Why Stellantis trucks are banned from crossing North America’s newest bridge

Drivers at FCA Transport, Stellantis’ logistics division, have been warned that they may face disciplinary measures if they use the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which opened on July 27 between Detroit, in the United States, and Windsor, in Canada. The order is for the fleet to continue crossing the border through the century-old Ambassador Bridge — and the reason has nothing to do with engineering.

According to J.T. Barrett, president of UAW Local 212, the union that represents these drivers, the company has an exclusive contract with Ambassador. Instead of paying tolls per crossing, FCA Transport pays a fixed $160,000 per month for an unlimited number of crossings. Before the agreement, he spent more than US$ 400 thousand monthly – savings of about US$ 2.9 million per year.

At Gordie Howe, the bill would be different: commercial vehicles pay US$ 8.75 (CA$ 12) per axle. A five-axle semi-trailer, a common format in the transport of auto parts, would cost US$ 43.75 per pass. Barrett also warned of the risk of detention at customs due to divergence of documentation if the driver changes routes on his own. The restriction applies to FCA Transport drivers covered by the union, not to the entire Stellantis operation in the region.

A public bridge against a family bridge

The most curious detail is in the owner of Ambassador. Opened in 1929, it is one of the rare private-handed international crossings in North America: it has been owned by the Moroun family of Michigan since 1979 through the Detroit International Bridge Company. More than a quarter of all merchandise trade between the United States and Canada passes through it.

Gordie Howe is the first new road crossing between the two cities since then. The Morouns tried to stop the project for more than a decade, including in court, claiming exclusive franchise rights based on a 1921 law. The inauguration, scheduled for June, was postponed on the eve of the ceremony; according to The Globe and Mail, the pressure came from the US government after the owner’s meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Financed almost entirely by the Canadian government, at a cost of CA$ 6.4 billion, the new bridge is 2.5 km long, with a central span of 853 m and towers of 220 m – it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. There are six lanes, 16 toll booths and 60 customs inspection lanes, precisely to speed up the flow of auto parts in the just-in-time system.

Stellantis says it will use it, without saying when

Stellantis told CTV News that it intends to use Gordie Howe in its just-in-time operations in both countries, but did not give a deadline or clarify whether the change will apply to FCA Transport trucks. The contract with Ambassador requires 60 days’ notice to be terminated. Barrett’s post was deleted from Facebook after the comments began to treat the case as a political dispute; The union replied that the orientation was not partisan motivated.