What is the cheapest way to ship a package from Canada to the USA?

What is the cheapest way to ship a package from Canada to the USA?

Generally speaking, the cheapest way to ship a package from Canada to the USA is the one that takes the longest time to get to its destination. But how does one find the slowest trip? The answer is simple: Secureship – Canada’s best shipping broker. Secureship’s online platform and bulk buying agreements with recognised carriers can find you a range of options for your parcel and save you a lot of money in the process.

However, there are other methods that you can employ to indirectly save money on your shipping, and as you read on, this blog will explain those and give you more details about Secureship.

Table of Contents

• Secureship
• Cost Saving Strategies for all Shipments
• Indirect Monetary Savings
• Conclusion

Secureship

Not only does Secureship make shipping cheaper, it makes it easier. Its online platform is intuitive and powerful, and with a few clicks from your computer, you can have a bunch of shipping options within a few minutes.

For example, say you have a 5 kg parcel bound for LAX from Toronto, Pearson International Airport, Secureship offers the following options:

One of the key takeaways from the long list of options above is how much Secureship can save on your shipping costs.

Cost Saving Strategies for all Shipments

There are a number of strategies that will save you money on your shipments whether they are destined for the USA or anywhere worldwide.

Skip insurance

While insurance is certainly recommended when shipping valuable and breakable goods, it can become very expensive. So depending on your risk tolerance and the potential calculated loss for a damaged or lost parcel, not taking out insurance could be one way of lessening your shipment’s cost.

Time of year

What does the time of year have to do with shipping fees? Well, from early November until early in the new year is peak shipping season – Christmastime, and costs invariably rise. Unless absolutely necessary that you ship in this time frame, it is one to avoid and another way to save money.

Saturday services

Having a parcel delivered or picked up on a Saturday can be mighty convenient; however, that too is an added fee. Waiting a day to ship or shipping a day sooner could save you a few dollars.

Parcel size

Heavier parcels cost more to ship, and usually you can do very little to change that. But anything packaged in a larger container will also cost you more, and it’s due to its dimensional weight. The previous link explains the calculations made by carriers, but it may be best understood by comparing shipping a pillow to shipping the equivalent weight of sleeping tablets – the pillow would cost much more.

Oversize fee

Packages can become oversized, which for several carriers means longer than 274 cm or heavier than 68 kg. As UPS charges an extra $1,100 for an oversized parcel (as of July 2024), it may be more economical to break a very large shipment into two or more smaller ones to avoid the oversize surcharge.

Indirect Monetary Savings

As is often said, time = money, and by saving time when shipping, you will indirectly save money for your firm. So, while you can arrange shipping from your office with Secureship, our system also allows you to arrange parcel pick up at your office when convenient to you. No need to march off to the local FedEx or UPS outlet to drop off the box.

But there are several other things that can be done to prevent shipping delays, which has incidental labour savings.

Shipping labels

Ensure you have completed the recipient’s address fully, clearly, and correctly. Any confusion sowed with handlers whose first language may not be English, could very well have them put the parcel aside or send it back to you. And that only creates more work for you or your employees.

Don’t ship prohibited goods

The USA, like all foreign nations, does not allow certain goods across its borders. Failure to abide by customs rules may result in a returned package, its destruction, or a fine assessed on the sender. None of these consequences help with your bottom line.

Conclusion

Picking the slowest travel time is usually the cheapest way to ship a package from Canada to the USA. And using Secureship’s services is the best and quickest way to find that option. In addition to that, Secureship will also save you big dollars – up to 50% in some cases – because of its bulk buying power with Purolator, FedEx, and UPS. However, there are other cost saving strategies available to you – skipping insurance, carefully selecting lower shipping periods, and limiting parcel size. As well, money can be saved indirectly. Returned or delayed parcels create unnecessary work for your staff, and that can be avoided by ensuring shipping labels are clear and complete; and by not shipping prohibited goods, which in addition could incur a fine by foreign customs.