The Most Common Reasons for Freight Delays in Canada

Freight delays are frustrating, but they are somewhat common, and luckily, most of them are predictable. The same causes show up again and again across all shipping modes in North America, and once you know what to watch for, most are preventable, or at the very least, predictable. Here’s a breakdown of what actually slows freight shipments down, and what you can do about it.

Missed Pickups

This is the most preventable delay in the entire process. LTL drivers run multiple stops on every route that drop off their cargo at a terminal at the end of the shift. If your freight isn’t ready when the driver arrives, the address on the BOL doesn’t match your location, or no one is available to sign, the driver may have to leave. Missing the pickup usually means that your shipment will be delayed by a full business day, sometimes two.

Fix it by double-checking your BOL information, such as addresses, hours of operations, and make sure that the freight is palletized and ready before the scheduled window.

Terminal Rollovers

In LTL networks, your pallet passes through one or more terminals between pickup and delivery. If your freight arrives at a terminal after the cutoff for that night’s linehaul, or if the trailer is full, it gets rolled to the next scheduled departure, usually 24 hours later. On longer lanes with multiple terminal connections, a single rollover can cascade into two or three days of delay. 

Fix it by booking as far in advance as possible. You can also choose carriers with direct-lane service between your origin and the destination, where and when possible. You can either ask Freightera experts for help on choosing the right carrier, or you can 

Driver Hours of Service

Transport Canada’s Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations cap drivers at 13 hours of driving per shift. Electronic logging devices have been mandatory for federally regulated carriers since January 2023. When a highway closure, breakdown, or traffic event impacts that window additionally, the driver has to stop and reset, and your freight has to wait until they’re allowed to drive again.

Fix it by allowing for a buffer day for any cross-Canada lane, especially for FTL. Tight delivery windows leave no room for the unexpected.

Weather Closures

Canadian geography and weather are real operational variables. The Coquihalla Highway through the BC Interior closes for snow and avalanches from October through April. Prairie blizzards can sometimes shut the Trans-Canada for 24 to 48 hours. Atlantic Canada storms affect ferry service to Newfoundland. Environment and Climate Change Canada issues highway weather advisories that directly affect carrier dispatching across multiple provinces at once.

Fix it by adding a 1 to 2 day buffer (again 🤷) to any lane crossing the Rockies or the Prairies between November and March.

BOL Errors and Freight Reclassification

The bill of lading is the legal contract between the shipper and the carrier. When weight, dimensions, or freight class are wrong, carriers reweigh and reclassify either at the origin terminal or the destination. That can mean adjustment charges, billing holds, and delays while the dispute is resolved. The NMFTA’s updated classification system, effective since July 19, 2025, introduced a revised density-based scale, so outdated NMFC codes on saved BOL templates are now a common source of reclassification.

Fix it by contacting Freightera to make sure your freight class is correct. It’s also recommended to double-check your BOL information before pickup.

Rail and Intermodal Congestion

Intermodal freight depends on well-timed handoffs between trucks, rail yards, and marine terminals. When any of those links jam, dwell times increase. Transport Canada’s National Supply Chain Task Force documented that BC flooding in November 2021 blocked more than $170 million of freight value per day. Rail labour disruptions can bring the entire network to a standstill, with backlog clearance taking weeks after service resumes.

Fix it by monitoring port dwell times for intermodal shipments through Vancouver. If you notice that dwell exceeds five days consistently, consider routing through Prince Rupert or Halifax.

Cross-Border Customs Delays

Canada–USA shipments depend on CBSA’s digital systems to clear before trucks can move. Since January 1, 2026, all importers must be registered in the CARM Client Portal with their own financial security posted. Missing CARM registration, incomplete HS codes, wrong country of origin, or a CBSA system outage can stop a truck at the border for hours.

Fix it by confirming that your CARM registration is current, and make sure to work with a licensed customs broker for cross-border moves.

Undeclared Accessorials

Liftgates, residential deliveries, limited-access locations, appointment windows: any service not declared on the BOL can result in a failed delivery attempt. The driver arrives without the right equipment, and the freight returns to the terminal. That means a rescheduled delivery gets added to your timeline along with a value-added service charge.

Fix it by declaring every accessorial during quoting. If your consignee doesn’t have a loading dock or forklift, request a liftgate, etc.

Peak-Season Capacity Shortages

Q4 is the hardest time to move freight in Canada. Pre-holiday retail inventory floods the network from October through mid-December. According to Statistics Canada, Canadian trucking saw a record 28,250 driver vacancies in Q2 2022, and while that figure has since eased, seasonal capacity tightness still creates shortages every fall.

Fix it by shipping peak-season shipments earlier, before the capacity tightens. Waiting until October to lock Q4 lanes means competing for whatever’s left.

The Common Thread

Most freight delays trace back to information and planning problems: wrong data on a BOL, missing customs registration, an undeclared accessorial, or a booking made too late. The carriers, the weather, and the network are largely fixed variables. Your documentation and lead times are not. Tightening those is the highest-leverage thing any shipper can do to keep freight moving on schedule.

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