As a country, Canadians are expecting shorter and shorter delivery windows. What once may have taken multiple weeks can now be done in under a week and people have come to rely on this. However, sometimes this still isn’t even fast enough and expedited shipping is needed. When you have something that needs to get there fast, expedited shipping is the way to go.
Generally, most expedited shipping in Canada will take 2-3 days. However, some factors will affect this including distance, crossborder shipping, and slow processing due to holidays or poor weather. Here we will look at some estimates for expedited shipping in Canada and what Ontario Container Transport can do to help you get your deliveries where they need to be faster.
What Does Expedited Shipping Mean?
When discussing expedited shipping, it is beneficial to understand exactly what it means first. Contrary to common belief, “expedited” does not automatically mean a certain amount of time such as within two days. Instead, expedited shipping refers to the fact that your delivery will be given priority and delivered more quickly than items shipped with standard shipping.
Expedited typically cuts delivery times roughly in half. If a standard package would normally take 5 days to arrive, an expedited one will take around 2. However, when delivery times are slow in general due to weather, a busy holiday season, or other events, all packages will take longer.
When to Choose Expedited Shipping?
Generally, if you are shipping anything that is time sensitive, expedited shipping should be used. For example, if you know you need to get a delivery to its destination within a week, it might be tempting to skip expedited shipping since a week will fall within the delivery window of standard shipping.
This, however, has far too great a chance of arriving late. Not only might the package arrive on the last possible day, it could go over. Remember, though carriers will do their best to deliver on time, this is still considered a delivery estimate, not a guarantee in most cases.
Additionally, you should consider expedited shipping on packages during high volume times of year. Specifically, during the holidays or when there is inclement weather. Due to these circumstances, shipping will be slower on all packages but expedited packages will be given priority and you will have a better chance of on time arrival.
How Long Does Expedited Shipping Take within Canada?
Local delivery could take as little as one day depending on exact distance and the weight of your package. Small items under 13oz can be shipped quickly by the Canada Post. However, you should not rely on this being the case every time. Even with expedited local services, up to 3 days is common.
When shipping across the country you should expect up to three days. Though it might be only two, for planning purposes, you should assume the max delivery length when the distance is greater.
How Long Does Cross Border Shipping Take?
Cross border shipping between Canada and the United States will typically take the same amount of time as within Canada. Delivery time will still be mostly dependent on how far your package needs to travel.
However, there is a chance that there could be delays due to issues at customs. You can help avoid this by ensuring you have filled out all proper paperwork correctly and clearly defined what you are shipping. With detailed paperwork, it is less likely that your package will need further inspection at the border.
What Days Will Expedited Shipping Be Delivered?
Delivery days will vary between carriers but, generally, monday through saturday are typical. However, it is becoming more common for Amazon deliveries to arrive on sundays.
Sunday as a delivery day also increases the odds that your package will arrive on a monday if you ordered on friday. That being said, you should generally only count Monday through Saturday as business days unless this is expressly stated by your delivery service. Some services may only count Monday through Friday as well.
How Late in the Day Can an Expedited Package Arrive?
This, again, will vary on the carrier and the time of year since many carriers will extend hours during the winter holiday season. For Amazon, which largely uses their own independent drivers, you may receive a package as late as 10:00 p.m. For many other delivery methods, the cutoff is likely to be 7:00 p.m. except under special circumstances like holidays.
How is Expedited Shipping Accomplished?
When it comes to expedited shipping by truck, this often relies on using a two person driving team. Instead of a single driver taking breaks while the truck is stopped, a two person team will take turns so there is reduced downtime.
What Can Ontario Container Transport do for Your Expedited Shipping?
As a proudly Canadian owned company, we work to provide the best container shipping services throughout North America. We cut standard shipping times in half with our network of experienced drivers who work in teams to ensure your deliveries travel fast.
We also employ intermodal shipping to give you the best shipping options. Our intermodal containers are designed to be able to go from truck to plane to ship and back again without compromising the contents. By using intermodal containers, we avoid the extra time and expense associated with moving items individually from one carrier vehicle to the next.
Our local delivery service is also available for when you need items shipped quickly within Ontario. We provide one of the fastest shipping methods for local deliveries and also the greatest options with refrigerated trucks, warehousing, and distribution.
Get a Quote on Expedited Shipping from Ontario Container Transport
Ready to get your deliveries moving fast? Ontario Container Transport is here to help. Our experienced network of drivers and logistics team are dedicated to providing the best shipping solutions. To get a free estimate and potential delivery window, call us at (905) 695 1501 or use our contact page.
