Shipping costs are crucial when sending out gifts or managing an online business. If you’re seeking the cheapest way to ship products, Canada integrates several major carriers operating within the country. Hence, you can ship your package through almost all the major carriers that suit your budget. Some of the popular carriers include;
- FedEx
- DHL
- Purolator
- UPS
- Loomis
- CanadaPost
- Canpar
- Dicom
The carriers mentioned above integrate varying shipping costs for the same package. Such competitive rates necessitate that you do shipping labels, and use the shipping calculator effectively to find the cheapest shipping company in Canada. Continue scrolling below to learn the various factors influencing shipping costs for your package. Let’s dive in!
Factors Affecting Shipping Prices in Canada
Courier services offer different shipping rates depending on the following elements:
Weight
The weight of the cardboard boxes and your package directly affects the certain weight of the shipping costs. The heavier the box/ package, the higher the final shipping cost is.
Size
Package size can be controlled to influence the cost of shipping. When shipping a bigger box, the shopping costs will also increase.
Distance Your Package Has to Travel
Traveling distance is crucial when it comes to shipping. The longer the distance the package travels means you have to spend more money on operating costs. However, shipping prices can be adjusted to compensate for the operation costs.
The Remoteness of Delivery Services
Some addresses are hard to find. Thus, the carrier will often charge more for deliveries in hard-to-access locations.
Cheap Shipping Options Within Canada
Canada incorporates numerous courier companies that offer the cheapest parcel shipping price both domestically and internationally. Canadians seeking a cost-effective solution for shipping in Canada can choose to ship their packages in different ways as follows:
Ground Shipping Offers Cheapest Shipping Option for Small Packages
Ground shipping provides the cheapest way to ship packages across Canada. The shipping option offers an excellent cost-effective option; however, its delivery times may take time. Ground shipping is ideal for packages that don’t require urgent delivery.
Freight Shipping is the Best Option for Large Packages
Freight shipping offers a reliable and cheap shipping option for large or heavy parcels that can’t be shipped via courier services. But companies like FedEx, UPS, and Purolator offer freight shipping services at affordable prices. While shipping packages is through freight method, you can opt to use either;
- Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping
- Full-truckload (FTL) shipping
LTL shipping offers the cheapest way to ship large packages across Canada. It’s ideal if you’re shipping large packages that won’t occupy the entire space in a trailer or if your package weighs around 68 to 1,800 kg. LTL freight shipping feature is affordable as you’ll only pay for the portion of the truck the package occupies.
FTL freight shipping is ideal if the shipping volume of your package is large enough to occupy more money than just the entire space in a semi-truck carrier or weighs 9,000 kg (200 000 lbs) or more.
What’s the Cost-effective Way to Ship Boxes
Apart from learning how to calculate shipping costs and making wise decisions, you can get the lowest shipping price when comparing the shipping costs of boxes by;
- Packaging your box properly
- Use a third-party shipping provider
What’s the Cheap Shipping Technique For Tires
As you ship tires, you will probably incur some additional handling fees and costs because of their shape. The shipping costs might be high despite the good volume discounts. Placing a tire in a cardboard box can save additional fees and handling fees associated with items not enclosed in luggage containers. The same also applies to high-value electronics.
What’s the Cheap Shipping Method For Clothes
International shipping of clothes is easy, but you can incur additional costs when you ship clothes in plastic bins, extra luggage, or suitcases. Fortunately, apart from comparing shipping costs, here are other tips for enjoying expedited shipping and the cheapest way to ship cloaths;
- Transfer the clothes to a cardboard box to alleviate the additional handling fee.
- Wrap up all the clothes and arrange them neatly in smaller boxes.
- You can skip obtaining shipping insurance for the clothes unless they’re new and have significant value.
