GLS Shipping Guides
Need more detail on a specific topic? Each guide below goes deep on one aspect of shipping with GLS, from how a GLS price is built to what each surcharge actually costs.
GLS Guide
Shipping Rates
How GLS Canada prices a parcel, including dimensional weight, plus how to get a live quote.
Read more
GLS Guide
Services Overview
GLS Ground, next-day GLS Express, Same-day, MaxPak and DexPak, plus the add-ons and what GLS won't carry.
Read more
GLS Guide
Delivery Times
GLS Canada transit times, Saturday delivery, and the holiday schedule explained.
Read more
GLS Guide
Surcharges & Fees
The GLS Canada fuel surcharge, the Quebec Fuel Premium, and the residential and handling fees, explained.
Read more
GLS Guide
Alternatives
When GLS Canada is the right call, and when Canada Post, Purolator, FedEx, UPS or Canpar fits your shipment better.
Read more
GLS vs
Canada Post
Personal items, PO boxes, weight limits and fees compared between GLS Canada and Canada Post.
Read more
GLS vs
Purolator
Coverage, timed delivery, fuel and fees compared between GLS Canada and Purolator.
Read more
GLS vs
FedEx
Guarantees, size limits, handling charges and fees compared between GLS Canada and FedEx.
Read more
GLS vs
UPS
Saturday delivery, residential and remote-area fees compared between GLS Canada and UPS.
Read more
What Is GLS Canada?
If you have shipped in Ontario or Quebec over the years, you may know GLS Canada by its old name: Dicom. GLS acquired Dicom Transportation Group in 2018, and the business has run as GLS Canada ever since. Today it is GLS Logistics Systems Canada Ltd., based in Dorval, Quebec.
The story starts with three regional carriers. In 1957, Rosenau Transport began in Calgary as a one-truck freight service. In 1968, Dicom Express started in Quebec as a same-day messenger business, and in 2000, AltiMax Courier set up in New Brunswick to serve the Maritimes. GLS brought them together one by one: Dicom in 2018, Rosenau in 2021 to reach Western Canada directly, and AltiMax in 2023 to complete a direct network from coast to coast. Together, they add up to over 65 years of experience moving Canadian shipments.
Since the Dicom deal, GLS Canada has been part of GLS Group, which operates in more than 40 countries and, as of a December 2025 announcement, belongs to International Distribution Services Ltd (IDS). Its US sister company, GLS US, runs separately on the West Coast, with its own services and tracking.
You do not need a GLS account to get competitive GLS rates. Platforms like Secureship negotiate group pricing normally reserved for high-volume shippers and pass it on to businesses of any size.
Source: GLS Canada, Why choose GLS in Canada?, viewed 4 Nov 2026
GLS Shipping Services
GLS defines parcel shipping as moving small packages under 150 lb, from envelopes and pouches to corrugated boxes. Its parcel service runs on a ground network that covers Canada, with a next-day air option out of Ontario and Quebec. Delivery times below are as GLS publishes them.
| GLS parcel service | Delivery | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| GLS Ground (parcel) | Monday to Friday, transit time by postal code | Canada coast to coast (some exceptions apply) |
| GLS Express | Next business day, by air | From 12 pickup cities in Ontario and Quebec to 20 named cities in 8 provinces (some exceptions apply) |
| Same-day | Same day, for an additional fee | Depending on the location (GLS does not publish where) |
Keep in mind that GLS does not publish a money-back guarantee or a delivery-hour window for any of these services. To see how long a ground parcel should take, enter your origin and destination postal codes in GLS's transit time calculator, which gives you an estimate for that route.
Much of that national reach is new. Until late 2022, GLS's parcel service covered Ontario and Quebec. In December 2022 it began delivering in and around Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Sudbury and North Bay, and when AltiMax Courier joined in 2023, the network became direct from coast to coast.
The surest way to know whether GLS fits your shipment is to compare GLS rates against UPS, FedEx, Canada Post and Purolator on your own route. Published delivery times are a guide, not a replacement for a real quote.
