A Canadian 3PL quote is a stack of separate fees, not one price. Pallet storage runs $8 to $28 per pallet per month, pallet handling runs $5 to $14 per move in or out, and pick and pack runs $1.75 to $5.00 per order across the eight profiled markets (Warehouse Bridge network data, Q2 2026). Minimums, onboarding and accessorials come on top. The only fair way to compare two quotes is to turn each one into a monthly total for the same volume.
The pricing models you will see
Providers package the same costs in a few different ways. Knowing which model you are looking at tells you where the risk sits.
Itemized (a la carte). Every service has its own rate: storage per pallet, handling per move, pick and pack per order, each accessorial priced separately. This is the most common model and the easiest to compare, because you can rebuild the invoice from your own volumes.
Bundled per order. One rate per order covers pick, pack and a set of handling steps. It is simple to budget, but you need to find out what is excluded, because storage, receiving and returns are usually billed apart.
Per pallet, all in. Storage and handling are combined into a single monthly rate per pallet position. This suits steady pallet programs and can hide the handling cost if your inventory turns faster than the provider assumed.
Minimum plus usage. Whatever the model, many providers add a monthly minimum. You pay the greater of the minimum or your calculated usage.
What each line costs
The table gives the bands for the three core lines in each profiled market. Storage is for a standard 48x40 ambient pallet, handling is per pallet move in or out, and pick and pack is for a direct-to-consumer order.
| City | Storage ($/pallet/month) | Handling ($/pallet move) | Pick and pack ($/order) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto / GTA | $13 to $24 | $7 to $13 | $2.50 to $4.50 |
| Vancouver | $14 to $28 | $8 to $14 | $2.75 to $5.00 |
| Calgary | $10 to $20 | $6 to $10 | $2.00 to $3.75 |
| Montreal | $11 to $22 | $6 to $11 | $2.25 to $4.00 |
| Edmonton | $9 to $18 | $6 to $10 | $2.00 to $3.50 |
| Winnipeg | $8 to $17 | $5 to $9 | $1.75 to $3.25 |
| Ottawa | $10 to $21 | $6 to $10 | $2.00 to $3.75 |
| Halifax | $10 to $19 | $6 to $10 | $2.00 to $3.75 |
These are market bands. Send your volume and city to see current pricing.
Check live pricingTwo other lines apply to specific programs. Temperature-controlled and cross-dock work is priced separately:
| City | Cold storage ($/pallet/month) | Cold handling ($/pallet move) | Cross-dock ($/container) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto / GTA | $21 to $38 | $10 to $15 | $325 to $450 |
| Vancouver | $24 to $46 | $11 to $18 | $350 to $500 |
| Calgary | $18 to $34 | $8 to $14 | $250 to $375 |
| Montreal | $20 to $36 | $9 to $15 | $275 to $425 |
| Edmonton | $17 to $31 | $8 to $13 | $250 to $375 |
| Winnipeg | $15 to $29 | $7 to $12 | $225 to $350 |
| Ottawa | $18 to $34 | $8 to $14 | $250 to $375 |
| Halifax | $18 to $32 | $8 to $13 | $250 to $375 |
These are market bands. Send your volume and city to see current pricing.
Check live pricingFor detail on each line, see the guides to pallet storage cost, fulfillment cost per order and cold storage cost.
Receiving and handling
Handling is charged each time a pallet moves in or out. A pallet that arrives and later ships out is two moves. At one full turn a month, handling is as large a line as storage. In Toronto, 100 pallets cost $1,300 to $2,400 for storage and $1,400 to $2,600 for handling, which makes $2,700 to $5,000 per month (Warehouse Bridge network data, Q2 2026).
This is why a quote that leads with a low storage rate can mislead. Ask what the provider assumed for turns, and what receiving includes. Some quotes bill receiving per pallet and others per hour or per carton.
Minimums, onboarding and accessorials
These lines do not come from the rate tables. They are network operating observations, so treat them as typical ranges, not benchmarks.
Monthly minimums. Most 3PLs set a monthly minimum of $1,500 to $5,000. A minimum sized for the volume you hope to reach in a year means you subsidize the provider until you get there.
Onboarding and setup. WMS integration runs $500 to $2,500 as a one-time fee, and carrier setup can run $200 to $1,000 per carrier. Ask whether these fees are waived or credited against a longer term.
Accessorials. Labelling, kitting, returns, packaging materials and account management can add 15 to 30 percent on top of quoted storage and fulfillment rates. Request the full schedule, because this is where two similar quotes often drift apart.
Yard and trailer fees. If you use drop trailers, secured yard space for a 53-foot trailer runs $150 to $275 per month in Toronto / GTA and $100 to $200 in Calgary (Warehouse Bridge network data, Q2 2026). See cross-dock services for how this fits a flow-through program.
How to compare two quotes on one basis
Use the same volume profile for both quotes, then rebuild each invoice from the rates.
- Fix the volume. Write down pallets on hand, pallet moves per month, orders per month, and any special services such as labelling or returns.
- Price each line. Multiply every rate by your volume. Use the low and high end of any band you are given, so you see a range, not a point.
- Apply the floor. If the total is below the monthly minimum, the minimum is your real bill.
- Add one-time and variable fees. Spread onboarding over the first 12 months, and add accessorials at the percentage the provider quotes or at the 15 to 30 percent range if they will not say.
- Divide by orders or pallets shipped. The result is your landed cost per order or per pallet, and that is the figure to compare.
A worked case in Toronto shows the scale. 100 pallets at one turn a month is $2,700 to $5,000, and 1,000 orders at $2.50 to $4.50 is $2,500 to $4,500, so the core usage is $5,200 to $9,500 per month before minimums, onboarding and accessorials (Warehouse Bridge network data, Q2 2026). Apply the 15 to 30 percent accessorial range and the same program lands higher. Two quotes with the same pick fee can differ by thousands of dollars a month once the other lines are included.
Contract terms that change the price
Rates are tied to commitments. Longer terms and firm volume commitments usually lower the unit rate, while short terms and variable volume carry a premium. If your volume is seasonal, ask how the provider prices peaks and whether the minimum flexes. For short programs and surge volume, temporary warehousing and overflow storage are priced differently from a long-term program. A 3PL RFP is the cleanest way to get every provider to quote the same profile.
How to get a real number
The bands above show the range. Your own quote depends on pallet counts, order profile, service mix and city. Send your volumes through the quote form and Warehouse Bridge will return itemized quotes from pre-vetted facilities, with every line broken out so you can compare them directly. You can also run a first estimate in the warehouse cost calculator, see the Toronto and Vancouver market pages for local context, or read the 3PL fulfillment service page for what a full program includes.