Freight Brokerage in Quebec and Canada — Cargo53
LTL, FTL, refrigerated, and intermodal broker. Firm quote in 2–4 hours, cross-border clearance included, and live GPS tracking.
2–4h
FIRM QUOTE
An intermediary that connects shippers and carriers
A freight broker connects shippers with qualified carriers, negotiates rates, manages paperwork (BOL, invoices, customs), and monitors every delivery in real time — without you contacting a single carrier.
Cargo53 is an asset-based broker: we own our own fleet of 53-foot trailers (dry van and reefer) and simultaneously operate a network of 400+ vetted partner carriers across Quebec, Canada, and the United States. That dual identity changes everything — when our own trucks are full or off-lane, we don't improvise: we select from a pre-qualified pool whose members have all passed our insurance, CVOR, and compliance audit.
In practice, you submit a shipment and receive a firm quote in 2 to 4 hours. We then match the load to the best-fit carrier by mode (LTL, FTL, reefer, flatbed), lane, delivery window, and performance history. Bill of lading, GPS tracking, and digital POD are centralized in our portal. One invoice, one contact, one supply chain visible end to end.
6 reasons to trust Cargo53 with your freight
Access to capacity
400+ carrier network — a truck available even at seasonal peaks.
Better rates
Buying power across 12,000+ annual loads passed straight through.
Single point of contact
A dedicated broker manages every shipment — no more multi-vendor juggling.
Customs expertise
ACE, PAPS, PARS, FDA — end-to-end cross-border clearance handled for you.
Real-time tracking
Live GPS, dynamic ETA, automatic alerts, digital POD.
No carrier admin
We verify insurance, CVOR, C-TPAT, and compliance — you just ship.
Every mode, one point of contact
Whether you have one pallet or forty, dry or refrigerated, a local delivery or transcontinental — we have the mode and the carrier.
400+ carriers continuously vetted
Every carrier admitted to the Cargo53 network clears a high technical and administrative bar — and is continuously re-evaluated on operational performance.
- Liability insurance minimum $2M
- Cargo insurance $100K+ verified annually
- Satisfactory CVOR / NSC score (24-month audit)
- C-TPAT / PIP certification for cross-border
- On-time delivery history ≥ 97%
- Continuous customer rating — automatic suspension below threshold
Guaranteed capacity on North American lanes
We run multiple daily departures on core lanes. For every other destination, our partner network covers the whole of Canada and the United States.
QC ↔ ON
Daily. 24 h transit.
MTL ↔ NYC
Direct cross-border, clearance included.
QC → Florida
3–4 days, I-87 / I-95.
Chicago / Atlanta / LA / Dallas
US cross-border with dedicated partner capacity.
Safety and compliance standards
Four non-negotiable requirements for every carrier moving freight under the Cargo53 banner. Verified at onboarding and re-evaluated continuously.
Liability insurance $2M min.
Every network carrier holds a liability policy of at least CAD $2M, verified annually with the insurer.
Satisfactory CVOR / NSC score
24-month CVOR (Ontario) and NSC (Quebec) audit — any carrier whose score degrades is suspended.
On-time delivery ≥ 97%
Performance measured on every load. Three consecutive failures trigger automatic deactivation.
C-TPAT / PIP cross-border
Mandatory certification for every carrier crossing the Canada–US border under our banner.
What our brokerage clients say
"Cargo53 took over our Quebec–Ontario LTL brokerage. Three months in, we're saving 18% on freight spend and our on-time rate went from 89% to 98%."
Marie Tremblay
Logistics Director, food distributor (Laval)
"They handle our pharma reefer to the US. Zero cold-chain break in 14 months, ACE/PAPS always filed on time."
Jonathan Roy
VP Operations, pharmaceutical lab (Montreal)
"Firm quote in 3 hours, truck at the dock the next morning. One contact instead of six carriers — our team got 10 hours/week back."
Sophie Bergeron
Warehouse Manager, manufacturer (Drummondville)
Describe your lane — firm quote in 2–4 h
Enter the lane, freight type, and pickup window. A dedicated broker responds with an all-in rate (transport, fuel, customs).
Four steps, one invoice
Request
You submit origin, destination, weight, mode, and windows through the portal or by phone.
Match
We check internal capacity then poll the network — firm quote in 2 to 4 hours.
Confirmation
You approve the rate. BOL, pickup order, and customs paperwork issued.
Tracking
Live GPS, dynamic ETA, automatic notifications, signed POD on delivery.
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Everything you need to know about brokerage
What is the difference between a broker and a direct carrier?
A direct carrier operates its own fleet and sells you its trucks. A freight broker acts as an intermediary — negotiating, vetting, and coordinating the best-fit carrier for your shipment from a wide network. Cargo53 is an asset-based broker: we own our own fleet of 53-foot trailers and simultaneously operate a network of 400+ vetted partner carriers. Result: you get the reliability of a direct carrier combined with the flexibility and capacity of a broker.
How do you set your brokerage rates?
Our rates are grounded in real-time market benchmarks (DAT, Loadlink Canada) at the time of quoting, adjusted for distance, mode (LTL, FTL, reefer), weight, season, and lane accessibility. Our buying power across 12,000+ annual loads earns volume rates that we pass through. The brokerage margin is transparent and included in the firm quote — no hidden fees.
Can I get a quote for an urgent shipment?
Yes. On core lanes (Quebec–Ontario, Montreal–NYC, cross-border), a firm quote is produced within 2 to 4 business hours and pickup can be scheduled same-day or next-day. For expedited or hot-shot loads, our 7-day team mobilizes a dedicated truck within hours — call directly for critical cases.
Do you handle customs clearance?
Yes. Cargo53 manages full customs clearance for Canada–US cross-border shipments: ACE/ACI filing, PAPS, PARS, FDA prior notice where required, coordination with the customs broker, and follow-up on primary and secondary inspections. You provide the commercial invoice and packing list; we handle everything else up to release.
What types of freight do you broker?
We broker virtually every segment: general dry freight, perishables (reefer), oversized freight (flatbed, step-deck, RGN), authorized classes of dangerous goods, food, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, industrial equipment, manufactured goods, and consumer products. We do not broker explosives (class 1), radioactive materials (class 7), or narcotics without Health Canada authorization.
Are you available 7 days a week?
Yes. Our brokerage team is active 7 days a week, including evenings and holidays, for urgent load dispatch and operational follow-up. An on-call broker answers off-hours emergencies via a direct line. The customer portal offers 24/7 self-service tracking with no human touch required.
How do you vet your partner carriers?
Every carrier admitted to our network must submit: proof of liability insurance ($2M minimum), cargo insurance of $100K+, valid NSC/CVOR/DOT authority, satisfactory CVOR score, 24-month compliance history, and — for cross-border — C-TPAT/PIP certification. We then continuously track on-time delivery rate, incidents, and customer ratings. Carriers that fall below our thresholds are automatically suspended.
Can I track my shipment in real time?
Yes. Every load Cargo53 brokers is GPS-tracked through our integrations with partner carrier ELDs. The customer portal shows live position, dynamically computed ETA, reefer temperature (where applicable), and automatic alerts at every milestone — pickup, in transit, delivery, signed POD.
Ready to outsource your freight?
Firm quote in 2 to 4 hours — LTL, FTL, reefer, cross-border. One contact, one invoice.
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