Certain carriers have issued precautionary mail delivery and interruption warnings to customers as a result of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and civil unrest. In some cases, only certain services are suspended or interrupted. InterFulfillment will update this article as new information becomes available.
Official Statement Regarding COVID-19
InterFulfillment is committed to staying up to date with and taking immediate action to address, all new developments regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reported by Health Canada. Using the latest information we are implementing precautionary measures on a daily basis to keep our staff safe and healthy while maintaining the quality and reliability of our services.
Health Canada Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update
Furthermore, we have been in close contact with all of our carrier service provider representatives on a regular basis regarding any restrictions and delays to their services caused by COVID-19 developments.
We understand the importance of keeping our customers updated regarding how these developments may affect our operation. Please keep this page bookmarked and revisit it for the latest information available.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the information in this article we urge you to reach out to support@interfulfillment.com for assistance.
For information regarding current carrier restrictions and delays, please visit: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Carrier Delays and Restrictions
We appreciate your patience and understanding. Thank you.
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Canada Post tells 350 Employees at Mississauga plant to Isolate for 14 days (January 25, 2021)
Canada Post says 350 employees and contractors who work on the same shift at a Mississauga, Ontario. facility were told to leave the workplace on Friday and go into isolation for 14 days. For more information, please visit this article from CBC News: Canada Post tells 350 employees on same shift at Mississauga plant to go into isolation for 14 days Social Sharing
Canada Post Parcel Processing and Delivery Statement (July 10, 2020)
We have taken several actions to stabilize our network over the last several weeks including the addition of trained temporary employees, the transfer of some parcels to other Canada Post locations for processing based on capacity, as well as introducing volume restrictions over the last several weeks with our commercial customers in the GTA and Montreal. These actions have been successful in reducing our backlog and we have made significant progress across our network over the last several weeks. Continuation of these efforts is critical to help stabilize our network. We continue to see some delays at Gateway of about 3 days, while other facilities maybe 1 to 2 days delay. Please note that the larger/heavier packages continue to present the biggest challenges for us and can be significantly delayed as they work their way through our network.
Over the coming weeks, we will be working with our commercial customers to review current volume caps and make adjustments where possible. This must be done carefully to ensure the continued stability of the network and to prevent future backlogs. We appreciate your patience and thank you in advance for your cooperation as we assess volume and capacity over the coming weeks.
Our inbound international volumes are very high in Montreal, Toronto, and especially Vancouver. Please note that we are experiencing significant customs clearance delays in Toronto and Vancouver.
Canada Post Status of the Network Announcement (June 19, 2020)
PARCEL PROCESSING AND DELIVERY: We continue to process and deliver on weekends and have additional support from trained temporary employees to assist in getting us through large volumes. As well, some parcels may be transferred to other Canada Post locations for processing based on capacity, so customers tracking their items may notice their parcel is taking a different route than normal. Although some of our processing facilities across the country remain at maximum capacity, the actions taken to date including the volume restrictions that we have implemented over the last few weeks in Montreal and the GTA are contributing to some positive signs. Montreal and Gateway continue to have a backlog and significant delays, while other parts of our network are showing signs of improvement. At this time, delays across the network remain in effect. However, should these improvements continue, we will be able to make significant improvements on our backlog over the coming weeks. Our inbound international volumes are very high in Montreal, Toronto and especially Vancouver. Please note that we are experiencing customs clearance delays in Vancouver.
MAIL: The suspension of our service guarantees remains in effect as well, including Date Specific for Neighbourhood Mail (NM). We are seeing some delays in the order of approximately 3 days with regards to oversized Lettermail that is processed in Gateway. Across the network we are seeing some minor delays related to NM but nothing significant at this time. All machined mail such as Lettermail, Personalized Mail and Postal Code Targeting mail continue to process well but may experience some delays.
Based on this information, please set expectations of delays with your respective customers. Our dedicated employees are working hard to serve and we’ll continue to keep customers updated on our progress.
