QRC Logistics overnight LTL works on a single cutoff. Call the order desk by 3 p.m. and your palletized freight is collected that afternoon for delivery the next business day by 5 p.m., on eligible Ontario lanes. Regional schedules, booked appointments and northern routes run differently, and we confirm your lane before you commit to it.
What follows is the sequence a shipment moves through, what you supply at each stage, and where the timing can change.
TL;DR
- Call by 3 p.m. for same-afternoon collection and next-business-day delivery by 5 p.m., subject to lane confirmation.
- GTA pickups and deliveries run on 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. dispatch hours.
- Ontario overnight freight moves through QRC’s Halton Hills hub, a 300,000 square foot building that runs 24/7.
- Per skid pricing starts with a first-skid minimum, and additional skids collected on the same pickup are billed at a fraction of that base.
- Regional lanes, northern routes, retail appointments and after-hours delivery follow their own schedules.
Step One: Book and Confirm the Shipment
Everything starts with a call to the order desk at 905-791-9000.
Five details let us confirm the lane on that call rather than a day later:
- Pickup and delivery postal codes
- Pallet count, plus dimensions and weight per skid
- Dock or tailgate access at both ends
- The time your receiver needs the freight
- Any appointment or labelling requirement
Those five decide which truck goes out and what the shipment costs. Without them we can describe a range, not a rate.
The 3 p.m. cutoff exists so a truck can reach your dock, return to the hub, and have freight sorted onto the right outbound run before morning dispatch. A call after the cutoff is normally booked into the following day’s cycle.
If your operation needs a later cutoff or a schedule outside the standard options, raise it on the call. Customized schedules are available on some lanes and confirmed individually rather than promised across the board.
Step Two: Same-Day Pickup
GTA trucks dispatch between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., which is the window your pickup falls inside.
Which truck arrives depends on what you confirmed at booking. QRC runs tailgate-equipped straight trucks for standard per skid freight, five ton tailgate trucks for sites with no dock level door, and 53 foot dry vans for larger loads. Dock access at the delivery end is usually what decides between them, which is why it sits in the booking questions rather than getting sorted out later.
This is the stage where a missing detail costs a day. A truck sent to a storefront with no dock and no forklift on site cannot unload, and that becomes a re-delivery on your invoice.
Four questions settle it before dispatch:
- Is each end dock level, ground level, or neither?
- Does the receiver have a forklift, or does the driver bring the skid down?
- Can a pallet jack move the skid once it is on the ground? Gravel lots, steep ramps and older plaza entrances all cause trouble.
- Is the receiving door on a street with time restricted truck access?
You know your own dock. Your customer’s is the one worth checking. If you are shipping to an end customer’s site for the first time, two minutes on the phone with them costs less than a second trip.
For pallet limits and full equipment specifications by lane, see our Ontario LTL service areas guide.
Step Three: Where Overnight LTL Freight Is Processed
Ontario overnight freight comes back to 8020 Fifth Line North in Halton Hills. It is a 300,000 square foot building that runs 24/7, sitting close to the major GTA corridors, and it is where the overnight portion of the trip happens.
Freight is sorted onto the outbound run that serves your delivery market, then goes back out the next morning.
Running the Ontario network from one building means the same operation handles your freight from pickup through delivery. You are not coordinating between a warehouse, a line haul carrier and a final mile provider, then chasing three parties when something needs an answer.
Two clarifications worth making, because they are easy to over-read. This applies to the Ontario overnight LTL service described here. QRC also operates a Montreal terminal in Saint-Laurent supporting lanes into Quebec, and uses a partner network for the rest of Canada. QRC is asset-based in Ontario, meaning its own trucks and drivers, and we will tell you which arrangement your lane uses before you book it.
Step Four: Next-Business-Day Delivery
On eligible lanes, freight is delivered the next business day by 5 p.m.
You can also book a set arrival slot at 9 a.m., noon or 5 p.m., subject to confirmation on your lane. Overnight service targets the day. A set window targets a specific part of it. If your receiver has a crew that clears out mid-morning, or a bay that fills after lunch, ask for the window at booking rather than hoping the standard service lands early.
Outside the GTA, regional lanes run on their own fixed delivery windows rather than an open next-day promise. Most Southwestern and Eastern Ontario markets land between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Northern lanes including Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie run twice a week rather than daily, so freight heading that far should be released around the scheduled run rather than the moment it is ready.
Check your market against the lane-by-lane windows in our Ontario LTL service areas guide, then call with your postal code. Match the service to what the receiving end needs, not the other way around.
What Overnight LTL Costs
Per skid pricing starts with a minimum charge on the first skid. Each additional skid collected on the same pickup is billed at a fraction of that base rate.
The practical effect is that consolidating helps. Four skids on one call costs less per skid than two calls of two skids. If Monday’s shipment can travel with Tuesday’s, the per skid cost drops.
Beyond that, the rate moves with the lane, the equipment your delivery point requires, the pallet count, and whether the shipment needs a set window or a booked appointment. That is why the five booking details matter. They are what turn a range into a number.
Options That Sit Outside the Standard Sequence
Not every overnight shipment involves these, but many do.
Retail appointments and compliance. If your receiver is a large retailer, the delivery clock is not the only clock. They want the freight inside a booked appointment window, with their labels, on a pallet built the way their receiving system expects. Miss any part of that and the shipment waits, comes back, or triggers a chargeback. QRC handles booked appointments, ASN formatting, retailer specific labels and pallet builds as part of the move. Flag these requirements at booking, since they affect both the schedule and the rate.
After-hours delivery. Night and weekend delivery is available for time sensitive freight and promotional rollouts, arranged in advance rather than on demand.
Returns. Returns, surplus stock and recovered goods move back through the same network, whether they come from a retailer, a customer or a distribution point. A truck already running a scheduled lane into a region can also collect freight on the same trip, so ask about the return leg when you set the lane up.
When a Different Service Fits Better
Overnight is one of three service levels.
Same day. Called in by 11 a.m., delivered by 5 p.m. the same business day. If a line is down and a part is waiting, 5 p.m. tomorrow is not the answer and the 11 a.m. cutoff is the one to watch.
Three hour. Delivered within three hours of your order.
Truckload or dedicated. For larger shipments, oversize or non-standard freight, or a multi stop rollout that needs the truck on site in a fixed sequence.
Book Your Overnight Lane
QRC Logistics overnight LTL comes down to one call. Reach the order desk by 3 p.m. with your postal codes, pallet details and dock access, and on an eligible Ontario lane your freight is collected that afternoon and delivered the next business day by 5 p.m.
For a one off shipment, call 905-791-9000.
For a lane you will run every week, request a quote and we will map it with you, including the return leg.
Not sure where your market sits in the schedule? Start with our Ontario LTL service areas guide, then call with your postal code and we will confirm the window.
