When it comes to sending a letter or a package to someone, you’ll naturally want the best service you can get no matter whether you’re an online retailer shipping hundreds of orders every day or an average person mailing out a letter or package every now and then. Nowadays we have the option of going with public, national postal services or private courier companies, but which one is best? The short answer is that no option is better. It all depends on factors like what you’re sending, where you’re sending it, and how fast you need it delivered. However, for clarity’s sake and to help you make a more informed decision the next time you need to use such a service we’ll be giving a brief description of what each service entails. a slight difference.
What Are Postal Services?
In simple words, a postal service is a type of shipping company that’s typically controlled by national governments and is used by both private entities and the general public alike to transport letters and packages. Canada Post is Canada’s national postal service and has been in operation since 1867. Originally founded under the name “Royal Mail Canada”, Canada Post is the preferred option for most Canadians sending non-urgent, routine letters and parcels. In general, national postal services are fairly reliable and used every day by hundreds of thousands of businesses and individuals sending communications, though many people still prefer to send important, high value, or time-sensitive documents and packages via private courier services.

What Are Courier Services?
Like postal services, courier services facilitate the transportation of letters and packages either domestically or internationally. The key difference between postal services and courier services, however, is that the latter are typically private organizations. Courier services generally advertise themselves based on their faster, more secure, and arguably higher quality delivery services. Some services commonly offered by courier services include:
- Same-Day Delivery: Delivery of a parcel or document within a predefined area the same day it’s picked up.
- Time Frame Delivery: Parcel or document delivery within a few hours (typically 1-4) of being picked up.
- Bulky/Large Deliveries: Transportation of large deliveries (such as industrial or construction materials) to industrial locations such as warehouses and construction sites.
Why Choose Select Delivery
Now that you’ve learned the difference between postal services and courier services, you’ll hopefully be better prepared to make the right decision for your next shipment. If you decide to go with a private courier service, get in touch with Select Delivery Systems today. With a combined experience of over 40 years providing courier and delivery services across Calgary and Alberta, the team behind Select Delivery Systems are dedicated to maintaining their high on-time delivery rate and providing their clients with superior delivery services.
Whether you have corporate documents, boxes, pallets, construction material, industrial piping, or large printing supplies and signs our wide range of fleet vehicles can handle it. From minivans for small parcels to large 3-ton, 5-ton enclosed trucks, and a flat deck for larger sized goods.