Totally Useless=USPS Tracking

[Bruce Wrenn]

Ordered a couple light bulbs for wife's car on Tuesday. USPS tracking shows label created on Tuesday, and then nothing more. Remember that was three days ago. Scheduled for delivery tomorrow by seller. Recently got another package shipped USPS, that after it was delivered, tracking only showed label created. If they aren't going to fix tracking problems, then get rid of it!

[jack duren]

It’s getting to were they will put in delivered that morning, but it doesn’t show up till later in the day. What I order from EBay users seems to be on time..

[Allan Dozier]

It's best not to pay much attention to "Label Created" either with USPS or UPS or Fedex. I think sometimes the employees don't then get around to getting it put out for pickup that afternoon. The USPS Informed Delivery has been spotty though, not all items get photographed etc. and sometimes a photographed letter won't show up until the next day.

[Brian Elfert]

Usually label created means the USPS hasn't received and processed the item yet. I am getting a package today from the USPS that the tracking has been updated. It shows delivery today and that it is out for delivery. I haven't been obsessing over it. I just looked at the tracking the first day and the only reason I looked today is because of this thread.

[Bill Dufour]

Thirty years ago when I worked in a warehouse the shipping labels were printed in the main office. Our boss picked them up in the morning and drove them to the warehouse. Those printed on Friday did not get picked up until Monday.
Bill D

[Lee Schierer]

Thirty years ago when I worked in a warehouse the shipping labels were printed in the main office. Our boss picked them up in the morning and drove them to the warehouse. Those printed on Friday did not get picked up until Monday.
Bill D

The same thing still happens today only faster "label created" notices from automated computer emails.

[Brian Elfert]

I have had an EBay seller create a label with Fedex and not actually ship the item for over two weeks. Many EBay sellers will rush to create a shipping label even if they don't actually ship the package for a few days. Their EBay rating is based in part on how fast the item is shipped. EBay considers the item shipped when a tracking number is supplied.

[Alex Zeller]

USPS doesn't seem to update their computers as often as the big two. Often it'll take a day or two for a shipment go from number created to actually in transit. Often the day USPS says it'll show up is off by a day or so. Usually a I get it a day earlier. If it's something I need I'll watch it's progress. Otherwise I don't bother.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I've run into the eBay problem too, and it is annoying when I'm waiting for something I need to complete a project. Overall USPS tracking has not been a lot worse for me than other companies, so far.

[Walter Plummer]

I just went through the same thing. Ordered on the15th. Email order "shipped" Friday the 16th. Label typed maybe printed. Monday 19th I tracked it delivery set for Wed. 24th. Wednesday "order delayed but still on the way". Finally delivered Monday the 25th. They must have taken the long way from Indiana to Virginia.

[Brian Runau]

My favorite is FedEx economy shipping. Up to 7 days to deliver. Brian

[Brian Runau]

It's best not to pay much attention to "Label Created" either with USPS or UPS or Fedex. I think sometimes the employees don't then get around to getting it put out for pickup that afternoon. The USPS Informed Delivery has been spotty though, not all items get photographed etc. and sometimes a photographed letter won't show up until the next day.

For some small volume shippers they may only have pickup when they have a certain
Volume that accumulates or 2 to 3 times weekly. Brian

[Jason Roehl]

USPS doesn't seem to update their computers as often as the big two. Often it'll take a day or two for a shipment go from number created to actually in transit. Often the day USPS says it'll show up is off by a day or so. Usually a I get it a day earlier. If it's something I need I'll watch it's progress. Otherwise I don't bother.

I'm curious as to who you think the "big two" are.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Wouldn't it be UPS and FedEx? I use UPS to ship all my instrument boxes, since USPS raised the price so high for large boxes.

[Jason Roehl]

A quick Google search confirmed my suspicion: Amazon overtook both of those in market share of package delivery in the last few years (I think I saw they topped UPS last fall, and FedEx in '20).

