RAHEEL LADAK
9 mins read
8 mins read
Back-to-school season is a very important time for sellers who target students and parents. What used to be just a few basic dorm supplies is now a full furnishing experience. Desks, mini fridges, mattress kits, and dorm bundles are all expected essentials.
If you sell bulky, multi-item orders in Canada, shipping can be a big challenge. Standard parcel carriers work well for small items but become expensive and unreliable when shipping furniture or appliances. This can hurt your profit margins.
Back-to-school season is a huge opportunity to grow sales and build loyal customers. But the shipping window from late July to early September is short and fast-moving which is why it is extremely important for you as a seller to get your strategy for freight right. This will help you avoid delays, keep customers happy, and maximize profits when it matters most.
This makes having a smart freight strategy essential. Using LTL or Less-than-Truckload shipping, batch order processing, and tools built for sellers can help you save money, reduce delivery problems, and give your customers a better experience.
In this guide, you will learn how to get your inventory ready, choose the right shipping methods, and use eShipper tools to move dorm kits smoothly across Canada.
Canadians are spending more on back-to-school than ever. According to the Retail Council of Canada, in 2024, Canadian families spent approximately $674 per student. A large percentage of this money was invested towards furniture for dorm rooms and organization items.
Buyers are no longer just ordering notebooks and pens. They want full-room solutions that include:
| Product Type | Average Price (CAD) | Typical Shipping Method |
| Study Desks | 150 to 250 | LTL Freight |
| Mini Fridges | 200 to 300 | LTL Freight |
| Dorm Bundles (3+) | 250 to 400 | Palletized or LTL Freight |
| Mattress Kits | 120 to 200 | LTL or Oversized Parcel |
These items are too big for parcel shipping and too small for a full truck. LTL shipping fits perfectly.
It is no longer just you selling the right products, it’s also how quickly you can get them to your customers. The faster you deliver, the more repeat customers which for your business means profitable business for your brand.
If you’re shipping dorm furniture or bundles, you know parcel carriers just don’t cut it. Items like desks, mini fridges, dorm kits with multiple products, and stackable storage are too bulky for parcels but not enough to fill a whole truck. LTL fits perfectly here. It saves you money and speeds up delivery because your shipment shares truck space with others so you only pay for the space your shipments require.
LTL (Less-than-Truckload) essentially means your freight shares truck space with shipments from other businesses. You only pay for the portion of space your shipment occupies, making it a cost-effective option for bulky items like desks or boxed mini fridges that don’t require a full truckload.
Benefits of LTL for dorm sellers include:
If you sell on Shopify, or Amazon, LTL helps you keep costs down even when your sales grow.
Here is a real example from Ontario.
A Toronto store sold dorm bundles with desks, lamps, bedding, and mini fridges. Before switching to freight shipping, they sent each item separately using parcel carriers.
They decided to switch to palletized LTL and batch shipping through eShipper.
This change saved them approximately 41% per order and improved their customer reviews.
Instead of sending out desks, mini fridges, and bedding as separate shipments, you can pack smarter with multi-packing. This feature lets you box items individually but ship them together under one shipment. It keeps your tracking organized, lowers your overall shipping costs, and makes the delivery experience more seamless for your customer.
When you combine multi-packing with batch shipping, fulfillment becomes even more efficient. With just one CSV file, you can upload hundreds of dorm kit orders and process them all at once without entering details manually. This reduces errors, saves you hours during peak weeks, and keeps your fulfillment moving smoothly no matter how many orders come in.
It is a simple way to cut costs, speed up your workflow, and deliver a better experience during the busy back-to-school season.
Choosing between LTL options depends on the items you are shipping and how your customers expect it delivered:
Standard LTL works best if you are shipping single bulky items like a desk or mini fridge to different addresses. It's affordable and gets the job done.
Palletized LTL is a better fit if you are sending out full dorm kits with multiple pieces. Packing everything together on a pallet keeps shipping costs lower and reduces the risk of damage.
White Glove Delivery is something you can offer as an upgrade. It’s ideal if your customer wants the item brought inside or set up, especially helpful for student housing where parents want things ready to go. Since this offering comes at an additional charge for your customers, it should be an add-on service, instead of a default option.
| Shipping Method | Best For | Cost (CAD) | Delivery Time | Pallet Needed |
| Standard LTL | Desks, mini fridges, storage | 50 to 120 | 3 to 7 business days | Optional |
| Palletized LTL | Dorm bundles with 3+ items | 100 to 250 | 4 to 10 business days | Yes |
| White Glove Delivery | High-value or assembly needed | 200 and up | Scheduled | No |
Shipping costs vary by region. Sending a dorm kit from Toronto to Halifax costs more than shipping within Ontario.
To optimize costs:
If you sell on Shopify, Amazon, or Walmart, eShipper’s integration can make your life easier as a seller. How will it help you? Orders will flow directly from your store to our system, so you don’t have to re-enter them.
Whether you choose LTL, batch shipping, or multi-packing, every option will sync in real time. This will help you keep up with peak season demands including the back-to-school rush without trying to navigate multiple tools simultaneously.
Shipping desks, mini fridges, and bundled dorm kits isn’t just about getting boxes out the door. As a seller, it is your responsibility to ensure that the packages arrive safely, on time, and damage-free. Here’s how to prep your shipments in the right manner:
Use strong, stackable boxes with internal padding. For fragile items like electronics or small appliances, double-box if needed.
Group items by order. Use corner guards and wrap everything with shrink film to keep it tight and stable on the pallet.
Each box should have clear labels with barcodes or order numbers. This makes scanning and tracking easier across carriers and fulfillment points.
If your customers live in dorms or student housing without loading docks, consider offering liftgate service or inside delivery. You can add this as a paid option at checkout.
If you're shipping mini fridges, electronics, or furniture bundles, use shipment insurance to protect against loss or damage.
eShipper offers you an LTL setup that is beneficial for sellers like you, especially when you are moving bulky and large products including desks, mini fridges, or bundled dorm kits across Canada.
Here’s what that looks like:
White Glove delivery: Offer it when customers need extra care or setup.
The back-to-school rush might be short-lived but managing shipping for bulky, large products is complex. Using parcel shipping for these items leads to overspending and unhappy customers.
Switching to smarter freight methods like LTL and batch shipping will save money, reduce damage, and improve customer satisfaction.
eShipper can help you ship your LTL freight, as you grow your business and run your operations smoothly, during peak season.
If you ship desks, mini fridges, or dorm kits this season, it is time to rethink your freight strategy.
Yes. eShipper supports sellers of all sizes. You can still access LTL rates even with low volume.
eShipper connects with Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, and other platforms. Orders sync automatically.
You can add delivery notes and request delivery windows. White Glove services can help with special needs.
No. Liftgate pickups and drop-offs are available for places without loading docks.
