This glossary defines the terms used in courier and last-mile delivery in plain language, grouped by topic, with notes on how they apply in Québec. Use it when you read a quote, write a delivery agreement or brief a new team member.
Orders and routes
- Last mile
- The final stretch of a delivery, from a local hub or warehouse to the customer's door. See what last-mile delivery is.
- First mile
- The first stretch, from the seller to the carrier. In practice, the pickup at your shop or warehouse.
- Middle mile
- The stretch in between: sorting and transport from the point of pickup to a local hub.
- Pickup
- The collection of packed orders from your shop, warehouse or fulfillment centre.
- Manifest
- The list of orders or parcels handed over at pickup. Counting parcels against the manifest at handover catches missing items early.
- Order feed
- The way orders reach the courier: an API connection, a CSV file or a webhook.
- Dispatch
- Assigning orders to drivers and routes, and sending them out.
- Stop
- A single delivery or pickup location on a route.
- Route
- The ordered list of stops one driver completes in a run.
- Multi-stop route
- A route with several stops, sequenced to cut distance and waiting. See multi-stop delivery routes.
Time and windows
- Delivery window
- The range of time in which a delivery is promised, for example between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- Cutoff
- The latest time an order can be placed or handed over for a given service. After it, the order moves to the next service day. See how to set a cutoff.
- Same-day delivery
- A service in which an order placed before the cutoff is delivered the same day. See same-day delivery.
- Next-day delivery
- A service in which an order is delivered the following service day.
- Scheduled delivery
- A delivery booked in advance for a chosen day and window.
- On-demand
- Delivery booked as needed, without a standing arrangement. Compare dedicated route versus on-demand courier.
- Lead time
- The time between placing an order and receiving it.
- Peak season
- A period of unusually high order volume, such as Black Friday through Boxing Day. See peak season planning.
Proof and tracking
- Proof of delivery (POD)
- The record that an order reached the customer: typically a photo and a timestamp, and sometimes a signature or recipient name. See proof of delivery.
- Timestamp
- The recorded date and time of an event, such as pickup or delivery.
- Tracking link
- A web link, unique to an order, that shows its progress from dispatch to the door.
- Notification
- An automatic email or text message that tells the customer about their delivery. recourier.ca sends them in English or French.
- ETA
- Estimated time of arrival: the time at which the delivery is expected.
- Exception
- Any order that does not go as planned, such as a damaged item, a refused delivery or an address problem.
Problems and claims
- Failed delivery
- An attempt that does not end in a handover, for example because nobody was there or the address was wrong. See failed delivery attempts.
- Redelivery
- A second attempt after a failed delivery.
- Leave-at-door
- Leaving the order at the door without handing it to a person, usually with a photo as proof.
- Claim
- A request to the courier to make good a loss, damage or delay. See damaged or lost delivery claims.
- Declared value
- The value of the goods that you state when you ship them, which may be used when a claim is assessed.
Returns
- Return pickup
- Collection of an item from the customer so it can go back to the store or warehouse. See returns management.
- Reverse logistics
- The movement of goods from the customer back to the seller: returns, exchanges and recalls.
- Exchange-first
- A return flow in which the replacement is sent while the original comes back. See exchange-first returns.
Warehousing and fulfillment
- 3PL
- Third-party logistics provider: a company that takes over part of your logistics, such as storage, packing and shipping. See courier, 3PL or fulfillment centre.
- Fulfillment centre
- A facility that stores inventory and prepares orders for shipping.
- Pick and pack
- Taking items from storage (picking) and putting them in a package for shipping (packing).
- WMS
- Warehouse management system: software that tracks stock and orders inside a warehouse.
Contracts and pricing
- Dedicated route
- A recurring route run for one client under a written agreement. See dedicated routes.
- Delivery service agreement
- The written contract that sets the route, days, windows, handling, pricing, term and reporting. See the agreement checklist.
- Service level
- The standard of service the courier commits to, such as an on-time target or a response time.
- Handling
- Work at pickup or drop-off beyond driving, such as carrying, stairs, waiting or special items.
- Rate card
- A published price list. recourier.ca does not publish one, because each route is priced from its stops, windows and handling. See how courier delivery is priced.
- Cost per successful delivery
- Total delivery charges divided by orders delivered. See delivery KPIs.
- Term and renewal
- How long an agreement lasts and how it continues or ends, including the notice each side must give.
Québec context
- Moving day
- July 1, when most residential leases in Québec begin or end and moving traffic peaks. See moving day.
- CNESST
- The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, the body that publishes Québec's statutory holiday rules.
- OPC
- The Office de la protection du consommateur, Québec's consumer protection office. See Québec late-delivery rules.
- CCQ
- The Commission de la construction du Québec, which publishes the construction industry's holiday and vacation calendar. See the Québec delivery calendar.
- Construction holiday
- The two annual vacation periods of the Québec construction industry, in summer and at the end of the year, when many sites close.
Frequently asked questions
What does last mile mean in delivery?
It is the final stretch of a delivery, from a local hub or warehouse to the customer's door.
What is the difference between a cutoff and a delivery window?
The cutoff is the latest time to place or hand over an order for a service. The delivery window is the range of time in which the delivery is promised to the customer.
What is a dedicated route?
A recurring route run for one client under a written agreement, with agreed days, windows and handling.
What is proof of delivery?
The record that an order reached the customer, typically a photo and a timestamp.
What is a 3PL?
A third-party logistics provider: a company that takes over parts of your logistics, such as storage, packing and shipping.
Not sure which terms apply to your orders? Describe what you ship and where, and we will walk you through it.