Route Planner for Canadian Couriers: Postal Codes, Kilometres and a Real Toronto Route
A Canadian courier needs a route planner that reads postal codes such as K1A 0T6, shows kilometres, and puts the day's stops in the quickest driving order. MiliRoute does all three, free for routes of up to 10 stops, on Android and in a web browser.
This guide covers what to check in a route planner if you deliver in Canada: how postal codes work, kilometres, price, the 2026 per-kilometre figure from the Government of Canada (and what it is not), how a self-employed courier records vehicle costs, a winter note for Québec, and two real routes: eight stops in Toronto and twelve in Montréal.
Quick facts
- Postal code shape: letter, digit, letter, space, digit, letter, digit, for example K1A 0T6 (Canada Post).
- Distance units: kilometres by default on a phone whose region is set to Canada. You can change it in App Settings.
- Price: free for routes of up to 10 stops. Premium has no stop limit: A$15 a month or A$140 a year, charged in Australian dollars.
- 2026 tax-free employer allowance limit: 73 cents per km for the first 5,000 km, then 67 cents (Department of Finance Canada).
- Real routes: Toronto, 8 stops, 34.3 km as listed against 24.6 km in MiliRoute's order. Montréal, 12 stops, 74.9 km as listed against 38.9 km. (source: our MiliRoute run, 2026-11-07)
- Where it runs: the Android app and the web app. There is no native iPhone app yet; the web app runs in Safari.
Key takeaways
- Postal codes follow a fixed pattern, and the first letter tells you the region: H is metropolitan Montréal, M is metropolitan Toronto (Canada Post).
- In our Montréal run the quickest order was 36.0 km and 73.9 minutes shorter than the list order: 74.9 − 38.9 = 36.0, and 36.0 ÷ 74.9 = 48%.
- The 73 and 67 cent figures are a ceiling for tax-free allowances an employer pays. They are not a deduction rate for the self-employed.
- A self-employed courier deducts only the part of vehicle costs spent earning income, and the CRA asks for a record of total and business kilometres (CRA).
What should a Canadian courier check in a route planner?
The checks that matter most in Canada:
- Postal codes. An address such as "290 Bremner Blvd, Toronto ON M5V 3L9" should be found and kept intact. MiliRoute's camera scanner recognises Canadian postal codes in a photo of a label, even when the camera runs the letters and digits together.
- Kilometres. On a phone whose region is Canada, MiliRoute starts in kilometres. You can switch to miles in App Settings.
- Nearby matches first. If you allow location, address suggestions within 50 km of you are favoured, so "100 King St" is the one in your own city.
- The free stop limit. Routes of up to 10 stops are free, with no credit card. Other apps range from 5 to 15; see the limits side by side.
- Currency. Premium costs A$15 a month or A$140 a year, charged in Australian dollars, so your card provider converts it. Compare on the pricing page.
- One driver, one route. MiliRoute plans one route for one driver. For several drivers on one order list you need a dispatch tool.
How does a Canadian postal code work?
A Canadian postal code is six characters in the pattern letter-digit-letter, space, digit-letter-digit. Canada Post calls the first three characters the forward sortation area (FSA) and the last three the local delivery unit (LDU).
| Part | Pattern | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| FSA, the first three characters | letter, digit, letter | The delivery area. The first letter is the province or region. |
| LDU, the last three characters | digit, letter, digit | The smallest delivery unit. |
| Second character | 1 to 9, or 0 | 1 to 9 is an urban code; 0 (zero) is a rural code, as in A0A. |
Canada Post's reference guide adds that postal codes do not use the letters D, F, I, O, Q or U, and that W and Z are not used as the first character (Canada Post reference guide). The first letter maps to 18 areas:
| First letter | Area | First letter | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Newfoundland and Labrador | M | Metropolitan Toronto |
| B | Nova Scotia | N | Southwestern Ontario |
| C | Prince Edward Island | P | Northern Ontario |
| E | New Brunswick | R | Manitoba |
| G | Eastern Quebec | S | Saskatchewan |
| H | Metropolitan Montreal | T | Alberta |
| J | Western Quebec | V | British Columbia |
| K | Eastern Ontario | X | Northwest Territories and Nunavut |
| L | Central Ontario | Y | Yukon |
What this means in MiliRoute. The scanner looks for a postal code that fits this pattern and starts with a letter Canada Post uses. After a stop locks, Google Places checks it, so the postal code and street shown should agree. Always glance at the suggestion before you accept it: the first letter should match the city you are delivering in.
What do real Canadian routes look like?
We ran MiliRoute's optimizer on two sets of well-known public places, listed in a neutral order rather than arranged to look bad. Driving times are Google's estimates for average traffic, not live traffic.