REMINDERS: Our Knock, Drop and Go approach remains in effect: Delivery employees knock or ring, choose the safest location available to leave the item and then depart for the next address. This change eliminates the need for signatures at the door, speeds up delivery and has greatly reduced the number of parcels sent to our post offices for pickup. Signature items are left at the recipient’s address while products that require proof of identity (POI), proof of age (POA), COD items or items with customs due are carded to the local post office for pick up.
Please visit our website for updates and alerts related to specific communities that may be significantly affected by the COVID-19 situation. We appreciate your business and we will continue to keep you updated on our progress. If you have any questions about the contents of this note, please contact your dedicated Customer Service representative.
Important Announcement Regarding Carrier Pick-Ups (June 5, 2020)
We are in unprecedented times and as a result carriers are facing unprecedented volumes that have caused a serious overload at their processing facilities. Canada Post has reached out to us today to let us know they currently cannot guarantee the capability to continue to collect all parcels on a daily basis.
Should Canada Post or any carrier not have the capacity to accept one of your parcels for same-day shipping, our support team will proactively reach out to let you know that your parcels will be prioritized for pick-up the following day.
As the nation moves forward with reopening retail locations we anticipate carriers will recover from this volume overload and be able to resume guaranteed pick up volumes.
USPS Notice Regarding Civil Unrest (June 3, 2020)
For all customers shipping orders to the United States (via all USPS affiliated carriers) please be aware of the following notice we received this morning from the USPS:
The United States Postal Service has temporarily suspended the following postal units due to civil unrest until further notice:
Minneapolis, MN: Minnehaha Post Office 55406, Lake Street Post Office 55408, Powderhorn Post Office 55407, Industrial Post Office 55104
Chicago, IL: Henry McGee Post Office 60615 and 60653, Ogden Park Post Office 60636, Englewood Post Office 60621, Wicker Park Post Office 60607
La Mesa, CA: La Mesa Finance Station 91942
DHL eCommerce International Shipping Service Now Only Available for Orders Shipping to the United States (May 21, 2020)
DHL eCommerce no longer allows the processing of DHL eCommerce International shipping to any country outside of the United States. Any attempt to process an order using this service returns the following error: " Due to COVID-19 we cannot process."
Please do not import any orders into our system with a destination outside of the USA until further notice.
Canada Post Status of the Network Announcement (May 1, 2020)
Canada Post issued the following announcement regarding processing delays for May:
From a delivery standpoint, parcels are heading out of our facilities for delivery in record numbers. Each delivery day is like peak season. The last two weeks have been busy, starting with close to 2 million parcels delivered on the Monday. We have added weekend deliveries in markets where warranted. The physical-distancing measures we’ve put in place with Knock, Drop and Go have simplified delivery which has been helpful in moving record amounts of parcels.
On the processing side, we continue to make adjustments, but record incoming volumes combined with physical-distancing measures – in place from the time the parcels enter the plant to the time they leave – have slowed our operations. These are important safety measures implemented and followed in facilities that were never designed to keep people more than 2 metres apart. We expect these measures to remain in place for the foreseeable future while we continue to process heavy incoming parcel volumes. We are therefore focused on evaluating further changes within this new reality that keep safety at the forefront while providing more stability in our network and greater predictability for customers.
Processing update:
- Toronto (Gateway) is still managing high volumes of parcels and is experiencing delays of up to 7 days.
Canada Post Video and Announcement (April 24, 2020)
Canada Post issued the following video and announcement regarding operational processing delays:
https://www.facebook.
Canada Post Announcement (April 24, 2020)
Canada Post issued the following announcement directly to InterFulfillment regarding parcel pick-up delays:
Canada Post is working hard to respond to a significant increase in parcel volumes, putting the safety of our people, and our customers, first. Significant increases in parcel volumes, combined with important safety measures like physical distancing in our plants, means it is taking longer to process than usual. We have been proactive in communicating this unique situation and the delays it is causing to customers across the country.
