Since the Gordie Howe International Bridge opened to traffic on July 27, 2026, trucks running between Windsor and Detroit can choose between two bridges. Both operators charge commercial trucks per axle. On the rates each operator published when we checked on October 9, 2026, a 5-axle truck with no account pays $60.00 CAD (about $43.75 USD) on the Gordie Howe and $60.00 USD on the Ambassador. With an account at each bridge the gap narrows: $34.50 USD on a Gordie Howe Breakaway account against $45.00 USD or less on an Ambassador A-PASS or E-ZPass account.
Per-axle truck tolls, side by side
The figures below were read from each operator's own toll page on October 9, 2026. The Ambassador Bridge lists its commercial tolls in US dollars, effective August 1, 2026. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), which operates the Gordie Howe International Bridge, lists its tolls in Canadian and US dollars.
| Rate | Per axle | 5 axles | 6 axles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordie Howe, standard | $12.00 CAD / $8.75 USD | $60.00 CAD / $43.75 USD | $72.00 CAD / $52.50 USD |
| Gordie Howe, Breakaway account | $9.60 CAD / $6.90 USD | $48.00 CAD / $34.50 USD | $57.60 CAD / $41.40 USD |
| Ambassador, no account | $12.00 USD | $60.00 USD | $72.00 USD |
| Ambassador, valid A-PASS or E-ZPass account | $9.00 USD or less | $45.00 USD or less | $54.00 USD or less |
The 5- and 6-axle columns multiply the per-axle rate; neither operator publishes them as separate rates. The Ambassador rate applies per axle for trucks from 0 to 145,000 lbs. To work out a Gordie Howe toll for another axle count, use our Gordie Howe toll calculator.
Which US-dollar rate applies on the Gordie Howe
WDBA sets the large commercial truck toll at $12.00 CAD per axle. Its US-dollar equivalent is $8.75 in WDBA's own online rate calculator and for the hazardous and oversized class, but the large commercial class graphic on the same page shows $8.60 USD, which would make a 5-axle truck $43.00 USD. The page also carries a note that US rates may be adjusted at the time of opening, based on current exchange rates. Cash and Breakaway accounts can pay in either currency. If you pay by debit or credit card at the toll lane, the Canadian rate applies and your card issuer converts it at its exchange rate.
What the accounts are
Breakaway is WDBA's toll discount program. For large commercial trucks it lowers the toll from $12.00 CAD to $9.60 CAD per axle ($6.90 USD). Registration and payment terms are on WDBA's Breakaway pages.
A-PASS and E-ZPass are the account options the Ambassador Bridge names on its commercial rate page: $9.00 USD or less per axle with a valid account, $12.00 USD per axle without one. The "or less" refers to A-Pass Subscription Accounts. Commercial customers expecting more than 150 crossings a month are eligible for fixed monthly rates based on expected crossings, arranged with the bridge rather than listed on the rate page.
So which bridge is cheaper for a truck?
On the published per-axle rates as of October 9, 2026:
- No account at either bridge: the Gordie Howe standard rate is lower, $43.75 USD against $60.00 USD for 5 axles, a difference of $16.25 per crossing.
- An account at both bridges: a Gordie Howe Breakaway account ($34.50 USD for 5 axles) is below the Ambassador account's listed maximum ($45.00 USD). An Ambassador subscription account can be below $9.00 per axle, so a fleet with more than 150 crossings a month should get that quote before comparing.
- Gordie Howe standard against an Ambassador account: $43.75 USD against $45.00 USD or less is close enough that your account terms decide it.
- Paying the Gordie Howe by card: you pay the CAD rate ($60.00 CAD for 5 axles) at your card issuer's exchange rate.
The toll is one line of a trip's cost. Distance to the pickup or delivery, fuel and time at the plaza often decide the route.
Oversize and dangerous goods
WDBA puts vehicles carrying dangerous goods or oversized loads in a separate class with a standard per-axle toll ($12.00 CAD / $8.75 USD, or $9.60 CAD / $6.90 USD on Breakaway). It requires an escort for them, and its escort fee includes a flat toll charge of $100 CAD, with additional fees applied as necessary. The Ambassador Bridge lists a $135.00 USD bridge escort for wide or oversize loads from 9 ft to 13.6 ft, with or without an account. Confirm dangerous-goods acceptance, routing and escort scheduling with each operator before dispatch.
Route and plaza
WDBA describes the Gordie Howe International Bridge as a direct highway-to-highway connection between Ontario's Highway 401 and Michigan's Interstate 75. Waits change through the day at both crossings; recent official-feed observations for the Ambassador are on our Ambassador Bridge wait-time page.
The bridge does not change what you file
Choosing a bridge does not change the customs data a load needs. For a truck entering the United States, CBP must receive the advance electronic cargo information no later than 30 minutes or one hour before the truck reaches the first US port of arrival, depending on the CBP-approved system used (19 CFR 123.92). For a truck entering Canada, CBSA must receive and validate the conveyance and cargo information no later than one hour before arrival at the first port of arrival (CBSA Memorandum D3-4-2). Exemptions exist in both countries. If your broker releases the load with PARS or PAPS, see PARS vs PAPS: what each number means for trucks.
BorderPro early access
BorderPro early access can help carriers prepare and validate ACE and ACI manifest data. Production transmission to CBP and CBSA, and live agency status, remain pending certification.
Tolls in this post are the operators' published rates as read on October 9, 2026. WDBA says its rates are subject to change, and the Ambassador's current rates took effect August 1, 2026. Confirm current rates on the official pages listed below before dispatch.