GLS Weight and Size Limits
GLS's weight limit matches most couriers, but within its own network it accepts longer pieces than most. Here are the key per-package numbers.
GLS accepts pieces up to 150 lb (68 kg) and 165 in (419 cm) in length plus girth (length plus twice the width plus twice the height). The 120 in (304 cm) length applies within GLS's direct network, the postal codes GLS serves itself; outside it, the longest piece GLS accepts is 108 in (274 cm). A piece over any limit costs $495.00 within the direct network, and GLS will not accept it for destinations outside that network.
GLS charges whichever is greater: actual weight or cubed weight. To calculate: convert your package dimensions to cubic feet (L × W × H ÷ 1,728 in inches), then multiply by the cube factor for your shipment:
GLS rounds up at every step: package weights go to the next whole pound and dimensions to the next whole inch, and GLS may reweigh or cube any shipment. Measure carefully, and use the smallest box that safely fits.
When you quote through Secureship, GLS's cubed weight rules are applied automatically, so the price you see already uses the billable weight.
Source: GLS Canada Parcel Rules and Regulations (Tariff 100), effective 1 Jan 2026
Source: GLS Canada Parcel Rules and Regulations (Tariff 100), effective 1 Jan 2026
How to Save on GLS Shipping
What you pay for GLS depends on how you access it, how you pack, and which fees you trigger. Here are the levers that actually move the price.
Compare live GLS rates against every major carrier in seconds. No account needed. Just enter your shipment details.
Get Estimate
How to Ship with GLS via Secureship
No GLS account needed. Access GLS Canada at group rates, alongside every other major carrier, through Secureship.
When to Choose GLS Over Other Carriers
No single carrier wins every shipment. GLS is strongest on residential deliveries, long items and next-day service out of Ontario and Quebec, and weakest anywhere outside Canada or for personal shipments. Here is where it is the right call, and where it is not.
- Residential deliveries: GLS charges a residential surcharge of $4.50 per shipment within its direct network (Tariff 100, effective 1 Jan 2026), the lowest published fee of the couriers we compare
- Long items: GLS accepts pieces up to 120 in (304 cm) long within its direct network, longer than the 108 in limit at Purolator, UPS and Canpar
- Next-day out of Ontario and Quebec: GLS Express is a next-business-day air service from 12 Ontario and Quebec pickup cities to 20 named cities in 8 provinces
- Winter shipments: GLS states its trucks are heated in the winter to prevent freezing, and offers a Protect From Freeze option, subject to availability
- Shipping outside Canada: GLS Canada publishes no US or international parcel service today; its International page announces Europe as coming soon
- Personal or used items: GLS carries personal belongings and used or refurbished goods at your own risk, so it will not pay for loss or damage, even if you declare a value
- PO box addresses: GLS does not deliver to PO boxes
- Saturday delivery outside Quebec and Ontario: GLS offers Saturday service only within its Quebec and Ontario direct network, from $38.55 per shipment
The sensible approach is to compare carriers on every shipment rather than defaulting to one. Our GLS Alternatives guide shows which carrier to reach for, case by case.
Frequently Asked Questions About GLS Shipping
Are Dicom and GLS the same?
Yes. Dicom Transportation Group was acquired by GLS in 2018 and now operates as GLS Canada. GLS announced on August 30, 2018 that Wind Point Partners had sold Dicom Transportation Group Canada Inc. to General Logistics Systems B.V. Dicom's roots go back to 1968, when Dicom Express started in Quebec as a same-day messenger business. GLS tells the story in its acquisition announcement.
Is GLS the same as DHL?
No. GLS and DHL are separate companies. GLS Canada is part of GLS Group, which operates in more than 40 countries and, as of a December 2025 announcement, belongs to International Distribution Services Ltd (IDS). DHL Express is part of DHL Group. For what DHL offers from Canada, see our DHL guide.
Does GLS Canada ship internationally?
