Everything you need to know about using NorthRun as a customer, driver, or seller.
NorthRun is Fort McMurray's community platform for intercity delivery, rideshare, and buy/sell marketplace. It connects people who need things moved along the Edmonton–Fort McMurray corridor with drivers and travelers who are already making the trip. Think of it as a fusion of BlaBlaCar, Facebook Marketplace, and a courier service — built specifically for Northern Alberta.
Signing up is completely free. You can browse all available trips and marketplace listings without a credit card. You only pay when you place an order or book a ride. NorthRun deducts a 17.5% platform fee from completed transactions — this is automatically handled by our payment system. There's no monthly fee for basic use. An optional NorthRun Plus subscription ($9.99/month) provides premium perks for power users.
NorthRun currently serves the Fort McMurray ↔ Edmonton corridor, including stops at Athabasca and Lac La Biche. We also support Calgary ↔ Fort McMurray routes. We plan to expand to Grande Prairie and other Northern Alberta communities in Phase 3.
Browse available trips going your direction. Select a trip and fill in your delivery details (pickup address, drop-off address, item description, weight, and photos). Pay securely through the app — funds are held in escrow. You'll receive a 4-digit PIN that the driver must confirm at delivery. Once delivered and confirmed, funds are released to the driver and you receive a delivery photo as proof.
You have a 48-hour dispute window after delivery confirmation. You can raise a dispute through the app with photos and description of the issue. Our admin team reviews all evidence including pickup photos, delivery photos, chat logs, and PIN confirmation records. Resolution options include full refund, partial refund, or no action depending on the evidence. We also offer optional item insurance at checkout (8–12% of declared value) that provides additional coverage.
You can send most legal goods including medications, groceries, electronics, clothing, auto parts, furniture, pet supplies, and business supplies. Prohibited items include controlled substances, weapons and ammunition, hazardous materials, perishable foods requiring refrigeration (unless the driver has refrigeration capability), and illegal items. See our full prohibited items list on the Legal page.
For casual travelers posting personal trips and carrying small packages as a cost-sharing arrangement, a commercial license is not typically required. However, if you plan to operate as a regular, professional courier service, you should consult with a transportation lawyer about Alberta's requirements. NorthRun operates in a similar model to platforms like BlaBlaCar where the cost-sharing nature of the service is key. Always consult with your own legal and insurance advisors.
We strongly recommend disclosing your NorthRun activity to your insurer. Some auto insurance policies may not cover commercial cargo activities. You may need to add a business-use rider to your policy. NorthRun does not provide insurance to drivers — this is your responsibility. Please check your policy before accepting cargo bookings.
Funds are held in escrow until delivery is confirmed via the customer's 4-digit PIN and your delivery photo. After confirmation, funds are released to your NorthRun balance within a few hours. You can withdraw to your bank account via Stripe at any time, or set up automatic weekly payouts. The first payout may take 1–2 business days to process due to Stripe's bank verification requirements.