it from the US.

Magic word structure.

'Ok,' he says, 'let’s do this.'