Not yet. GLS Canada currently ships within Canada: its International page announces parcel shipping to Europe as coming soon, and no US parcel service is published. GLS US, on the US West Coast, is a separate GLS company. For a shipment leaving Canada, compare the carriers that ship internationally in one quote.
Where can I drop off a GLS package?
At a GLS terminal. GLS's location finder lists its terminals across Canada, from St. John's to Vancouver; filter it by Parcel. Pickup and drop-off are not available at six of them: Beauce, Bonaventure and Joliette in Quebec, North Bay and Sudbury in Ontario, and Kamloops in British Columbia. GLS states that the latest drop-off time depends on the terminal and the destination, so check before you go.
How do I schedule or cancel a GLS pickup?
You can book a GLS pickup in three ways: when you ship with GLS through Secureship, in GLS's own shipping platform, smart4 shipping, or by calling GLS Customer Experience at 1 888 463 4266. If plans change, cancel at least 8 hours before the pickup: GLS's Tariff 100 charges a No Pick Up fee of $8.55 when a pickup fails or is cancelled later than that.
How do I contact GLS Canada customer service?
GLS Customer Experience is at 1 888 463 4266 or assistance@gls-canada.com, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (EST), Monday to Friday. Technical support for GLS's shipping tools is at 1 866 683 7025. Claims for loss or damage are filed by the GLS account holder through GLS's claims portal, with the tracking number, the cost or repair invoice, and photos. GLS lists every contact on its Contact us page.
What does a GLS tracking number look like?
A GLS parcel tracking number usually has nine characters and sometimes starts with a letter, such as 111 222 333 or A11 222 333. You'll find it under the barcode on the shipping label, and if you are the receiver, the shipper can give it to you. On a MaxPak, leave out the "1" at the start of the number. Enter it in GLS's tracking tool, and keep in mind that GLS doesn't operate on weekends and certain holidays, so a parcel in transit then shows no new updates until the next business day.
What happens if I miss a GLS delivery?
The driver leaves a door notice with instructions to schedule a second delivery, or you can pick the parcel up at the GLS terminal. GLS holds it there for up to five business days, after which it may be returned to the shipper at the shipper's expense. To collect it, bring the tracking number and ID showing the receiver's address; someone else can collect it with the same two things. If you know ahead of time that nobody will be there to sign, contact GLS before the delivery day.
Does GLS deliver on weekends?
Saturday delivery is available only in Quebec and Ontario, within GLS's direct network, for an extra fee: $38.55 flat to listed cities such as Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec and the Greater Toronto Area, or $38.55 plus $1.65 per kilometre elsewhere in that network. Saturday pickup and hold for pickup work the same way. Everywhere else, GLS delivers Monday to Friday, and it does not publish Sunday delivery. If a weekend delivery matters, compare carriers before you ship.
Does GLS deliver to PO boxes?
No. GLS does not deliver to PO boxes, so if your recipient only has a PO box, GLS is not the right carrier for that shipment. Ask for a street address, or check Secureship for carriers that deliver to PO boxes and compare their rates in one quote.
Sources
All data on this page is sourced from official GLS Canada documentation. Volatile figures (fuel surcharge, live rates, transit times) link to GLS's live pages. Last updated: November 5, 2026.
- GLS Canada Parcel 2026 Rules and Regulations (Tariff 100), effective January 1, 2026, last updated October 2026. gls-group.com
- GLS Canada: Why choose GLS in Canada? gls-group.com
- GLS Canada: Parcel service. gls-group.com
- GLS acquires Dicom, August 30, 2018. gls-group.com
- GLS Group partners with ePost Global, December 9, 2025. gls-group.com
- GLS Canada: International. gls-group.com
- GLS Canada: Fuel and carbon surcharges. gls-group.com
- GLS Canada: Transit time calculator. gls-group.com
- GLS Canada: Find a GLS location. gls-group.com
- GLS Canada: Contact us. gls-group.com
- GLS Canada: FAQ, viewed November 4, 2026. gls-group.com