Alaska Road Trippers: Mail / UPS Options in BC & AK ?

[LiveWorkDream]

We are 100 miles from Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway. And now our RV Datasat 840 needs a quick fix, which requires a part to be shipped from Salt Lake City. Can anyone tell me:

What are the best ways to get an express package (i.e., UPS or FedEx) delivered somewhere in either Dawson City or Fort Saint John? And can we actually expect it to arrive when UPS says it will, or does customs typically delay things?

Also, does anyone have experience getting USPS General Delivery mail in Tok? What was that like?

Thanks for any tips and suggestions you can provide. 

[Darryl&Rita]

Customs will cause a delay, often of varying and indeterminate length. Given you're only 100 miles from Mile Zero, I'd be looking to have it shipped well ahead of you. Or, plan on picking it up on the way back. Otherwise, you're sitting for a week, or better, waiting. 

Edit to add: Fort Nelson has a UPS store. After that, it's Whitehorse. Then Alaska. 

[SWharton]

Probably be better off to wait until you get to AK. There still may be a delay but at last you aren't dealing with customs.

[Bill&Jean]

 We got mail delivered in tok Alaska last year when we were there and it came fine on time and everything US Postal Service General delivery can’t help you on the Canadian mail. 

[jjwicklund]

We use General Delivery often as full timers. Most recent was to Tok, AK.   You could also have your part delivered there.

[Al F]

I'm guessing you need internet for working from the RV while you travel, so a fix becomes much more urgent.  Getting something into BC or YT may take some time.  I think FedEx or UPS overnight or second day, while probably a bit expensive would be the best way to go.  Either that or hurry up your travels though Canada.  One additional possibility is to take a side trip to Skagway, AK and have the part shipped there.  The drive to Skagway is beautiful and there is lots of history in Skagway.

[SWharton]

Have the part shipped someplace and if it isn't there you will need to wait it out.................

[LiveWorkDream]

Thanks for all the great feedback, it is much appreciated. There are so many avenues the part shipment could take. I am glad to hear that USPS General Delivery works well in Alaska, as we'll have our other mail shipped up there. Meanwhile...

Quote

I'm guessing you need internet for working from the RV while you travel, so a fix becomes much more urgent.

 Yep, we still work and must have connectivity wherever we land, which usually means far from populated areas. I love your idea of getting it shipped to Skagway, but it makes me sad to think we would rush through the Yukon. It's a possibility though...

I want to share what I learned after posting this here, for anyone like us who is working on the road while traveling to/from Alaska while in Canada...

FedEx International is the fastest with a guaranteed 2-day transit time (at least from Salt Lake City to Dawson Creek). Unfortunately, it's the most expensive: $144 USD for a FedEx bubble pack mailer!

UPS International takes five days to ship the same size mailer from SLC to Dawson Creek, at a cost of $123!

USPS International Priority is the cheapest at $45 for a 9x12 envelope, but the soonest guaranteed arrival date would be 6/22, a whopping 11 days!

Unfortunately, I called RV parks in Dawson Creek to see if we could get mail there. While they are kind enough to allow us to get FedEx (apparently the preferred courier in DC), none would allow me to receive USPS mail. I explored Canada's general delivery option ("Poste Restante"). It's crazy but in order to utilize it here, you must apply for the service at the receiving post office in person. This means staying in that town for at least two weeks. Not a good option for us.

Taking it all into consideration, we concluded the best way for us to deal with this is to suck it up and pay for FedEx (ouch!). At least that way we can continue our journey without too much delay.

As we've discovered with similar situations that occurred in the past, it's another one of those "cost of lifestyle" repercussions for us working-age folks. 

Appreciate everyone's thoughts on this. SKPs are the most helpful group of RVers on the internet. Thank you!

 

 

 

[Al F]

The road to Skagway is in the far SW corner of YT, actually far NW BC.  So if you back tracked out of Skagway you would go to Whitehorse and on to Dawson City.  Of course a lot of folks take the ferry to Haines, or visa versa on the way to AK.

[Darryl&Rita]

I know Northern Lights  has received Canada Post mail for me, and had it waiting at the office. They might have been thrown by USPS. 

Let us know how you make out, as any time I've ordered cross-border freight, the customs clearance took longer than the actual package moving time. This makes me suspicious of 2 day delivery, no matter the cost.

Also, be aware of the lack of cell service any distance from civilization. Sometimes, you will have great connections, until the generator gets shut down for the night. Not all places run on line power. 

[SWharton]

We went to an Alaska presentation at Escapade and the word was ATT service pretty much only. ATT has the pipeline contract so has put in the infra structure.

[Al F]

15 hours ago, SWharton said:

We went to an Alaska presentation at Escapade and the word was ATT service pretty much only. ATT has the pipeline contract so has put in the infra structure.