Affordable Courier Services You Can Use to Ship Within Canada
Shipping expenses are unavoidable for most individuals and small businesses in Canada. There are reliable courier services in Canada to help ship your package at an affordable price while providing insurance for your package at no extra cost. Some of the courier companies offering reliable services at affordable rates in Canada include;
Canada Post
Canada Post is among the leading logistics companies in Canada. It is the primary postal service operating in the country. The company has over 6,200 post office locations with a nationwide delivery network. Therefore, small businesses and individuals can use their services to ship packages across Canada. Some of its domestic shipping services are as follows:
| Shipping Service | Features |
| Canada Post Priority | Package insurance Package tracking Guaranteed 1-day delivery |
| Canada Post (Presspost) | Package insurance Package tracking Guaranteed delivery in 1 to 2 days |
| Canada Post Regular Parcel | Package insurance Package tracking Delivery in 2 to 9 days |
| Canada Post Expedited Parcel | Package insurance Package tracking Delivery in 1 to 7 days |
UPS
UPS is a major courier in Canada. The faster delivery speed for packages and mail happens at affordable prices. Some domestic shipping services for businesses and individuals include;
| Shipping Service | Features |
| UPS Express Critical | Package insurance Package tracking Fast delivery in 6 to 8 hours |
| UPS Express Early | Package insurance Package tracking Next-day guaranteed delivery by 9.00 a.m |
| UPS Express | Package insurance Package tracking Next-day guaranteed delivery by 10:30 a.m to metro areas |
FedEx
FedEx is one of the leading logistics companies you can use to make on-time deliveries across Canadian territories. The company offers domestic shipping services as follows;
| Shipping Service | Features |
| FedEx First Overnight | Package insurance Package tracking Guaranteed next-business-day delivery by 10:00 a.m |
| FedEx Priority Overnight | Package insurance Package tracking Guaranteed next-business-day delivery by noon |
| FedEx Standard Overnight | Package insurance Package trackingGuaranteed next-day delivery by 5:00 pm to business and 8:00 to residence metro areas |
Purolator
Purolator is also a major courier service in Canada. The company makes quick deliveries at affordable prices to Canadian provinces. Some domestic shipping services offered include:
| Shipping Service | Features |
| Purolator Express | Package insurance Package tracking Guaranteed next-business-day delivery by 9:00 p.m |
| Purolator Express 9AM | Package insurance Package tracking Guaranteed next-business-day delivery by 9:00 a.m |
| Purolator Express 10:30 AM | Package insurance Package tracking Next-working-day delivery by 10:30 a.m to major cities |
Comparison of Major Courier Services
Canada has several affordable courier services. However, let’s compare shipping high volumes between available courier services to find out which provides the cheapest shipping service in Canada. The shipping rates vary based on the delivery time and individual courier service. The comparison below is based on a standard 44 lbs package with the same destination point:
| Courier service | Shipping rates | Delivery time |
| Canada Post Priority | $271.86 | 1 business day |
| UPS Express Early | $257.51 | 1 business day by 9:00 a.m |
| FedEx First Overnight | $479.82 | 1 business day by 10:00 a.m |
| Purolator Express | $409.38 | 1 business day by 9:00 a.m |
How to Save on Shipping
Businesses and individuals always seek ways to save time and ship packages without breaking the bank. With the continued rise of shipping costs, here are reliable tips to help you save money on shipping in Canada;
- Deliver products through a pickup station or locally. Businesses with remote customers can deliver packages to them personally or provide an option of picking up their product packages at your store as a pickup location.
- Take advantage of ground shipping. You can save some dollars by using ground shipping options. Ground shipping is more affordable and suitable if your customer doesn’t need urgent delivery.
- Make your product packaging less bulky. Reducing the size of your package will minimize your shipping fees. If possible, ensure your package is lightweight to ease bulkiness. Protect fragile products using bubble wrap covers.
- Always use flat-rate shipping. Take advantage of fixed shipping prices by your carrier instead of the variable shipping rates, which vary based on the size, shape, and weight of parcels. Flat-rate shipping allows you to ship different packages for a fixed price conveniently.
- Reuse packaging materials. Reuse and recycle your packaging materials from other products you’ve received and use them to package your products.
- Use multiple courier services. Use different services by courier services to find the best shipping deals.
Conclusion
It is important to find cost-effective courier shipping services, particularly considering the consistent increase in shipping costs. Many shipping companies provide domestic shipping services at different rates. Therefore, prioritize selecting a carrier that aligns with your delivery requirements while offering affordable retail shipping rates.
