CBP Flying Trucks Process Ends November 24

Flying Trucks ends November 24. Affected carriers need to verify their truck-manifest process before the border.

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CBP has set November 24, 2026, as the termination date for the “Flying Trucks” process. Express carriers and other participants that used air-manifest information for freight actually arriving at a U.S. land border by truck need to align that traffic with standard truck-manifest requirements. For an operator preparing a cross-border run, the immediate question is which filing process the shipment uses and who has verified its transition.

This is a reminder about a previously announced change. CBP issued Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin 69657207 on August 26, 2026. It described a 90-day transition and expressly named November 24 as the termination date. The bulletin is relevant to participants in that process; it does not say every domestic truck trip now needs a customs manifest.

What the process did

According to CBP, Flying Trucks began in the mid-to-late 2000s to test interaction between truck eManifest and Multi-Modal Manifest capabilities. The agency intended to retire it when the multimodal capabilities were fully implemented in 2009. Its current conclusion is that using air-manifest advance cargo information for cargo presented by truck does not satisfy the applicable truck requirements.

The practical distinction is the transportation mode at the border. A shipment’s earlier journey, a customer’s service name or an express delivery commitment does not establish that its land-border arrival can be reported as air cargo under this process. The carrier and its filing partners should check the actual arrival and the applicable filing arrangements rather than infer the answer from the shipment’s marketing label.

Match the filing to the truck movement

CBP’s bulletin points to 19 CFR 123.92, which addresses advance electronic information for truck cargo. The rule identifies information about the carrier, conveyance, trip, cargo and parties. It also provides for a carrier to present the information, or for an importer or broker to submit part while the carrier supplies the remainder.

That division makes coordination important. Hiring a broker does not, by itself, establish that all of the carrier’s required information has been presented. Before dispatch, identify the filing party for each part of the movement and the person who can resolve a missing or inconsistent record. This is an operational check, not a substitute for a shipment-specific determination by CBP or the responsible customs professional.

Check the data before the border

The regulation’s data fields offer a useful review structure. They include carrier identification, conveyance and equipment identifiers, the trip number, the scheduled arrival and information describing the cargo. Review the applicable fields with the filing team against the planned movement, particularly when a tractor, trailer or arrival plan changes. Do not assume that a record prepared for an earlier plan reflects the truck now being dispatched.

Cargo quantities deserve their own check. The rule describes the lowest external packaging unit and gives an example in which cartons, rather than the pallets holding them, are the relevant quantity. It also rejects certain generic cargo descriptions. Have the filing party check the shipment’s description and quantity against the applicable requirements; a general label on a dispatch screen does not establish that the submitted manifest is complete.

Avoid a single timing assumption

Section 123.92 describes advance receipt of cargo information and distinguishes timing according to the approved reporting arrangement. Do not turn that into a universal promise that submitting something a fixed number of minutes before arrival will clear every shipment. Confirm the applicable process, timing and any relevant exception with the responsible party before committing the truck to a border arrival.

For the Flying Trucks transition, CBP tells participants to update their systems and internal procedures. A useful readiness review therefore covers both the software pathway and the work instructions used by dispatchers and filing personnel. Ask how an affected shipment will be identified, who will prepare its truck filing and how an unresolved issue will be handled before arrival. Record the answers for the movement instead of relying only on a general assurance that the system was updated.

Prepare the handoff to the driver

The driver needs a clear operational contact when the shipment’s filing does not match the planned arrival. Before departure, dispatch should confirm who can explain the record, coordinate a correction through the proper channel and communicate any revised plan. Drivers should not be left to guess which office or vendor handled the transition while the truck is already approaching the port.

CBP warns that noncompliance may lead to delays, penalties or other enforcement action. It does not provide a guaranteed delay, a standard penalty amount or a promise of immediate release after a correction. Those outcomes depend on the circumstances. Keep delivery planning separate from any assumption that a filing change automatically guarantees border clearance.

The next step for affected operators

Before November 24, ask the express carrier or filing partner whether the shipment uses the retiring process and, if so, how its land-border truck manifest will be handled. CBP directs questions to the local port of entry or the assigned Client Representative. Use those official channels for unresolved applicability or transition questions. The goal is a verified handoff for the actual movement, before the truck reaches the border.

For other verified operating updates, visit Truck Savers News.

Original source: CBP, CSMS 69657207, August 26, 2026.