[Steve Demuth]

I have had an EBay seller create a label with Fedex and not actually ship the item for over two weeks. Many EBay sellers will rush to create a shipping label even if they don't actually ship the package for a few days. Their EBay rating is based in part on how fast the item is shipped. EBay considers the item shipped when a tracking number is supplied.

I am actually guilty of this, I suspect. If I'm shipping something I sold, I generally have it ready in the box when I list it, and label it as soon as the sale is done. But I may not get to town to drop it off at the carrier for several days. It hadn't occurred to me that I was misleading anyone with this behavior, since I have always understood "label printed" notifications to be meaningless.

[Curt Harms]

USPS tracking for me has been pretty good though I don't get a lot of USPS deliveries and what USPS I get is mostly Ebay. I've had the 'receive the package then get a notice it was shipped' but not recently. If I need pretty reliable shipping and tracking I use Priority Mail. I've had good luck with Priority but the cost is similar to Fed Ex or UPS.

[Brian Elfert]

I am actually guilty of this, I suspect. If I'm shipping something I sold, I generally have it ready in the box when I list it, and label it as soon as the sale is done. But I may not get to town to drop it off at the carrier for several days. It hadn't occurred to me that I was misleading anyone with this behavior, since I have always understood "label printed" notifications to be meaningless.

The issue with EBay is once the tracking number is attached to an order EBay marks it as shipped. If you print the label through EBay's shipping system the tracking number is automatically added to the order. If you don't ship the same day, or next day, on Ebay you should add handling time to your listings so the EBay system doesn't give the wrong estimate for how soon a customer will get their item.

[Brian Elfert]

A quick Google search confirmed my suspicion: Amazon overtook both of those in market share of package delivery in the last few years (I think I saw they topped UPS last fall, and FedEx in '20).

Amazon doesn't really count for those wanting to ship something. Amazon only ships for companies that sell through their platform.

[Jim Koepke]

Amazon doesn't really count for those wanting to ship something. Amazon only ships for companies that sell through their platform.

Amazon also uses USPS for "last mile" deliveries. This often makes me have to drive about 25 miles, round trip, to the local Post Office since my mailbox isn't big enough to hold large packages. My home is far enough off of the road that many mail carriers do not want to take the trip to put it on my porch. Fortunately some of the carriers will place notice of "delivery attempt" and leave the package off the truck before they start their route. A call to the P.O. lets me know the package can be picked up at anytime.

Most of the time I find USPS tracking better than the UPS or FedEx information. USPS seems to get scanned or notified at most transfer points in the system. My last UPS shipment showed out for delivery on a Friday and finally after about 7:00pm showed it as delayed to next business day. I do not receive much shipped by FedEx.

jtk

[Pat Germain]

The US Post Office is perhaps the most inconsistent operation in the country. Some people get good, reliable service. Some people get horrible, awful service. Some people get no service.

One of the biggest downsides to rural life here in 2024 can be the inability to receive packages. In many rural areas, FedEx and UPS don't deliver, so it's USPS or nothing. And in some areas, like in rural Kansas where my SIL lived, not even USPS delivers. She had to drive to a post office to pick up her mail from a post office box. And boy is that a pain. Almost any time you order something, you'll see a note stating. "No PO boxes".

I live near a new neighborhood where houses are still under construction. For some reason, this neighborhood has been hit constantly by mail thieves. Someone keeps breaking into the community mail boxes and stealing everything in them. Residents have reported this the to local Sherriff who does nothing. They have reported this to the local Post Office who does nothing. Local news channels have done multiple stories about this issue. So what's been done about it? Absolutely nothing. Yeah, stealing mail is a felony. Yeah, it's the Postal Inspector's job to investigate mail theft. Apparently, nobody is making him do his job.

