ACE e-Manifest Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Trip Receipt? What does it look like?

2007-10-10T22:31:54Z

Either a Manifest Form 7533 or an e-Manifest Trip Receipt is currently required by CBP at time of crossing. A 7533 is currently required at all non-ACE ports. Here's a sample 7533. Here's a sample e-Manifest Trip Receipt. Greeneye can email or fax you your Form 7533 and/or e-Manifest Trip Receipt when your e-Manifest Trip is confirmed.

Do my Drivers need Passports?

2007-10-02T00:01:31Z

When I add a driver to an e-Manifest Trip, do they need a Passport? The US State Department has the following information on their website regarding the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. While that site says that a Passport may not be necessary until "Summer 2008", we are seeing rejected Trips if your driver does not have either a FAST ID or a Passport. It may be wise to have your drivers obtain Passports, if at all possible. Please phone us with any questions.

Will my ACE Portal Account Close due to Inactivity?

2007-06-04T15:39:02Z

Yes. After 90 days of not signing into your ACE Portal Account, Customs will disable your login. You can get back into your account by calling the ACE Help Desk at 703-921-6000.

What is an e-Manifest Attempt?

2007-04-13T20:12:30Z

Customs has stated in their Enforcement Plan that in Phase 2, any truck without an e-Manifest attempt will be denied permit to proceed (that means denied entry into the US and turned around). Since Phase 2 begins in less than two weeks for some ports, it's important to understand what is a valid attempt at an e-Manifest Trip. "Phase 2: ...CBP will deny a permit to proceed into the U.S. to any carrier, required to submit an e-Manifest, which arrives without submitting or attempting an e-Manifest..." In correspondence with Jim Swanson, Chief Cargo Release Branch of the Office of Field Operations with US Customs, Greeneye has been informed that a Trip Receipt including a Trip Number is sufficient to proof of an attempt. {Please request a Problem Ticket in any instance where you hear otherwise.}

What documents do my drivers need to cross the border with e-Manifest?

2007-02-01T17:16:31Z

If the driver is crossing at an ACE implemented port:

After successfully transmitting an e-Manifest, carriers or their agents should provide the driver with a e-Manifest Trip Receipt and/or a CBP Form 7533. U.S. Customs says the driver must have one of the two. We recommend actually carrying both to be on the safe side.

e-Manifest Trip Receipt

The Trip Receipt needs to have the following information, typed/written in at least 22 point type (or printed by hand an equivalent size):

ACE Electronic Manifest should be written at the top of the receipt.
The label Trip Number should be followed by your Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC), plus your trip number, which can be up to 16 alpha/numeric characters.
The label Driver Name followed by actual driver on the trip
The label Tractor Plate followed by the truck (tractor) license plate number

You can also add the Shipment Control Number/PAPS Number, but do not place any PAPS stickers anywhere on the Trip Receipt. Doing so could cause confusion at the border and possible delay your entry.

Finally, Customs has stated that the e-Manifest Trip Receipt can actually be handwritten. So, in cases where a printed receipt can't be given to a driver, you can simply provide the required information over the phone and he can create one with just a pen and a piece of paper.

Inward Cargo Manifest (CBP Form 7733)

The U.S. Customs officer may request an Inward Cargo Manifest from the driver, often referred to as a 7533. This paper manifest is maintained as a back-up in the event of problems with e-Manifest submission, system outages, or other instances that may require further inspection.

Greeneye's Recommendations

If paper invoices and PAPS bar-coded paper manifests are provided to the driver, they should only be give to CBP upon request. We strongly recommend that drivers carry these documents with them, as they can speed up the process of getting through Customs in the event of e-Manifest system problems.

Carriers using Greeneye's e-Manifest web portal have the ability to print out both a Trip Receipt and an Inward Cargo Manifest (7533) for each trip entered into the system. Please print both and give them to the driver.

If the driver is crossing at a non-ACE implemented port:

After transmitting an e-Manifest, carriers or their agents must still provide the driver with a CBP Form 7533. We also suggest providing the driver with an e-Manifest Trip Receipt to prove that the current Advanced Notice Requirements have been met.

