Canada Post has begun the slow process of powering its network back up after a two-week shutdown, switching to rolling strikes that keep parts of the system moving while others pause. The phased restart is aimed at clearing trapped volumes and restoring basic service, but on-time guarantees remain suspended and acceptance of new large mailings is being throttled as the carrier works through backlog — a reality parcel consolidators and cross-border trucking providers will feel in their day-to-day operations. (Primary source: FreightWaves)
For fleets that haul e-commerce and returns to Canada Post plants, the new regime means stop-and-go conditions by geography. On Tuesday, October 14, rotating strikes continued in northeastern British Columbia — notably Dawson Creek and Fort St. John — with mail flow resuming in some Ontario points such as Timmins. Newfoundland’s St. Anthony also remained affected. Those spot outages illustrate how localized actions can still ripple nationally when they hit key injection or relay points.
Local dispatches underscore why shippers shouldn’t expect a crisp recovery. In Peterborough, Ontario, community updates on October 14 cautioned that mail deliveries are resuming “slowly” and that clearing the accumulation will take time even where pickets are down. That translates to longer terminal dwell for parcel-injection moves and unpredictable dwell-to-delivery intervals for last-mile partners.
As volumes divert from the postal stream, private carriers are tightening playbooks. UPS Canada is maintaining service but has temporarily suspended money-back refunds on eligible domestic services and adjusted some time commitments, while warning of potential delays to parts of Canada and to the U.S. Those measures signal both capacity absorption and the operational caution carriers exercise when a national network like Canada Post comes back online unevenly. For trucking brokers and asset carriers feeding those networks, expect late-day pulls, re-slotted pickups and higher variability in outbound linehaul tendering.
What it means for trucking:
– Cross-border parcel consolidators moving U.S. e-commerce into Canada should keep flexible routings active through midweek, steering volumes to alternative final-mile providers where rotating strikes persist and prioritizing shipments with complete street addresses (to avoid PO box dependencies).
– LTL carriers handling postal induction freight should plan for after-hours gate congestion as plants clear backlogs in batches and may meter new tenders.
– Returns flows will be lumpy: retailers using Canada Post for inbound returns could see a surge when specific depots reopen, stressing city P&D and dock throughput.
– For temperature-sensitive and medical consignments, leverage carriers that continue to offer prioritized sort and delivery windows; some operators are explicitly triaging critical freight while suspension of postal guarantees remains in place. (Primary source: FreightWaves; supplemental context from current carrier advisories.)
Bottom line: The move from a full halt to rolling strikes gets parcels moving again, but it’s a staggered restart with localized choke points. Carriers and shippers that preplanned multi-carrier contingencies will be able to pivot around hot spots; those reliant on single-channel postal injection should brace for variable dwell and rebooks until rolling actions subside. Watch for daily updates on affected communities and treat plant appointments near strike zones as provisional.
Sources: FreightWaves, EverythingGP, PTBO Today, UPS Canada
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