Cracking the USPS tracking code

[LVSteve]

I ordered something on Amazon that was coming from Dallas. Imagine my surprise when I saw this in the tracking.

What happened between Monday and Wednesday? I think the key is "Package delayed in transit". I suspect it is USPS code for "Oh ****, there's something on the truck that shouldn't be here and it's going the wrong way." Yep, it's been going the wrong way alright. See below.

Salt Lake City is not on the way to Vegas from Cedar City. Yes, I know all about distribution hubs, but why/how did my package get to Cedar City? Osmosis?

So it left SLC at 0439 this morning. Let's see what happens over the next few days...

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I guess "Wages" is not all that's "lost," eh?

I had an incoming package from Dallas last year that got to Casper, Wyo., 140 miles from me.

It took a three-day vacation in Portland, Ore., then finally found its way back to Cody, Wyo., then Casper, then here.

Best of luck getting yours this month.

 

[lihpster]

At least you got an idea of where it is. Half the time I get an origin scan then an "in transit, arriving on time" message.

 

[Secundius]

I guess "Wages" is not all that's "lost," eh?

I had an incoming package from Dallas last year that got to Casper, Wyo., 140 miles from me.

It took a three-day vacation in Portland, Ore., then finally found its way back to Cody, Wyo., then Casper, then here.

Best of luck getting yours this month.

How was the package marked for delivery?/! Anything short of “Priority Mail” is likely to see the scenic route in being delivered (i.e. not a direct delivery to you)…


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[DWalt]

I guess around a year ago, I got a tracking message that my package had traveled around most of the country before it reached me. It was amusing, but I received it.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Monday we ordered almost 100 lbs of cat food, treats and litter from chewy.com. It arrived intact Friday afternoon as USPS said it would.

Color me satisfied..

 

[riverrat38]

It's a good thing they don't charge by the mile, or for storage!
Before computer tracking, if the post office made a mistake, your neighbor got your mail. Now, it might end up in some third world country.

73,
Rick

 

[Rustyt1953]

My two farthings worth;

The U.S. Postal Service handles around 500 million pieces of mail every day. UPS and FedEx deliver 34 million packages combined. Those are astounding numbers and their failure rates barely budge the needle.

Gas up your car and try retrieving/delivering your own mail/parcels for the same rates as those three charge and see how that works out.

They do Herculean tasks everyday. If my stuff is late once in a while I cut them slack because they cast huge nets and there are bound to be a few holes here and there.

 

[CH4]

Despite its occasional hiccups, the USPS is the best postal service of its size extant. I live/work internationally and wish the mail service in all the countries I frequent was as dependable. When I need something shipped internationally, I use FedEx, UPS or DHL.

 

[old bear]

As I've said many times before, I believe given the volume of mail the USPS handles daily they do a good job of it. But when something goes South hold on you are on your own, and on one their end gives a damn.
Sadly I am unwilling to trust them nor will use them to deliver important mail again. To many lost deliveries with little effort to find out what happened and why.

 

[LVSteve]

My two farthings worth;

The U.S. Postal Service handles around 500 million pieces of mail every day. UPS and FedEx deliver 34 million packages combined. Those are astounding numbers and their failure rates barely budge the needle.

Gas up your car and try retrieving/delivering your own mail/parcels for the same rates as those three charge and see how that works out.

They do Herculean tasks everyday. If my stuff is late once in a while I cut them slack because they cast huge nets and there are bound to be a few holes here and there.

I have no doubt that the odd thing goes astray and that occasionally that item will be mine.

What I would like is a little honesty in reporting. My package isn't "delayed in transit" so much as misdirected. If the message had said "Package misdirected, recalculating" it would be more honest and we could all have a good laugh.

 

[Engineer1911]

OK, USPS does a great job delivering mail. Now tell me why 1/3 of my packages (3 out of 9) went astray. Every time it was at or near Atlanta, GA.

 

[Grayfox]

A couple of years ago I bought an item from a company in Oregon. Tracking showed it arrived in Memphis on schedule. But then it took a week long side trip to Seattle and back.

Admittedly, USPS does an excellent job most of the time. But when they screw up, they go for the gold.

USPS tracking:
1. We have it!
2. Ain't gotta clue?
3. Delivered!

 

[Skeet 028]

I had a friend/fellow shooter back east in Md send a trigger group for an 1100 to me to be rebuilt, smoothed up. Knowing him I just sent one back to him from my stash of parts already done. mine made it back to him in 4 days. His?? lost in space. Priority mail was somewhat delayed misdirected/lost. We both got the local *** involved. Nothing but crickets. Filed an insurance claim for a 100 dollars. USPS does not like to pay for lost packages but 6 months later they paid some of it back. Kept the priority mail charge? but something is better than nothing...4 1/2 months later out of the blue the package showed up. Beat up torn taped all up with the part intact. It went from Md to Atlanta at least 6 times Kalamazoo Mi once Denver etc etc etc. I told the local Postmarm I got it.She actuallt told me to shut up and keep the ins money cause she didn't know how to go about refunding back to USPS. That was ok...but I was going to refund all except the shipping charges. Essentially 11 months. And even worse was my income tax. Filed electronically. Sent them a check. 5 months later I got another bill for taxes unpaid. Figured to heck with it...paid it electronically...with interest. Last month I got a refund of the 2nd payment as the USPS delivered the original check and they cashed it too. In April of this year. I only had to contact them once though. I pay all of my bills either in person or on the phone. I get confirmation numbers. No late fees either from delayed/lost mail

 

[len917]

"package has departed facility-in transit to next facility"
Don't know what facility, where it is or when it will arrive
the tracking numbers are unbelievable. It's more numbers than the national debt.
By the time you are half way thru it, you forgot what you are tracking.