Who Delivers DHL In Canada? (All You Need To Know)

If you’re shipping something to Canada via DHL, you might wonder who will complete the final delivery. After all, DHL doesn’t have much of a presence in the Great White North. 

Indeed, DHL works closely with Canada Post and its Purolator courier service to complete many of its deliveries. To find out more about this arrangement, make sure you keep reading for more facts! 

Who Delivers DHL in Canada in 2024?

DHL partners with Canada Post and its Purolator courier service to perform last-mile delivery services to parts of Canada where DHL doesn’t have operation centers in 2024. Services included in this arrangement are DHL eCommerce and DHL Global Mail. DHL Express packages aren’t handled by Canada Post.  Likewise, DHL packages can’t be delivered to Canada Post PO boxes. 

I’m willing to bet that you still have questions about the relationship between DHL and Canada Post, so make sure you check out this article to find out more!

Does DHL Get Delivered by Canada Post?

Canada Post and DHL are two different logistics providers that have their own transport networks and shipping services. However, they do collaborate in some cases. 

In fact, DHL partners with Canada Post and its Purolator courier service to perform last-mile delivery services to parts of Canada where DHL doesn’t have operation centers. 

Is DHL eCommerce Delivered by Canada Post? 

Canada Post delivers DHL eCommerce packages within Canada. 

DHL eCommerce is a domestic and international parcel delivery service for high-volume business customers. 

Generally, delivery times vary depending on the product and the distance between the origin and destination locations. 

Deliveries between neighboring countries typically take 2 to 3 business days, whereas deliveries between longer distances could take up to 20 days. 

Distance is one of the reasons eCommerce deliveries can take so long; handoffs between DHL and Canada Post are another reason. 

When a DHL parcel reaches Canada, DHL must take the time to hand it off to Canada Post. From there, Canada Post must sort the package and put it on the appropriate truck for delivery. 

Overall, this exchange could add a day or more to the total delivery time. 

Does Canada Post Deliver DHL Global Mail?

Packages shipped through DHL Global Mail, a lower-cost service, will always be handed off to Canada Post for delivery. 

Does DHL Express Use Canada Post? 

DHL Express is a fast, high-priority service.

Packages sent through this service are handled solely by DHL couriers from start to finish, ensuring that delivery is as fast as possible. 

Therefore, if you ordered something from DHL Express that’s being delivered to Canada, you can be sure a DHL courier will drop it off, not a Canada Post employee. 

Why Does DHL Use Canada Post? 

DHL works with Canada Post for a couple of reasons, and one is that Canada has a lot of rural addresses. 

Currently, DHL doesn’t have operation centers in these remote areas. This makes delivering to these addresses time-consuming and costly. 

Rather than investing in more service centers and employees, DHL taps into Canada Post’s existing delivery network in order to reach these more far-flung addresses. 

Another reason DHL uses Canada Post for last-mile deliveries is because it’s cost-effective. 

Last-mile delivery, also known as the final step in the delivery process, is by far the most expensive part of the shipping process. 

In fact, this step can cost as much as $10 per package. 

Again, rather than invest money and manpower into completing last-mile deliveries, it makes much more sense for DHL to contract this service out to Canada Post. 

This arrangement saves DHL time and money, but it also benefits Canada Post. 

That’s because the postal service gets a portion of the earnings, just for completing a delivery they’d make anyway. 

Does DHL Deliver to Canada Post PO Boxes?

Although DHL and Canada Post collaborate closely, DHL doesn’t have access to Canada Post PO boxes. 

Rather, DHL can only deliver to residential locations or businesses. 

So, if you need to ship a package to a PO box within Canada, you’re better off choosing Canada Post. 

Can Canada Post Track DHL?

If you know DHL is going to hand off your package to Canada Post, then you might be wondering if you’ll still be able to track it once the handoff occurs. 

Here, the answer seems to depend. While some of DHL’s handoff services can be tracked domestically, not all can. 

If your package is sent through a trackable service, then your DHL tracking information will notify you when your item arrives in Canada. 

At that point, you should receive either a link to track your shipment on the Canada Post website or a 16-digit tracking number that you can manually enter into the postal service’s website. 

To know more, you can also read our posts on whether DHL is a freight forwarder, whether DHL is reliable for international shipping, and whether DHL tracking is accurate.

Conclusion

As you can see, DHL and Canada Post have a close working relationship. Indeed, last-mile deliveries for services like DHL eCommerce and DHL Global Mail are handled by Canada Post. 

Still, it’s important to remember that these are two distinct companies. For example, DHL Express packages are only handled by DHL employees. In addition, DHL isn’t able to deliver to Canada Post PO boxes.