What Should I Use for an e-Manifest Trip Number?

2007-01-23T20:56:09Z

There are a couple of requirements when it comes to picking your Trip Number for an e-Manifest:

It must be unique for at least one year
It must be different from the Shipment Control Number (SCN) or Pre-Arrival Processing System (PAPS) number.

Our recommendations:

If you've already got a unique Bill of Lading Number, use that for your Trip Number.
Otherwise, we recommend using the numeric part of the PAPS number with a suffix of "a". For example, with PAPS number GEYE123456789, the Trip Number would become 123456789a

Is my driver's FAST ID or FAST Card a valid travel document?

2007-01-11T18:28:40Z

Short answer: Yes. Customs has recently stated that they will accept FAST IDs as a valid travel document when filing e-Manifests. The FAST information that Customs has on file includes the travel document information (passport, etc.) that was presented when the driver applied for the Card. Note: The driver should not arrive at the border with only a FAST card. The driver must also have the "valid travel document" that was presented to Customs when applying for the FAST card.

How long before I get logged out of the e-Manifest Portal?

2007-01-09T20:49:40Z

For security reasons, Greeneye e-Manifest's Web Portal will log you out after 15 minutes of inactivity.

"Inactivity" means you have not hit "save" or moved to a new page in the application.

What privileges does FAST give me?

2006-12-31T03:29:15Z

Dedicated lanes (where available) for greater speed and efficiency in the clearance of FAST Trans-border shipments
Reduced number of examinations for continued compliance with Customs FAST requirements as well secondary priority processing
A strong and ongoing partnership with the Canadian Partners in Protection (PIP) and Customs (C-TPAT) administrations
Enhanced supply chain security and safety while protecting the economic prosperity of the United States, Mexico, and Canada
For carrier participants, the knowledge that they are transporting shipments for a C-TPAT approved importer, and on the southern border, a C-TPAT manufacturer

How do I apply for FAST?

2006-12-31T03:24:08Z

For northern border applicants, drivers must complete a FAST Commercial Driver Application for the United States and Canada. The application will first be risk assessed by a Canadian consortium of the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA), Citizenship and Immigration Service for Canada (CIC), and Canada's Agence de Revenu (ARC). Upon approval from Canada, CBP will conduct a full U.S. based risk assessment.

Applicants identified as low risk will report to an enrollment center where they will be interviewed, have their original identification and citizenship documents reviewed, fingerprinted and have a digital photo taken. Low-risk applicants will then be issued a FAST Commercial Driver Card. You can learn more about FAST by visiting the Canadian Border Services Agency's Free and Secure Trade program page.

When does a trip qualify for the 30-minute FAST privilege?

2006-12-31T03:22:49Z

The carrier is C-TPAT approved
The importer is C-TPAT approved
The driver has a FAST Card

How far in advance does the e-Manifest need to be submitted to Customs?

2006-12-31T03:21:40Z

e-Manifests should be submitted at least 1 hour for regular shipments and at least 30 minutes for FAST-approved shipments.

Do I Need a PAPS sticker when filing an e-Manifest?

2006-12-31T03:20:01Z

Do not place PAPS barcode labels on any forms to be handed to CPB officers in primary booths if you have filed ACE e-Manifest. If invoices and PAPS bar-coded manifests are provided to the driver, they should remain in the driver's control and not be given to CBP except upon request. CBP Officers will use these documents in the case of system downtime or validation/examination of shipment.

What does my driver need to give to the officer at the booth?

2006-12-31T03:19:26Z

If an e-Manifest has been submitted, let the officer know. They will pull up your information via your primary license plate. - You should not provide any documents with PAPS barcodes. If the officer would like to see paperwork, provide a Trip Receipt or, as a last resort, a 7533 Inward Cargo Manifest.

What is the Customs ACE portal like?

2006-12-31T03:18:04Z

The portal is essentially a customized computer screen similar to a Web site home page that connects CBP, the trade community, and other participating government agencies by providing a single, integrated, on-line access point for communications and information. With a one-screen system, filing is easy and data can be stored and reused, requiring less data entry time for truck carriers.