Canada Post Strike and Payments

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boxermom

Active Member
Feb 7, 2024
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Moose Jaw
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Good morning all,
Looking for some advise on how Carriers/Customers/Brokers are handling payments due to Canada Post Strike. As a Canadian Carrier, we are having issues collecting from US Customers. I had to arrange (at my expense) a courier to pick up a cheque from the US and the cost was $149.00. I even have Canadian Customer who does not do direct deposit or e-transfers, leaving us with the cost of courier to pick up cheque. TQL has been a nightmare. They do not allow you to pick up at their location, the only option is Comchek (with a minimum $25.00 fee) and they are claiming their Comchek system has been down for two weeks now, leaving us without payment and over 45 days past due?
As a Carrier doing difficult times with low rates and high costs, should it be up to the Carrier to pay costs to receive payment due to Canada Post Strike? Should the cost be split 50/50 (seems fair to both parties). I am spending my days trying to collect money and it has been become very time consuming and mentally exhausting.
I would appreciate any input as many of you are very wise and knowledgeable and offer such good advise, which I appreciate!
Thank you!
 
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boxermom said:
Good morning all,
Looking for some advise on how Carriers/Customers/Brokers are handling payments due to Canada Post Strike. As a Canadian Carrier, we are having issues collecting from US Customers. I had to arrange (at my expense) a courier to pick up a cheque from the US and the cost was $149.00. I even have Canadian Customer who does not do direct deposit or e-transfers, leaving us with the cost of courier to pick up cheque. TQL has been a nightmare. They do not allow you to pick up at their location, the only option is Comchek (with a minimum $25.00 fee) and they are claiming their Comchek system has been down for two weeks now, leaving us without payment and over 45 days past due?
As a Carrier doing difficult times with low rates and high costs, should it be up to the Carrier to pay costs to receive payment due to Canada Post Strike? Should the cost be split 50/50 (seems fair to both parties). I am spending my days trying to collect money and it has been become very time consuming and mentally exhausting.
I would appreciate any input as many of you are very wise and knowledgeable and offer such good advise, which I appreciate!
Thank you!
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While it sucks not sure how you think the guy selling you the load is going to go half on paying for courier etc to get you paid. Some brokers in this economy probably licking their chops knowing they have an excuse to take longer to pay.
 
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If you’re not far from the border you might consider getting a PO Box in the US (say, Buffalo) and getting your US customers to mail their checks there. Depending on the size of box you want, the monthly cost varies from about six dollars for the smallest to 25 dollars for the largest. As for Canadian accounts, get them to switch to electronic payment..and welcome them to the 21st century.
 
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If you want, and more importantly, need the receivable, then do whatever it takes to get it. As Freight Broker mentioned, try and convince your customers to go to electronic payments. For your US clients, courier pickups are the way to go in spite of the added cost. This is the perfect time to modernize your accounting and get everyone paying by EFT, you and your customers.
 
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The only cheques that are cut at my current employer are the ones for sales or execs the same day they hand in expenses. Everything to every vendor is EFT and small purchases are on company credit card (about $100k/month).

Any business looking for excuses not to pay you is using you as a bank. Shame on them.

Keep well,
 
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loaders said:
If you want, and more importantly, need the receivable, then do whatever it takes to get it. As Freight Broker mentioned, try and convince your customers to go to electronic payments. For your US clients, courier pickups are the way to go in spite of the added cost. This is the perfect time to modernize your accounting and get everyone paying by EFT, you and your customers.
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It is strike now but there are US carrier/brokers who even charge $.75 cents to mail a check in normal days.
Don't know why you assume that Broker will pay for your convenience. We are carrier and have always picked up checks on our own cost.
 
I mentioned this in a previous thread, but it’s worth repeating. We set up a US-domiciled account with RBC, and it’s been a solid move. It took about 4 to 6 months to get everything in place since we started during the last strike, but as of last month, we’re fully set up. Due to strict anti-money laundering laws, it's a drawn-out and time-consuming process.

All our US payments now come in by ACH with no delays. We’re completely done with CP and honestly have no faith left in the postal system.

If you’re still relying on mailed payments, I’d really suggest starting the process now. In the meanwhile can try using third-party options like Venn to receive payments, but many companies won’t send funds to third-party processors, so results can vary but it should help you until the strike is over. DM me if you need any further assistance
 
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I’ll second that about the US domiciled account. I also do alot of business in the states, and have a US domiciled account with RBC also. Many if not most American carriers and factoring companies would be skittish about sending money to a foreign based account, especially today when there is a scammer behind every tree.
 
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Wishing Canada/ US banks could properly communicate electronically so EFT/ E-Transfers could happen. would save all alot of money and payments would be so much faster. Even when we could get postal service it still takes almost 10 days to receive payments. so payments aren't 30 days they end up being 40-45 days waiting on postal service.
 
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This is why I always mail my payments to US carriers and factors right away. Waiting a week or more to mail, even in the best of times, would risk the payments arriving late.

BTW, some banks in the US will take a copy of a check..i.e. you can write out the check..take a picture of it with your phone, and send it to your carrier. I pay some of my carriers that way..much easier for everyone, and it is even cheaper than the snail mail.
 
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MikeJr said:
The only cheques that are cut at my current employer are the ones for sales or execs the same day they hand in expenses. Everything to every vendor is EFT and small purchases are on company credit card (about $100k/month).

Any business looking for excuses not to pay you is using you as a bank. Shame on them.

Keep well,
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Like TQL. Stating their payment systems have been down for two weeks. How can a company as big as TQL not issue any payments to anyone for two weeks? Sounds like a scam to delay payments??
 
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boxermom said:
Like TQL. Stating their payment systems have been down for two weeks. How can a company as big as TQL not issue any payments to anyone for two weeks? Sounds like a scam to delay payments??
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The factoring companies will not take kindly to this if its true.

Would imagine the big boys, OTR and Triumph would be screaming at them.
 
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