Toronto: eight stops
MiliRoute's optimizer was given eight well-known Toronto places in no particular order on 24 October 2026. (source: our MiliRoute run, 24 October 2026)
| Driving distance | Driving time | |
|---|---|---|
| Order as listed | 34.3 km | 1 h 47 min |
| MiliRoute's order | 24.6 km | 1 h 14 min |
The order as listed was: 290 Bremner Blvd (start), 1 Austin Terrace, 55 Mill St, 100 Queens Park, 955 Lake Shore Blvd W, 220 Yonge St, 100 Queen St W, 65 Front St W (finish). MiliRoute's order was: 290 Bremner Blvd, 955 Lake Shore Blvd W, 55 Mill St, 220 Yonge St, 100 Queen St W, 100 Queens Park, 1 Austin Terrace, 65 Front St W.
That is 9.7 km and 33 minutes less. The list crossed the city back and forth, so it was far from the best order. If you already plan carefully, your gap will be smaller. The only fair test is your own stops. The full example is on the Toronto page.
Montréal: twelve stops, French place names
On 2026-11-07 we ran twelve public places in Montréal, typed with their French names and accents, for example Marché Jean-Talon and Biodôme de Montréal. The list was alphabetical, with the first as the start and the last as the end, so the optimizer re-ordered the ten stops between. For ten stops between the start and the end, MiliRoute finds the exact quickest order. (source: our MiliRoute run, 2026-11-07)
| Driving distance | Driving time | |
|---|---|---|
| Order as listed | 74.9 km | 3 h 20 min |
| MiliRoute's quickest order | 38.9 km | 2 h 06 min |
| Difference | 36.0 km | 73.9 min |
The saving is 36.0 km (48% shorter) and 73.9 minutes (199.5 − 125.7 = 73.9, and 73.9 ÷ 199.5 = 37% quicker).
The twelve places in list order:
| # | Place |
|---|---|
| 1 (start) | Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal |
| 2 | Biodôme de Montréal |
| 3 | Centre Bell |
| 4 | Gare Centrale |
| 5 | Marché Atwater |
| 6 | Marché Jean-Talon |
| 7 | Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal |
| 8 | Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal |
| 9 | Parc La Fontaine |
| 10 | Place Ville Marie |
| 11 | Stade olympique |
| 12 (end) | Vieux-Port de Montréal |
The quickest order, leg by leg:
| Stop | Place | Leg from the stop before | Leg time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (start) | Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal | ||
| 2 | Gare Centrale | 1.5 km | 8 min |
| 3 | Place Ville Marie | 0.8 km | 4 min |
| 4 | Centre Bell | 1.3 km | 7 min |
| 5 | Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal | 1.1 km | 6 min |
| 6 | Marché Atwater | 2.8 km | 9 min |
| 7 | Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal | 8.0 km | 15 min |
| 8 | Marché Jean-Talon | 6.7 km | 24 min |
| 9 | Parc La Fontaine | 5.1 km | 18 min |
| 10 | Biodôme de Montréal | 4.4 km | 13 min |
| 11 | Stade olympique | 0.4 km | 1 min |
| 12 (end) | Vieux-Port de Montréal | 6.9 km | 20 min |
| Whole route | 38.9 km | 2 h 06 min |
(source: our MiliRoute run, 2026-11-07)
Two things stand out. The slowest leg per kilometre is Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal to Marché Jean-Talon: 6.7 km in 24 minutes. Across the whole route, 38.9 km in 125.7 minutes is 38.9 ÷ (125.7 ÷ 60) = 18.6 km/h on Google's average-traffic estimates, which is why distance alone is a poor guide to a Montréal day.
Do French addresses work in Québec?
Yes. MiliRoute asks Google to find each stop, and Google resolved all twelve French place names in our run, accents included. The places came back in two forms: some as French street addresses, such as "110 R. Notre Dame O" and "Pl. Ville-Marie", and some under their English names, such as "Old Port of Montreal" and "La Fontaine Park". The Montréal addresses carried postal codes starting with H, which Canada Post lists as metropolitan Montréal, for example H2Y 1T1 and H3B 2E7.
Practical tips for a French-language route:
- Pick the suggestion. Choose the suggestion from the list so the street, number and postal code are the ones Google knows, whichever language it shows.
- Keep accents if you type them. "Marché Jean-Talon" and "Biodôme" were found as typed.
- Choose the app's language separately. The app itself is available in French. See MiliRoute in 11 languages.
What is the 2026 per-kilometre figure in Canada?
The limit on tax-free employer vehicle allowances for 2026 is 73 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 kilometres and 67 cents for each kilometre after that. In the territories it is 77 and 71 cents. The Department of Finance Canada announced it on 14 January 2026, effective 1 January 2026. It applies to "the deduction of tax-exempt allowances paid by employers to employees who use their personal vehicle for business purposes" (Department of Finance Canada).
A worked example of the ceiling for an employee who drives 6,000 km for work:
- First 5,000 km: 5,000 × $0.73 = $3,650.
- Next 1,000 km: 1,000 × $0.67 = $670.
