A short run to the border
Winnipeg is roughly 110 km (about 70 miles) north of the Emerson, Manitoba – Pembina, North Dakota crossing. Highway 75 runs straight south to the border and becomes I-29 on the U.S. side. From there the main routes fan out:
- I-29 south through Grand Forks and Fargo, then on to Sioux Falls, Omaha and Kansas City
- I-94 from Fargo east to Minneapolis–St. Paul, then on toward Wisconsin and Chicago
- I-35 south from Kansas City or the Twin Cities to Oklahoma and Texas
Depending on the destination and the load, other crossings can make sense, such as Boissevain–Dunseith toward central North Dakota. For oversize freight, the crossing and route are chosen around the permits. See oversize load transport.
Common Manitoba ⇄ U.S. lanes
| Lane | Main route (general) |
|---|---|
| Winnipeg ⇄ North Dakota (Grand Forks, Fargo, Bismarck) | Hwy 75 and I-29; I-94 west to Bismarck |
| Winnipeg ⇄ Minnesota (Minneapolis–St. Paul) | I-29 to Fargo, then I-94 |
| Winnipeg ⇄ Chicago and the Midwest | I-94 through the Twin Cities and Wisconsin |
| Winnipeg ⇄ Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas City | I-29 south |
| Manitoba ⇄ Texas (Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston) | I-29 to Kansas City, then I-35 |
Southbound: Canada to U.S. freight
Manitoba and the Prairies ship a lot of freight that belongs on an open deck: farm equipment, steel and fabricated structures, machinery, building products and modular buildings. We book southbound loads from Winnipeg and the rest of Manitoba, plus Saskatchewan, Alberta and Northwestern Ontario, to U.S. receivers.
Northbound: U.S. to Canada freight
Equipment bought from U.S. dealers, steel and building materials, and project freight all come north. We book northbound loads from the Midwest, Texas and other states into Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario, with carriers set up for cross-border work.
Freight broker or trucking company?
If you searched for a trucking company in Winnipeg, here's how we work: Keystone Cross-Border is a freight broker. We match your load with a vetted carrier that has the right equipment for the lane, and you deal with one person from the quote to the delivered load. The owner, Sam Rai, spent six years as a company driver, five as an owner-operator and five in logistics and operations before starting Keystone, so we know the job from both the carrier's side and the shipper's.
Equipment on cross-border lanes
Our focus is open deck: flatbed, step deck and double drop, and lowboy and RGN heavy haul, including oversize and permitted loads. Dry van and reefer loads can be quoted too.
Recurring lanes and dedicated capacity
Shipping the same lane every week or every month? Tell us the lane, the frequency and the typical load, and we'll work on consistent carrier capacity for it rather than starting from scratch each time. There's a space for recurring lanes on the quote form.
What to send for a cross-border quote
- Pickup and delivery city, province or state, and postal or ZIP code
- Commodity, weight, and dimensions of the largest piece
- Trailer type if you know it (we'll recommend one if you don't)
- Ready date and any delivery appointment
Use the quote form or call or text 204-361-6765. Quotes usually come back the same business day.
