Purolator tracking status

Purolator “Delayed in transit due to missed connection”: what it means

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

Your parcel most likely missed the truck, trailer or flight it was meant to leave on and is waiting for the next one. Purolator does not define the line. Most shared cases moved again within about a week, but the next update can take longer.

When to act: If there is no new scan after 5 business days, file a complaint and we send it to Purolator.

What to do now

Read the lines just above and below it in the tracking history. They show the last real facility scan and where it was.
Do not worry if the route looks odd. In tracking histories people share, parcels often pass through large sort facilities such as Etobicoke or Richmond on the way.
If your order came in several pieces, check each tracking number on its own, because one piece can move while another waits.
Get ready for the delivery: check your address and unit number, and set your delivery spot and buzzer code through the Purolator Your Way link if Purolator texted you.
Save screenshots with the dates, your tracking number and your order number.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to Purolator, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

What does “Delayed in transit due to missed connection” mean?

Purolator does not define this line. The plain reading is a hand-off that did not happen on time: the parcel reached a sort facility after its outbound trailer or flight had left, or was not sorted in time to catch it. People who asked Purolator report different answers: that it did not get on the truck in time, that a mismatch in shipment planning left it behind, or that high volumes were to blame. In tracking histories people share, it often comes right after 'Arrived at sort facility' or 'Departed sort facility'. The location is sometimes a city, such as Etobicoke or Vancouver, and sometimes only 'PUROLATOR'. A time of exactly 8:00 a.m. is common, which looks more like a general update than a scan of your parcel.

Nothing in the line points to your address or to you being out, though a few people say they were told otherwise, so check your address anyway. It is also not the same as 'Delayed due to missed delivery', which is about the driver. People also report it for parcels already in their own city, and even after 'On vehicle for delivery', and one was told the parcel never made it onto the truck. Purolator gives no explanation.

Why does Purolator show it?

The parcel reached a sort facility after its outbound trailer or flight left
A backlog meant it was not sorted in time
Trailers waiting to be unloaded in peak weeks
It did not make the delivery truck that morning
An earlier delay on the same route
A misrouted parcel being put back on its route

How long does it last?

The next line should be 'Arrived at sort facility' or 'Departed sort facility', often in another place, then 'On vehicle for delivery'. 'Delivery rescheduled for the next business day' can come first. Purolator gives no time. In the tracking histories people share that we could date, the next scan came anywhere from the next day to about a week, and the line can repeat. In December backlogs and in winter some parcels showed nothing new for one to two weeks or more, and a few posters say the parcel was finally declared lost.

Other Purolator statuses

Delayed in transit due to disruptionKeep an eye on it
Delayed in transit due to rail delayKeep an eye on it
Weather delay - service will resume weather permittingKeep an eye on it
Mechanical delayKeep an eye on it
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
Shipper created a labelKeep an eye on it
Attempted delivery - receiver unavailableTake action
Delivered but not receivedTake action
Shipment available for pickupTake action
Item being returned to sender, determined as undeliverableTake action

All Purolator statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from Purolator?

If you bought online from a business, the seller chose Purolator and is its customer, so a late, lost or missing order is in most cases for the seller to put right, with a replacement or a refund. Purolator's terms also say that only the party obliged to pay it for the shipment can file a claim, which for an online order is normally the seller.

If you sent the parcel yourself, your contract is with Purolator, under its Terms and Conditions of Service. Its liability is limited to C$2.00 per pound (C$4.41 per kg) of the shipment's weight unless you declared a higher value and paid the surcharge, up to C$5,000 for a courier shipment. A guaranteed service that arrives late may earn the payer a refund or credit of half the service rate. Standard Ground has no guarantee. No refund applies when the delay comes from events beyond Purolator's control, such as weather or mechanical delays, or when Purolator has suspended the guarantee.

Questions about “Delayed in transit due to missed connection”

What does 'missed connection' mean on Purolator?

Purolator does not define it. It most likely means your parcel did not make the truck, trailer or flight it was meant to leave on, and it now waits for the next one. People who asked were given different reasons, often a backlog.

How long does a missed connection delay take?

Purolator gives no time. In the shared histories we could date, the next scan came anywhere from the next day to about a week, and one to two weeks or more in winter backlogs. If the silence goes on, file a complaint here and we send it to Purolator.

Does a missed connection mean my package is lost?

Not by itself. It is a delay line, and most shared histories go on to a sort facility scan and a delivery. A few posters say the parcel was later declared lost after a long silence, so that silence is the sign to act on.

Why did I get a missed connection when my package is already in my city?

Purolator does not explain this. People report it on parcels in their own city and after 'On vehicle for delivery'. It may mean the parcel did not make the local trailer or vehicle that day, which is what some were told. Watch for a new 'On vehicle for delivery' line.

Is a missed connection the same as a missed delivery?

No. 'Delayed due to missed delivery' is the line Purolator defines: the driver could not make an attempt. A missed connection seems to happen earlier, between facilities or vehicles. Neither line says you did anything wrong.

Based on

Purolator: FAQs for receiving shipments (tracking updates, missed delivery line, 5 business day hold, ID, proof of delivery)
Purolator Terms and Conditions of Service
RedFlagDeals forum, Purolator Shipping Support Thread, page 15 (shared tracking history: missed connection, then silence)
RedFlagDeals forum, Purolator Shipping Support Thread, page 16 (shared tracking history: full history with missed connection)
RedFlagDeals forum, Purolator Shipping Support Thread, page 29 (shared tracking history: full history with missed connection)
RedFlagDeals forum, Purolator Shipping Support Thread, page 30 (shared tracking history: missed connection, trailers waiting)
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): missed connection, then rail delay (full history)
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): Out for delivery on a Saturday?
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): Package has been delayed due to 'missed connection' for 7 days
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): On the vehicle for delivery, then missed connection
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): pieces moving separately
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): what does missed connection delay mean, with histories and what people were told
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): a mismatch in shipment planning, no update for over a week
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): screenshot, missed connection at 8:00 a.m., arrived a week later, another parcel marked lost
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): stuck for days, then the sender told the parcel was lost
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): missed connection after on vehicle, parcels sitting in trailers
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): missed connection twice over two weeks in Richmond
Amendment #1 to the Purolator Terms and Conditions of Service (guarantee refunds, undeliverable shipments, events beyond its control, who may claim)
Purolator: Terms and Conditions of Service page (current terms and amendments in force)