Guides
Shipping guides and delivery intelligence
Plain-English answers about tracking, customs, carriers and shipping costs in Canada. Written to be useful, not to sell you anything.
Guide of the day
Seven ways small shops overpay for shipping
Most shipping overspend is structural, not a bad rate. These are the seven leaks that cost the most, in rough order of impact.
- Tracking
Where is my Purolator package?
Purolator tracking not updating, says delivered but nothing arrived, or never moved? What each situation means and the exact order to act in.
- Tracking
Where is my UPS package?
UPS tracking not updating, says delivered but nothing arrived, or never moved? What each situation means and the exact order to act in.
- Tracking
Where is my FedEx package?
FedEx tracking not updating, says delivered but nothing arrived, or never moved? What each situation means and the exact order to act in.
- Tracking
Where is my DHL Express package?
DHL Express tracking not updating, says delivered but nothing arrived, or never moved? What each situation means and the exact order to act in.
- Tracking
Where is my Intelcom package?
Intelcom tracking not updating, says delivered but nothing arrived, or never moved? What each situation means and the exact order to act in.
- Tracking
Where is my Canpar package?
Canpar tracking not updating, says delivered but nothing arrived, or never moved? What each situation means and the exact order to act in.
- Carriers
Canada Post vs Purolator: which should you use?
How Canada Post and Purolator differ on rural coverage, speed, heavy parcels and claims — and a simple rule for choosing between them.
- Cross-border
The cheapest way to ship from Canada to the USA
Why consolidators usually beat walking into a post office for Canada-to-US parcels, and the paperwork that keeps a cheap shipment from becoming an expensive one.
- Tracking
Holiday shipping checklist for Canada (2026)
Everything to do before the holiday rush: when to check carrier cut-off dates, how to pack, and how to avoid the delays that hit every December.
- Small business
Choosing a shipping setup for a new online store
Before negotiating rates, decide how you charge for shipping. That single decision drives carrier choice, packaging and margin.
- Tracking
How to read a tracking history properly
Scan events tell a story if you know the vocabulary. Here's what each common status really indicates about where your parcel is.
- Shipping costs
Signature, insurance and carrier liability, decoded
Default carrier liability is lower than most shippers assume, and declared value is not the same as insurance. Know which you have.
- Carriers
Shipping to rural and remote Canadian addresses
Extended-area surcharges, longer transit and limited carrier coverage change the calculation entirely outside major centres.
- Carriers
Final-mile handoffs: why your parcel changed carriers
The carrier that picks up a parcel often isn't the one that delivers it. Handoffs explain most confusing tracking gaps.
- Customs
What happens to a refused or returned parcel
Refusing a parcel doesn't cancel the charges, and returns rarely travel free. Here's the actual sequence and who pays for each leg.
- Shipping costs
Planning around peak season shipping delays
Networks slow down at predictable times of year. Plan around the pattern instead of reacting to it.
- Shipping costs
Packing fragile items so they survive the network
Parcels get sorted by machines, dropped from conveyor height and stacked under heavier freight. Pack for that, not for a careful courier.
- Small business
Seven ways small shops overpay for shipping
Most shipping overspend is structural, not a bad rate. These are the seven leaks that cost the most, in rough order of impact.
- Customs
Duties, taxes and brokerage are three different charges
The bill at your door is often three charges stacked together. Knowing which is which tells you what can be disputed and what cannot.
- Tracking
Marked delivered but nothing arrived: what to do
A delivered scan with no parcel usually resolves within 48 hours. Here is the order of checks that finds it, and what to do when it doesn't.
- Cross-border
The Canada-to-USA shipping checklist
Most cross-border delays come from paperwork, not distance. Work through this list before you print the label.
- Tracking
How to tell which carrier a tracking number belongs to
Tracking number formats are surprisingly predictable. Here is how carrier detection works and why a retailer's number sometimes points to the wrong carrier.
- Carriers
Canada Post or a courier? How to choose per parcel
Neither option wins every time. Choose by parcel size, destination density, delivery proof and how much a late arrival actually costs you.
- Customs
"Held at customs": what it actually means in Canada
A customs hold is usually routine paperwork, not a seizure. Here is what triggers holds on parcels entering Canada and how they get released.
- Shipping costs
Dimensional weight: why a light box costs so much
Carriers charge for the space a parcel occupies, not just its mass. Here is how dimensional weight is calculated and how to stop overpaying for air.
- Tracking
Why your tracking hasn't updated in days
A silent tracking page almost never means a lost parcel. Here is what causes the gaps, how long each one normally lasts, and when to act.