My favorite ridiculous USPS policy is their "Overnight" service. They charge a lot of money to deliver a package overnight. And again, if you're sending something to a rural area, USPS may be the only option. Again and again I hear people complain, "I paid for overnight shipping and my package didnt arrive until a week later!". The reality is the Post Office guarantees an overnight package will be delivered to the area overnight. Once it's in the area, it's up to the local post office to get it delivered. And who knows how long that will take. After all, it's inconsistent.

[Jim Becker]

Amazon also uses USPS for "last mile" deliveries.
True in areas where they don't have large distribution centers or when the product is shipping from a remote center due to availability or from a third party. It's rare that we get an Amazon package here where I live via USPS final mile, although it occasionally happens. Most are delivered by Amazon contractors, either in Amazon livery vehicles (including the EV vans) or in "white box" vans, depending on the particular contractor who got the nod for a particular package. I've had as many as three different Amazon delivery vehicles drop off in a single day; all of them from different distribution centers based on where the ordered product was "in stock".

In recent years, "saver" type shipping, regardless of whether the package was picked up by UPS, FedEX or DHL, get last mile via USPS. UPS is often pretty intelligent about it here. If they see they have a "saver" package as well as a regular UPS package, they put them on the brown truck and just deliver them both.

[Jim Koepke]

This is another place where USPS drops the ball:

516600

Notice in the upper right hand corer the time the email was sent is 6:19pm. Below it shows the package was delivered at 3:33pm. I checked before having dinner and then went on to other things without checking my email until a few minutes ago.

I could go walk in the dark, snow covered driveway for about a quarter mile round trip or pick it up tomorrow when it is light out.

There system leaves a lot to be desired.

jtk

[Brian Elfert]

This is another place where USPS drops the ball:

516600

Notice in the upper right hand corer the time the email was sent is 6:19pm. Below it shows the package was delivered at 3:33pm. I checked before having dinner and then went on to other things without checking my email until a few minutes ago.


I requested a text message when a critical package was delivered by USPS. I happened to see the mail truck when it stopped at my mailbox. The mail truck hadn't moved more than ten feet when I got the text that my package was delivered.

[Brian Elfert]

The US Post Office is perhaps the most inconsistent operation in the country. Some people get good, reliable service. Some people get horrible, awful service. Some people get no service.

One of the biggest downsides to rural life here in 2024 can be the inability to receive packages. In many rural areas, FedEx and UPS don't deliver, so it's USPS or nothing. And in some areas, like in rural Kansas where my SIL lived, not even USPS delivers. She had to drive to a post office to pick up her mail from a post office box. And boy is that a pain. Almost any time you order something, you'll see a note stating. "No PO boxes".


The reason for no PO Boxes is almost always because the company doesn't use USPS for delivery. Fedex, UPS, and the others are not allowed to deliver to a PO Box.

I live semi-rural and luckily the mail carrier will make the 125 foot walk up my driveway to deliver packages. Some will even drive up my driveway and turn around by my garage.

[Jim Koepke]

I requested a text message when a critical package was delivered by USPS. I happened to see the mail truck when it stopped at my mailbox. The mail truck hadn't moved more than ten feet when I got the text that my package was delivered.

Not sure, but it may be the delivery notification information is sent from the carrier vehicle to the internet via the cell phone infrastructure. My understanding is the carrier scans a package and the data is transferred before the package is placed in the mailbox. In my area cell service is non-existent. It is usually about a half an hour before the signal gets relayed. Sometimes this happens. Not sure if it is the carriers method that makes a difference. The carrier may be able to not transfer the data until the end of their shift back at the Post Office. I live on a route with a perpetually "out on sick leave" carrier. The route gets rotated between a lot of different carriers. Some are great, some not so great.

jtk

[Bruce Wrenn]

My package was scheduled for redelivery next day. Next morning around 8:00 AM, tracking showed picked up by an individual just before closing time at post office. Go by post office to try and figure out who had my package. Delivery manager said it was in my mail box, as she had redelivered it the day before at 4:48 PM. Should have been entered into system at that time as redelivered, instead of me having to go to post office to find out where it was.