We move households both ways between Detroit and Canada: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and the rest of the country, with the customs paperwork prepared. Written, flat quotes after a quick video call.
Brands we work with
Moving from Detroit to Canada means three things: declaring your goods to the Canada Border Services Agency, filing the right forms at the port of entry, and meeting your province’s licence and health coverage rules. Motion handles the customs paperwork and runs the move with one carrier, so nothing changes hands at the border.
Household goods entering Canada are declared on a BSF186 Personal Effects Accounting Document, and a BSF186A list of imported goods covering both the goods you bring with you and any goods to follow. Both are filed with the Canada Border Services Agency at the port of entry. Motion prepares them from your inventory and files them.
Used personal and household effects are generally duty-free when relocating to Canada. Returning residents must have owned and used the goods abroad for at least six months under tariff item 9805.00.00. Settlers bringing goods to Canada for the first time are assessed under different conditions.
A truck leaving Detroit normally crosses at the Ambassador Bridge into Windsor, or at the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron into Sarnia. From either, Highway 401 leads to Toronto, roughly 390 km from Detroit, and on to Montreal, roughly 920 km away.
Once you arrive, your province sets the rules for exchanging a US driver licence and enrolling in public health insurance, and the deadlines differ between Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Check your destination province before you move so those steps do not lag behind your delivery date.
Use the quote form at the top of this page to book a video call and get your Detroit move quoted.
Get my free quoteRoad distances from Detroit
388 km
Detroit ↔ Toronto
920 km
Detroit ↔ Montreal
3,994 km
Detroit ↔ Vancouver
379 km
Warren ↔ Toronto
Moving between the Detroit area and Toronto? We pick up across the Detroit area and the rest of Michigan and deliver to Toronto, the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton, London and the rest of Ontario, or the other way round. Your move is assessed on a video call, the rate is locked in writing, and we help you prepare the customs paperwork before the truck reaches the border.
Moving between the Detroit area and Montreal? We pick up across the Detroit area and the rest of Michigan and deliver to Montreal, Laval, Longueuil and the rest of Quebec, or the other way round. Your move is assessed on a video call, the rate is locked in writing, and we help you prepare the customs paperwork before the truck reaches the border.
Moving between the Detroit area and Vancouver? We pick up across the Detroit area and the rest of Michigan and deliver to Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond and the rest of British Columbia, or the other way round. Your move is assessed on a video call, the rate is locked in writing, and we help you prepare the customs paperwork before the truck reaches the border.
Detroit to Canada is a short border hop. Toronto is roughly 390 km east, so a truck leaves Michigan on I-75 or I-94, crosses at the Ambassador Bridge or the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron, and joins Highway 401. Montreal is roughly 920 km and Vancouver roughly 4,000 km. One Motion carrier runs the whole move with no transfer at the border, and we handle the customs paperwork.
Detroit winters shape the calendar. Lake-effect snow and freeze-thaw on I-94 and I-96 can slow scheduling in the coldest months.
Inventory before you pack. Customs wants a itemised list of what is travelling. Write it as you pack, room by room, so the BSF186 and BSF186A forms can be completed from it without guesswork.
Plan for the basement. Many Detroit area homes are older brick houses with basement storage. Check what is down there, dry out anything damp, and decide what to sell before the list is written.
Choose your crossing window. The Ambassador Bridge and Blue Water Bridge both carry heavy commercial traffic. Flexible pickup and delivery dates give your move room to cross when the line is shortest.
Start licence and health cover early. Each province sets its own deadlines for exchanging a US driver licence and enrolling in public health insurance. Check your destination province before you land, not after.
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Origin, destination, rough timeline. A specialist texts you back within five minutes, Mon-Sun, 9am-7pm ET.
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We assess your move accurately over a video call, no in-person visit needed, then lock your rate in writing. Klarna available on deposits $500+.
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Picked up at your door and delivered to your new one, in Michigan or in Canada. Cargo-liability insured. Balance due after delivery, before offloading.
Sources: Canada Border Services Agency (Form BSF186, Memorandum D2-2-1) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP Form 3299). Rules depend on your situation; confirm yours with the border agency.
Your goods stay on a Motion truck from the Michigan pickup to the Canadian delivery, never handed to a second carrier.
We prepare the BSF186 and BSF186A forms from your inventory and file them with CBSA at the port of entry.
Detroit to Canada and Canada to Detroit run on the same corridors, so return space is never wasted.
We survey your home on video, then give you one quote based on what is actually going on the truck.
The truck picks up at your Michigan address and delivers to your Canadian one, whether that is Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.
“I was helping my daughter to relocate from New Jersey to Toronto and we worried so much about the cross border move. … The pick up in New Jersey was made so smooth that we didn't need to worry about even the packing. The shipment arrived Toronto in 3 days, without needing us to clear the customs!”
ada choungNew Jersey → Toronto · July 2026
Read the full review on Google →“Moving from Montréal to Texas felt like a lot to handle at first. … His approach was different — his communication was on point, he was thorough, and everything he said matched the reviews I read. … The team worked hard, took care of my stuff, and made the whole thing way easier than I expected.”
André LavoieMontréal → Texas · December 2025
Read the full review on Google →“We are moving to the United States and so far Charles and Brent have made our movement swift and smooth. I am sure just as the stuff was picked up on time, it will be delivered on time . Thank you for promptly answering our calls always… wishing your company the very best.”
Shilpa ThackerMoving to the United States · November 2025
Read the full review on Google →Reviews quoted word for word from Motion Transport’s Google Business Profile (5.0 from 216 reviews); … marks a shortened review.
5.0 · over 200 Google reviews
Real customers. Real moves. A moving specialist personally answers every quote.
Read all reviews on GoogleRoughly one to three days in transit for Toronto, which is about 390 km away. Actual timing depends on pickup scheduling, the border crossing and the fulfilment partner. Montreal and Vancouver take longer. We confirm dates after the video call, never before.
Usually the Ambassador Bridge into Windsor, or the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron into Sarnia. The choice depends on the load, the destination and traffic on the day. Either way, the same carrier and the same paperwork cross with your goods.
Used personal and household effects are generally duty-free when relocating. Returning residents must have owned and used the goods abroad for at least six months under tariff item 9805.00.00. Settlers arriving for the first time are assessed under different conditions.
You need a BSF186 Personal Effects Accounting Document and a BSF186A list of imported goods covering both the goods you bring with you and any goods to follow. Both are filed with the Canada Border Services Agency at the port of entry. Motion prepares them from your inventory and files them for you.
Yes. We run these corridors in both directions with one carrier end to end and no transfer at the border. Return moves fill trucks that are already heading to Michigan, which is why the corridor works in each direction.
Tell us where you are going and we will set up a call.