To ensure we can continue to serve our customers while putting safety first, we are having to make some difficult short-term decisions to responsibly manage the situation. At Gateway, our main parcel processing facility in the GTA, our yards are at capacity with product awaiting unloading for processing. As a result, we have decided to suspend pickups performed by Maritime Ontario on behalf of Canada Post in the GTA for customers including 5-ton pickups and tractor-trailers for the next three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). We will continue to process throughout the weekend on all three shifts. Based on our ability to process, clear the lots and open up space over the weekend, we will assess the situation and determine the most appropriate pickup strategy for Monday. We will keep you updated on our go-forward plans.
We are all operating in very unique circumstances and understand that customers are having to undergo major changes in their business. We are therefore working to be fair and transparent in our approach as we work to respond in a responsible manner. We apologize for this short-term issue and will continue to keep you updated to help you serve your customers
UPS Announcement (April 24, 2020)
UPS 'Spike' Pick-Up Postponed Until April 27th
UPS has announced a delay in 'Spike' pick-ups. Our spike pick-up scheduled for today (April 24th) has been rescheduled for Monday (April 27th).
UPS Announcement (March 26, 2020)
Suspension of Small Package Service Guarantee
Effective March 26, 2020 and until further notice, we have suspended the UPS Service Guarantee for all shipments to any destination, at all service levels. As the effects of the Coronavirus impact our infrastructure, we will continue to seek guidance from local and national government entities regarding applicable regulations. Please continue to visit ups.com's Coronavirus web page for the most up-to-date information regarding the impact of Coronavirus on UPS Small Package services. The UPS Service Guarantee is subject to change. For further details, see the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service.
DHL eCommerce Announcement (March 25, 2020)
The following update was issued by DHL eCommerce regarding delivery restrictions and delays for shipments as a result of COVID-19:
Due to the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, there are widespread airline cancellations and restrictions into affected areas. As a result, please note below the countries to which service has been suspended or partially suspended, as well as additional important information regarding our international services. Please note, delays are being experienced to all international destinations.
For more information regarding this update, please click here: DHL eCommerce Solutions COVID-19 International Service Update
DHL eCommerce Announcement (March 19, 2020)
The following statement was issued by DHL eCommerce regarding delivery restrictions and delays for international shipments:
Due to the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, there are widespread airline cancellations and restrictions into the affected areas.
DHL eCommerce Solutions has temporarily suspended shipments destined to China, Hong Kong (with exception of DHL Parcel International Direct), Macao, Moldova, Peru and Kuwait. Packages received in one of our distribution centers (DCs) destined to China, Hong Kong and Macao will be returned to you at your expense (with exception of Hong Kong as previously described). We will hold packages destined to Moldova, Peru and Kuwait in our DCs until further notice.
There are significant delays across the globe: Australia, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and United Kingdom.
As announced, the U.S - Canadian border will temporarily close for non-essential traffic. Please note however, this does not affect trade, therefore shipments to/from Canada will continue to move at this time.
Canada Post (Updated March 18, 2020)
The following statement was issued by Canada Post regarding delivery times:
As Canada Post continues to operate during this unprecedented situation, we expect to face ongoing challenges. We are prepared to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances around COVID-19, including implementing our contingency plans that will enable us to serve our customers in communities across Canada.
As a result of potential impacts related to our local facilities and air transportation, we are letting you know that effective today (March 18) Canada Post will be suspending our On-time Delivery Guarantees for all parcel services, until further notice. This means that some residents and businesses may begin to experience slower than normal delivery times.
NOTE: For the latest Canada Post information regarding mail delivery interruptions, please visit Canada Post's Service Alerts and International Mail Service Suspension pages.
DHL eCommerce (Updated March 12, 2020)
- No shipping services available to China (Hong Kong, Wuhan, or Shanghai).
- Shipments to Italy are still available but subject to delays.
UPS (Updated March 12, 2020)
- Services are available to China and Italy but are subject to certain restrictions and delays.
NOTE: For the latest information regarding UPS delays and restrictions please visit the Italy UPS Service Alerts and China UPS Service Alerts pages. You can view up to date alerts for any other country on the region's UPS website.
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We appreciate your patience and understanding. Thank you.