Portland to Fredericton Truck Dispatch
Freight route connecting Portland, ME to Fredericton, NB (322 miles). Cross-border freight connecting Maine to New Brunswick via US-1/I-95.
What do truck dispatch rates run from Portland to Fredericton?
Portland to Fredericton is a 322-mile lane paying about $757 - $902 per load, near $2.35 - $2.80 a mile. Freight is mostly consumer goods, timber-connected freight and potato/agricultural freight.
- Distance
- 322 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $757 - $902
- Rate per mile
- $2.35 - $2.80
- Transit time
- 1 day
- Deadhead risk
- 25-30%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers follow 2026 spot-market pricing for this cross-border New Brunswick corridor. See our dispatch fee structure.
Portland to Fredericton
Portland to Fredericton is a 322-mile, multi-hour cross-border run northeast, connecting Maine's main cargo port to New Brunswick's capital. The main crossing routes between Maine and New Brunswick include Houlton-Woodstock, a vital corridor for trucks hauling timber and potatoes, and the Calais/International Avenue crossing, which handles all commercial truck traffic with drive-through cargo-scanning technology.
Origin
Portland, ME
Destination
Fredericton, NB
Distance
322 miles
Transit Time
1 day
Average Rate
$757 - $902
Rate per Mile
$2.35 - $2.80
322-mile lane, a multi-hour cross-border run northeast
The Houlton-Woodstock crossing is a vital route for trucks hauling timber and potatoes
The Calais/International Avenue crossing handles all commercial truck traffic with drive-through cargo scanning
Portland to Fredericton: route facts a driver should know
Fredericton is home to Atlantic Canada's largest tech cluster
Fredericton's Knowledge Park and Innovation District host more than 2,700 knowledge-based businesses, and the city's population has grown 35% over the past decade, driven by its tech and research sector.
Source: Innovating Canada, Fredericton knowledge economy coverage. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Crossing into Canada requires its own customs paperwork
Canada-bound freight needs an Advance Commercial Information manifest filed with Canadian border officials at least an hour before arrival, plus a PARS barcode number for pre-clearance. A FAST card speeds up the crossing significantly.
Source: Descartes, ACI eManifest resource center. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Common Freight Types
Consumer goods, timber-connected freight and potato/agricultural freight fill the trailers heading into New Brunswick.
- Cross-Border Freight
- Agricultural Products
- Forest Products
What makes the Portland to Fredericton lane difficult?
Cross-border freight requires customs documentation and can involve unpredictable wait times
Cross-border freight requires customs documentation and can involve unpredictable wait times.
Winter weather across northern Maine and New Brunswick can affect delivery schedules
Winter weather across northern Maine and New Brunswick can affect delivery schedules.
A cross-region run this long requires careful hours-of-service planning
A cross-region run this long requires careful hours-of-service planning.
What freight moves on the Portland to Fredericton lane?
What travels between Portland and Fredericton, and why timber and potato freight matter here.
Primary Commodities
- •Cross-Border Freight
- •Agricultural Products
- •Forest Products
Secondary Commodities
- •Timber-connected freight
- •Potato/agricultural-connected freight
- •Consumer goods
Seasonal Cargo
Peak seasons for this lane:
- •Potato/agricultural freight (fall harvest peak)
- •Consumer goods (holiday surge)
- •Timber-connected freight (steady)
When is the Portland to Fredericton lane busiest?
Aroostook County's fall potato harvest and steady timber freight both shape this lane.
Q1 (Jan-Mar): Slow Period?
A modest dip after the holidays and the fall harvest season.
Q4 (Oct-Dec): Peak Period?
Consumer goods climb modestly from October through December.
Produce Season?
A real factor tied to Aroostook County's fall potato harvest.
- •Fall potato-harvest season (Aroostook County)
- •Q4 holiday retail season
- •Steady cross-border timber freight year-round
Hurricane Risk?
None. Winter weather across northern Maine and New Brunswick is this corridor's real seasonal risk.
Seasonal Strategy Summary
This lane runs steady year-round. Winter weather on both sides of the border can slow travel from November through March.
How do I negotiate the best rate on the Portland to Fredericton lane?
When to book, who pays extra, and which loads need border-time buffer.
When to Book
Suggested booking window:
2-3 days out is typical for this cross-border haul.
What Brokers Pay More
Loads that command more:
Time-critical cross-border timber and agricultural freight tends to pay a premium.
When to Avoid
Loads to price carefully:
Be careful committing to a tight border-crossing appointment without checking current wait times.
Rate Negotiation Tips for Portland to Fredericton
- •
This is a long haul at 322 miles, plus border-crossing time, so plan accordingly.
- •
File your ACI paperwork before you arrive at the border. It lets Canadian customs pre-screen your load.
- •
A FAST card is worth getting if you run this cross-border lane regularly.
How do I find a backhaul load on the Portland to Fredericton lane?
New Brunswick's timber and agricultural freight base makes a southbound load realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •Fredericton, NB
- •Regional distribution hubs near Fredericton
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 25-30%
With Houlton-Woodstock and Calais both serving as major truck portals, there is real backhaul variety.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Needs customs paperwork for efficient crossing.
- •Pre-book return freight on load boards before you arrive, so you don't sit empty
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
Fredericton's growing tech sector gives you some backhaul options, though this is a smaller freight market.
- •
Portland's own port and seafood freight base keeps southbound loads flowing too.
- •
Give yourself real recovery time after this long cross-border run before your next dispatch.
What do experienced dispatchers know about the Portland to Fredericton lane?
Three notes before this cross-border run.
Confirm customs documentation requirements before this cross-border run.
Check northern Maine and New Brunswick winter conditions before a late-fall through early-spring run.
Plan your hours-of-service carefully given the length of this haul.
Fredericton is New Brunswick's provincial capital, a government and tech-sector town rather than an industrial hub, so expect lighter freight volume than other Canadian lanes.
Portland to Fredericton Lane FAQs
Answers on drive time, the New Brunswick border crossings, and harvest season.
The lane data shows about $757 - $902 per load, or $2.35 - $2.80 a mile, across 322 miles.
Houlton-Woodstock, a vital route for timber and potato trucks, and the Calais/International Avenue crossing, which handles all commercial truck traffic.
It's a multi-hour cross-border run given the 322 miles.
Reasonably, given steady timber and agricultural freight moving south, especially during fall harvest.
Other Maine freight lanes we dispatch
- Portland to Washington
- Portland to Concord
- Portland to Boston
- Portland to Manchester
- Portland to New York
- Portland to Providence
Local resources
Dry Van owner-operator, Midwest: +$1,950/week after moving to $2.65/mi on produce / auto parts freight.
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