- Total: $3,650 + $670 = $4,320 is the most an employer can pay tax-free for 6,000 km.
This is not a deduction rate for self-employed people. A self-employed courier uses another method, below. For a quick calculation of the ceiling, use the Canada mileage allowance calculator.
How does a self-employed courier claim vehicle costs?
A self-employed courier deducts only the part of vehicle costs that was spent earning income. The CRA's example is a van driven 27,000 business kilometres out of 30,000 total, with $5,400 of expenses: 27,000 ÷ 30,000 × $5,400 = $4,860. Business parking fees and supplementary business insurance can be deducted in full: with $40 of parking and $100 of supplementary insurance, the claim in the example is $5,000 (CRA, calculating motor vehicle expenses).
What the CRA asks you to keep (CRA, motor vehicle records):
- A log of each business trip: the date, the destination, the purpose and the number of kilometres.
- The odometer reading of each vehicle at the start and the end of the fiscal period.
- A full-year logbook is described as the best evidence. A simplified method lets you keep a full logbook for one year to set a base year, then use a three-month sample if business use stays within 10% of the base year (CRA).
- Keep the logbook for six years from the end of the tax year for which it was last used.
MiliRoute's route history shows each saved route's distance and driving time, which can help you remember a day's kilometres. It is not a CRA logbook: the CRA asks for the date, destination, purpose and kilometres of every business trip, and for odometer readings. Ask an accountant how the rules apply to you.
How does winter change a courier's day?
Winter changes what a good route is, not only how long it takes.
Google's driving times are for average traffic and do not know about today's snow or ice. So a plan with fewer kilometres leaves more margin, and a driver who finishes earlier finishes before dark. We have no measured winter figures and do not claim any.
How do you plan a Canadian delivery day?
- Collect every address in one list: type, paste or scan labels.
- Pick each address from the suggestions so the postal code and street are right.
- Let the planner order the stops; pin any stop that must be first or last.
- Drive the route in your maps app, one stop at a time.
- Record each drop with a photo or signature.
- Look at the analytics for the day: distance, time per delivery and deliveries per hour. See delivery analytics explained.
The step-by-step checklist explains each step.
Which plan fits a Canadian courier?
The Free plan covers routes of up to 10 stops; Premium removes the limit. Both have the same features, and the only difference is the stop limit. The Montréal run above has 12 stops, so it would need Premium, or a split into two routes. See Free vs Premium for what happens at stop 11 and how the prices work out.
Questions
What is the best route planner for Canadian couriers?
The best one finds Canadian postal codes correctly, starts in kilometres and has a free limit that covers your busiest day. MiliRoute is free for up to 10 stops; Geo2 and MyWay allow 15. See the guide to route planner apps.
Does MiliRoute work in Canada?
Yes. Address search and the camera scanner accept addresses in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
What does a Canadian postal code look like?
Letter, digit, letter, a space, then digit, letter, digit, for example K1A 0T6. The letters D, F, I, O, Q and U are not used.
What does the first letter of a postal code mean?
It identifies the province or region. H is metropolitan Montréal, M is metropolitan Toronto, V is British Columbia and T is Alberta.
Does MiliRoute use kilometres in Canada?
Yes, by default, on a phone whose region is set to Canada. You can change it to miles in App Settings.
Can a self-employed courier claim the Government of Canada's per-kilometre rate?
Not automatically. The 73 cents per kilometre is the highest rate at which an employer can pay a tax-free allowance (Department of Finance Canada). Self-employed people deduct the business share of their actual vehicle costs, so ask an accountant.
Do I need a logbook as a self-employed courier?
The CRA asks you to keep a record of total kilometres and business kilometres, with the date, destination, purpose and distance of each business trip. A full-year logbook is the best evidence.
Does MiliRoute work with French addresses?
Yes. In our Montréal run all twelve French place names, with accents, were found. Pick the suggestion so the street, number and postal code are right.
Is there an iPhone app?
Not yet. The web app runs in Safari on an iPhone.
Does it use live traffic?
No. MiliRoute uses Google's estimated driving times for average traffic.
How much does it cost in Canadian dollars?
Premium is A$15 a month or A$140 a year, charged in Australian dollars, so your card provider converts it. Routes of up to 10 stops are free.
Sources
- Canada Post: postal codes, and Canada Post, Postal Code Conversion File reference guide, checked 7 November 2026
- Department of Finance Canada, 14 January 2026
- CRA: calculating motor vehicle expenses and CRA: motor vehicle records, pages dated 31 August 2026
- MiliRoute optimizer run on 24 October 2026, eight public addresses in Toronto, and on 2026-11-07, twelve public places in Montréal, Google driving-time estimates for average traffic
- MiliRoute app and server code, checked on 7 November 2026
- Each company's own pricing page, read 24 October 2026
Last updated 7 November 2026. This is not tax or legal advice.