Big Rigs Beware Blaine/Surrey Crossing @ Vancouver/Seattle

[SpencerRB]

Just a friendly heads up to any large rigs crossing in the Vancouver/Seattle area, avoid the Blaine/Surrey border station. We crossed into Canada last week on our way to Whistler, and choose this crossing since it was the commercial crossing for I5 traffic. We used the passenger car lanes (which we are told is correct), and it was an extremely tight entrance into the toll booths. They direct traffic into zig/zag lanes prior to the entrance, so you have to enter the agent booths (which have large metal/concrete entrance barriers) from a 90* angle. It was beyond tight and we must have had less than 2-3 inches on either side.

The border agents were extremely helpful getting us through but suggested we take Peace Arch next time since it is a straight shot through the booths.

Just a friendly heads up for anyone looking to cross in the future!

[myredracer]

OP is referring to the Pacific Highway border crossing. Aka "truck crossing" because that's where there are a lot of customs brokers and a different and larger areas for commercial trucks only. The Aldergrove crossing and Peace Arch are both good for RVs are are recommended if you are not familiar with the truck crossing. The Peace Arch and truck crossings are both at Blaine. The Peace Arch Canadian facility is fairly new and was built with RVs in mind.

The Pacific Hwy crossing is at it's worst if you have Nexus cards and are heading south into the US. There are 2 Nexus lanes, but usually only the most westward one is open and it is VERY VERY tight. We always use it this crossing because it's the closest to us. You MUST be lined up just right or you definitely will hit a steel post. Sometimes the CBA agents put the cones down in the worst possible spot and you will barely make it through. If you have Nexus cards and if you have a larger MH, a longer trailer or are nervous about clearance, use the regular lanes. On the way out going into the US, they have concrete barriers that you have to zig-zag through which are tight.

When it gets busy at the truck crossing like on weekends or holidays, when going north or south, and in the summer, it turns into a zoo. Some drivers cheat by going into the duty free stores in order to cut in way ahead of everyone else. Going south, there is also a side road that many use to cheat and get way ahead of the long lineup. The layout and roads on both sides of the border really needs a complete reconstruction at this crossing.

Trivia: Canada built a completely new facility at the crossing in time for Expo '86 in Vancouver so that it would give Canada the right image for visitors into Canada. Somebody really messed up on the structural design & construction. The floor in the main office area has settled a lot and is very wavy. You can really notice it at the main entry doors. The structure where the booths are has settled so much that the local municipal building authority will not permit the occupancy and use of the office area above the booths. I did engineering design work (not structural) on it in 84/85 and it's pretty sad to see what it looks like today...

[n7bsn]

FYI, there is RV "capacity" at most crossings
If you turn AM-1130 the lower-mainland station there give the border crossing times and ferry delays as part of the regular "traffic" reports.

[Impkitti]

We generally use the truck crossing, just slightly east of Blaine. Just follow the signs from I-5. It is labeled "truck crossing" but they take any vehicle.

[ChuckV1]

I use to cross the Blaine/Surrey border station ten twelve times
a week in a semi, at time you could pull up and not wait ten
minutes to cross back into the U.S. other times it would be
a few hours. Would look over at the vehicle's with trailers
working their way thought those close booths and think I'm
glad I not doing that.

[romore]

Tight going south too, there are a lot of scars on the barriers. It's not for show, a few have tried to blow through the crossing. We generally use the Aldergrove-Lynden crossing although it is currently under construction so a bit of a mess especially into the U.S.