Purolator tracking status

Purolator tracking not updating: why, and what to do

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

Purolator says tracking updates when a parcel passes a facility, so a long leg can show nothing for several days. It also says your parcel should still arrive by the estimated date. If that date has passed and nothing has moved, it is time to act.

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

Also shown as: “Arrived at sort facility” · “Departed sort facility” · “Picked up by Purolator” · “On vehicle for delivery” · “Shipment is on the vehicle for delivery” · “Shipment transferred to authorized agent” · “Transferred to Canada Post for delivery”

What to do now

Note the date and place of the last scan, and the estimated delivery date on the tracking page.
Work out how far the next stop is. A parcel crossing provinces can go days between scans.
If your last line is 'On vehicle for delivery', give it until the end of that day: Purolator says end of day means 9 p.m. in most cases.
Check whether your order has more than one tracking number, as each piece scans on its own.
Keep screenshots of the history, 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

No update for days with another courier

What is going on

Purolator's FAQ says tracking updates each time a shipment goes through one of its facilities, and that you may see nothing for several days when the next stop is more than a day away. So 'Arrived at sort facility' with nothing after it does not mean the parcel has stopped, and if that line is recent, nothing is wrong. People who say they work there put a cross-country ground trip at about 4 or 5 working days with no scan on the way. The opposite also happens: one parcel was scanned as arrived at the same sort facility 18 times, which a commenter puts down to automatic scanners in the depot.

Gaps can also come at the end of the trip: 'Shipment transferred to authorized agent' or 'Transferred to Canada Post for delivery' means someone else finishes the delivery, and in shared histories the updates then get thin. 'On vehicle for delivery' is not a promise either: people report it followed by a delay line minutes later, and a few report a parcel that stayed on that line for days or weeks and was lost.

Why it happens

The parcel is on a long leg with no facility to scan it yet
A missed scan at a busy sort facility
A backlog at a large sort facility such as Etobicoke
A hand-off to a local agent or Canada Post
The parcel has been misrouted or lost

What usually happens next

The next line should be another sort facility scan, then 'On vehicle for delivery'. Purolator Ground runs 1 or more business days and long trips take longer. If the estimated date passes with no scan, a delay line often follows. Purolator sends email notices only when the estimate changes.

Other Purolator statuses

Delayed in transit due to disruptionKeep an eye on it
Delayed in transit due to rail delayKeep an eye on it
Delayed in transit due to missed connectionKeep an eye on it
Weather delay - service will resume weather permittingKeep an eye on it
Mechanical delayKeep 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 “Tracking not updating”

Why is my Purolator tracking not updating?

Purolator says tracking only updates when a parcel goes through a facility, so a long leg can show nothing for several days. It publishes no limit. If the estimated date has passed and nothing has moved, file a complaint here and we send it to Purolator.

Can I pick up my package from a Purolator sort facility?

Purolator's pages describe pickup at Shipping Centres and Authorized Shipping Agents, not sort facilities. If Purolator texted you, you can choose hold for pick-up in Purolator Your Way. One person in a shared history was told a change like this takes 48 business hours.

What does 'On vehicle for delivery' mean on Purolator?

Your parcel should be on a delivery vehicle that day. Purolator says end of day means 9 p.m. in most cases. In shared histories a delay line sometimes follows, even minutes later, and the parcel goes out again on a later day. One poster was told the parcel never made it onto the truck.

What does 'Shipment transferred to authorized agent' mean?

A local partner takes over the last part of the trip, as Purolator's terms allow. In shared histories delivery then comes from another company, with few updates in between.

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
Purolator: Shipping in Canada (Ground and Express times, end of day means 9 p.m. in most cases)
Purolator: FAQ on Purolator Your Way (text message link, address change, hold for pick-up, delivery spots)
RedFlagDeals forum, Purolator Shipping Support Thread, page 15 (shared tracking history: long gaps between scans, authorized agent)
RedFlagDeals forum, Purolator Shipping Support Thread, page 17 (shared tracking history: authorized agent)
RedFlagDeals forum, Purolator Shipping Support Thread, page 19 (shared tracking history: Transferred to Canada Post for delivery)
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): Scanned 18 times at Sort Facility, and a driver on the automatic scanners
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): hand-off to Canada Post in rural Ontario
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): screenshot, a delay line five minutes after on vehicle for delivery
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): on the vehicle for delivery, then told it never made the truck
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): told a hold for pick-up takes 48 business hours
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): out for delivery for 3 weeks
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): out for delivery for days, then told it was lost
Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): a driver on ground transit times
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)