I was hoping you are saying that ATT had better cell phone coverage in Alaska than Verizon does. 

This ATT coverage map looks just like the coverage we had when we went to AK in 2016.  https://www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html   One thing missing is cell coverage along the haul road to Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay) which follows the pipeline. Verizon doesn't have coverage either.

One thing about the Verizon coverage.  We had good cell reception in BC and YT wherever we had a cell signal, which was in every city/town that had a decent population (at least a few hundred people).   I have no idea if ATT has such an agreement with Canada's cell phone providers.

[Darryl&Rita]

ATT partners with Telus, while Verizon and Bell partner. Telus and Bell have a very comparable footprint in Canada, with one or the other slightly better in small corners of their ranges. due to tower placement. 

[LiveWorkDream]

18 hours ago, Darryl&Rita said:

I know Northern Lights  has received Canada Post mail for me, and had it waiting at the office. They might have been thrown by USPS. 

Let us know how you make out, as any time I've ordered cross-border freight, the customs clearance took longer than the actual package moving time. This makes me suspicious of 2 day delivery, no matter the cost.

Also, be aware of the lack of cell service any distance from civilization. Sometimes, you will have great connections, until the generator gets shut down for the night. Not all places run on line power. 

Ah, thank you for the info! I will definitely report back when this is over. Two days transit time to me seemed like too good to be true.

As for the generator running the connectivity in an area. That totally explains a few situations we've been in, thank you for the reminder. It's one reason why have our satellite internet system, as opposed to only relying on cell service. The typical places we enjoy camping are usually far from populated areas, which is why we invested in the system in the first place. 

The other reason we rely on the dish is that up here in Canada, we are limited to 500 mb per our 2 devices, per day, which isn't enough for our line of work. After we max that out we jump on a Skyroam Solis as a backup, which gets us on whatever major network is in the area, such as ATT. But again, we're limited to 500 mb. The dish places no limits. We can't wait to get our hands on that part!

 

[LiveWorkDream]

Thanks to everyone who offered tips for receiving our package in Dawson Creek. The advice received from other SKPs is always so refreshing, kind and useful. Such a different experience than what often passes as help in the dozens of Facebook RV groups out there.

Here's how things unfolded:

We ended up having it shipped via FedEx to Mile Zero RV Park, which kindly said they would accept the package for us, at no extra charge. It cleared customs and arrived in two days, as FedEx promised. We arrived  as soon as it did, and spent the night at the park to thank them.

At $104 the delivery wasn't cheap, but the part was desperately needed. And now we have our internet back, and I'm writing this from a lovely free spot near Muncho Lake on the Alaska Highway, courtesy of the Days End Directory.

And that is reason 1001 why we love being SKPs!

Thanks everyone.

 

[Al F]

12 minutes ago, LiveWorkDream said:

Thanks to everyone who offered tips for receiving our package in Dawson Creek. The advice received from other SKPs is always so refreshing, kind and useful. Such a different experience than what often passes as help in the dozens of Facebook RV groups out there.

Here's how things unfolded:

We ended up having it shipped via FedEx to Mile Zero RV Park, which kindly said they would accept the package for us, at no extra charge. It cleared customs and arrived in two days, as FedEx promised. We arrived  as soon as it did, and spent the night at the park to thank them.

At $104 the delivery wasn't cheap, but the part was desperately needed. And now we have our internet back, and I'm writing this from a lovely free spot near Muncho Lake on the Alaska Highway, courtesy of the Days End Directory.

And that is reason 1001 why we love being SKPs!

Thanks everyone.

 

Now that you are past Fort Nelson, the pretty views are really starting.  The water in Muncho Lake is beautiful.

[LiveWorkDream]

Oh my gosh Al, we feel like we have finally 'arrived' here, it's the most incredible scenery we've ever seen. Thank you for all your great tips in the Directory!

[Darryl&Rita]

Thanks for the follow-up. That must have been a record for Customs clearance, but it worked out for you. Have a great trip. 

[LiveWorkDream]

Yeah, we were shocked. I'm wondering if maybe it's because the sender was a company with a track record in shipping across borders. Just a guess, who knows how customs really works.

Thanks for the help.

[Al F]

On 6/16/2018 at 8:58 PM, LiveWorkDream said:

Oh my gosh Al, we feel like we have finally 'arrived' here, it's the most incredible scenery we've ever seen. Thank you for all your great tips in the Directory!

Glad to help.  Scenery is great, especially when you have the time to not need to cover 300 miles a day.  So many places to boondock or dry camp with fantastic views. 

[Bill w/bus]

Oh the joys of traveling in the Great North. I do mean the Joy of scenery and the wonderful places to stop. 

On customs, it all depends on the broker and their reputation with customs.  Good reputation and paperwork is approved. You can be sure that shipping companies are well aware of this.

 

Bill