 <p>I think I found the answer. The bcp format spec doesn't work properly! It seems that even for numeric or datetime import fields, you have to specify "SQLCHAR" as the datatype in the .fmt file. Any attempt to use the actual .fmt file generated by "bcp format" is hopeless -- if it gives you SQLINT or SQLDATE lines back, you have to replace those with SQLCHAR for the thing to work, even if the db columns are in fact numeric or date/datetime types.</p> <p>What a crock!</p>