The Best Shipping Companies In Canada

Canadian Courier Companies

When speaking with new online retailers and small business owners we are often asked the question “which shipping carrier should I use for my business?” While it would be nice to give a simple answer to that question, the truth is that it depends on a variety of things- How many packages do you send out? What are the package sizes? Which is more important, speed or reliability? And where do you ship to? Just to name a few…

There are many shipping carriers to choose from and each one has their pros and cons. In this guide, we’ll take a close look at the best shipping companies in Canada and help you determine which one (or ones) will be best for your business needs.

Canada Post

Founded in 1867, Canada Post is the largest domestic shipping company in Canada by volume. They started as a mail carrier for domestic letter mail and built a vast network of post offices. They expanded to offer parcel services and leveraged their network to provide quick and inexpensive services to business customers.

Aside from domestic services, Canada Post also offers international shipping services as well. Their international shipping prices are very competitive. The only drawback to their international services is the tracking information they provide is not as detailed as what you could get elsewhere. If you only need delivery confirmation then this may not be an issue for you. But if you like to keep track of where your package is every step of the way, you most likely will not be satisfied with the tracking information they provide.

If your package is staying in Canada then Canada Pos will provide you with a great shipping rate, reliability, and efficiency. If shipping internationally you will get a competitive rate however you may find the efficiency and tracking information inferior compared to what other companies can provide.

Purolator

Purolator was originally organized as Trans Canada Couriers and was acquired by Purolator, a US based oil and filter manufacturer, in 1967. The name Purolator is an abbreviation for “pure oil later”. The company returned to Canadian ownership in 1987 and no longer has any connection to the oil and filter business.

Similar to Canada Post, Purolator has a very large network that they can utilize to provide fast and efficient courier services. They offer same-day and next-day by 9:00AM and 10:30AM deliveries, which is very helpful when you need to guarantee that a package will be delivered by a certain day and time.

Purolator is another great choice for sending packages that are staying within Canada. They do offer international shipping services as well. They work with UPS- Purolator handles the delivery to the border and UPS takes it from there to the destination. Using a third party to complete the delivery may seem like a disadvantage, but the whole process is actually very seamless.

FedEx

Founded in 1971, FedEx is a multinational courier delivery service company headquartered in the United States. The company provides services under two divisions- Fed Ex Ground and FedEx Express (air division). The company has become widely known for their overnight shipping service. They also played a large part in pioneering tracking services such as real-time updates on package locations.

FedEx has built a reputation for reliability and delivering packages quickly. They are a great choice for businesses that need to ship packages internationally- as the tracking information and delivery times are very reliable. Because of the added reliability and efficiency you can expect with FedEx, you will likely pay more than what you would with another company. But for many, the few extra dollars are well worth it for the other benefits they provide.

UPS

UPS, or United Parcel Service, is the world’s largest package delivery company. Founded in 1907, they deliver more than 15 million packages per day. While they have built a reputation of excellence in the United States and many other countries, in Canada their customer ratings are not so high.

A quick search online will turn up many negative reviews of the UPS Canada division. The reasons for the complaints vary, but they are commonly associated with damaged packages, lost packages, and late deliveries. Many customers also complain about rude workers and unsatisfactory customer service.

That being said, their network is massive and they can leverage that network to provide low prices for their services. If you are shipping from Canada to the United States you can get very low rates and fast delivery. They also provide low international rates when shipping to other countries as well.

If price is the most important aspect you’re looking for, UPS could be a great choice for your shipping needs. However, if your packages are staying within Canada, you may experience the hassles that many other Canadian customers have faced.

DHL Express

DHL Express, a division of Deutsche Post DHL, provides international courier, parcel, and express mail services. They were founded in the United States in 1969 to deliver documents between San Francisco and Honolulu. They expanded to offer their services throughout the world by the late 1970s.

They faced stiff competition in North America from companies like FedEx and UPS, and their sales and marketing efforts couldn’t quite keep up. For this reason, they do not have a heavy presence in North America. However, they do have a large international network and are considered one of the largest logistics companies in the world.

Because they are not US based, they can ship to embargoed countries like Cuba, Iran, and others. If you’re shipping to countries in Asia, Europe, or Africa you may get some of the best rates, reliability, and efficiency with DHL Express. However, if customer service is an important factor for you, you may want to think twice about this company as they have also received many online complaints about their customer service.

The Expedia for Shipping – A Multi-Carrier Solution

With all of these companies to choose from it can be difficult to choose which one is the best for your needs, especially if you ship to a variety of destinations. One carrier may be the best choice for one shipment, but they may not be the best choice for the next.

So what’s the best solution? The answer is to compare each carrier on an order-to-order basis. And the way to do that is with SecureShip.

SecureShip gives you access to multiple shipping companies with a click of a button. You can compare prices, options, and delivery times on one screen. You benefit from having only one place to create your shipments, one address book, and one centralized tool to handle your shipments.

Find out how much you can save on shipping at https://secureship.ca