Table of contents
- Interesting facts about USPS
- How package tracking works with USPS
- The USPS shipment history in detail
- When does USPS deliver? The delivery times at a glance
- The most common delivery statuses from USPS
- Help, my USPS package is lost, what now?
- What happens when you are not at home
Interesting facts about USPS
Did you know that USPS is over 200 years old? The United States Postal Service was founded in 1775 by Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States. Since then, USPS has continued to pursue its mission of delivering mail to the people.
Post Riders
So-called "Post Riders" were the first letter carriers on horseback. Smaller post offices were located along the streets, where people sometimes lined up to pick up their mail. By 1789, there were 75 post offices serving 4 million people in the United States.¹
By the end of the 18th century, stagecoaches then replaced mail riders. A few more years later, the mail was transported by steamships and the railroad.
A Rural Delivery Wagon, est 1901, © Foto: USPS
Postal worker in front of a postal station 1894, © Foto: USPS
From Pony Express to today
In 1860, USPS worked closely with the Pony Express, a private service that delivered urgent mail from east to west in just 10 days (which otherwise took the Postal Service nearly 20 days). Delivery riders rode special horses, which were changed every 10-15 miles to make 100 miles per day. However, the Pony Express USPS was only under contract for a few months, as the service was discontinued when the Transcontinental Telegraph Line was completed in 1861.
Today, USPS employs more than 550,000 people and operates the largest civilian fleet, with nearly 260,000 vehicles. Did you know that in some USPS vehicles, drivers sit on the right side so they can put mail in the mailbox right out the car window? Neither did we!
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How package tracking works with USPS
Also with USPS you can of course track your shipment online. A package is usually between 1-3 weeks on the road - For domestic shipments USPS promises a shipping time of 3-5 business days. Please note that for international shipments, you will not receive your package directly from USPS. USPS will take care of your package in the US, but once it arrives in Germany, DHL will take care of further transport and delivery.
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The FedEx shipment history in detail
USPS Tracking, © Bild USPS
A tracking number or shipment tracking number called consists of 22 digits in most cases with USPS. On your package is a sticker on which the tracking number can be found. This is scanned several times during its journey - and that's when you'll get more information about where your package is.
On the official USPS page for tracking, on the DHL page for tracking or simply on parcello.org you can then check which stations your package has already passed through.
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When does USPS deliver? The delivery times at a glance
Since USPS in Germany has DHL as a delivery partner, of course the same times apply for delivery times - from Mondays to Fridays 07:00 - 18:00 and Saturdays from 08:00 - 18:00.
For a more accurate time window, wait for the arrival forecast of the time from DHL, or look directly on Parcello.
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The most common delivery statuses from USPS
The respective delivery status can give you information about where exactly your USPS shipment is at the moment. Here we have compiled a small list, so that you have a clue, which status messages there are at USPS package tracking at all. Please note that our list may not be complete. Errors excepted.
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Show all status messages known to us →.
- Acceptance
- Accepted at USPS Destination Facility
- Accepted at USPS Facility
- Accepted at USPS Origin Facility
- Accepted at USPS Regional Destination Facility
- Accepted at USPS Regional Facility
- Accepted at USPS Regional Origin Facility
- Addressee Moved - Item forwarded / redirected
- Addressee not available - Scheduled for another delivery attempt today
- Addressee not available - Will attempt delivery on next working day
- Addressee requested later delivery - Scheduled for another delivery attempt today
- Addressee Unknown
- Arrival at Post Office
- Arrival at Transit Office From Exchange
- Arrived
- Arrived Agent Facility
- Arrived at Facility
- Arrived at Hub
- Arrived at Military Post Office
- Arrived at Post Office
- Arrived at Regional Facility
- Arrived at Unit
- Arrived at USPS Destination Facility
- Arrived at USPS Facility
- Arrived at USPS Origin Facility
- Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility
- Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
- Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
- Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
- Arrived USPS Regional Facility
- Attempted Delivery - Item being held, addressee being notified
- Attempted Delivery - Item forwarded / redirected
- Attempted Delivery Abroad
- Available for Agent Pickup
- Available for Pickup
- Available for Redelivery or Pickup
- Available for Returns Agent
- Awaiting Delivery Scan
- Clearance Delay
- Collect for Pick Up
- Customs Clearance
- Customs Clearance Process Complete
- Customs Clearance Processing Complete
- Dead Mail / Sent to Mail Recovery Center
- Delivered
- Delivered to Agent for Final Delivery
- Delivered to Recipient by Agent
- Delivered, Front Desk/Reception/Mail Room
- Delivered, Front Door/Porch
- Delivered, Garage or Other Location at Address
- Delivered, In/At Mailbox
- Delivered, Individual Picked Up at Post Office
- Delivered, Individual Picked Up at Postal Facility
- Delivered, Left with Individual
- Delivered, Neighbor as Requested
- Delivered, Parcel Locker
- Delivered, PO Box
- Delivered, To Original Sender
- Delivery Arranged; No Signature Expected
- Delivery Attempted - No Access to Delivery Location
- Delivery Attempted; Premises Closed
- Delivery Exception, Animal Interference
- Delivery Exception, Local Weather Delay
- Depart From Transit Office of Exchange
- Departed
- Departed Agent Facility
- Departed Facility
- Departed Post Office
- Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
- Departed USPS Destination Facility
- Departed USPS Facility
- Departed USPS Origin Facility
- Departed USPS Regional Destination Facility
- Departed USPS Regional Facility
- Departed USPS Regional Origin Facility
- Departing Origin
- Dispatched from USPS International Service Center
- Disposed by Post Office
- Distribution to PO Box in Progress
- Forward Expired
- Forward Processed
- Forwarded
- Held at Delivery Depot/Delivery Office
- Held at Post Office, At Customer Request
- Held in Customs
- In Transit to Next Facility
- In Transit, Arriving Late
- In Transit, Arriving On Time
- Inbound Into Customs
- Inbound Out of Customs
- Incorrect Address - Addressee's address being verified
- Incorrect Address - Item forwarded / redirected
- Incorrect Address - Scheduled for another delivery attempt today
- Incorrect Address - Will attempt delivery on next working day
- Insufficient Address
- Intercepted
- Item wrongly directed - Item forwarded / redirected
- Label Cancelled
- Merchant Order Receipt Notification, USPS Awaiting Item
- Missed delivery - Scheduled for another delivery attempt today
- Missed delivery - Will attempt delivery on next working day
- Moved, Left no Address
- No Such Number
- Notice Left (No Authorized Recipient Available)
- Notice Left (No Secure Location Available)
- Notice Left (Receptacle Full/Item Oversized)
- Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
- Out for Delivery
- Out for Delivery, Expected Delivery Between
- Out for Delivery, Expected Delivery by
- Out for Redelivery
- Payment of charges - Item being held, addressee being notified
- Picked Up and Processed by Agent
- Picked Up by Shipping Agent
- Picked Up by Shipping Partner, USPS Awaiting Item
- Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS
- Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item
- Processed at USPS Destination Facility
- Processed at USPS Regional Destination Facility
- Processed Through Facility
- Processed Through Regional Facility
- Processed through USPS Facility
- Processing Exception
- Processing Exception, Regional Weather Delay
- Received by Agent
- Recipient notified by Agent
- Redelivery Scheduled
- Refused
- Released from US Customs
- Reminder to Schedule Redelivery of your item
- Rescheduled to Next Delivery Day
- Return Receipt Associated
- Return to Sender
- Return to Sender Processed
- Seized by Law Enforcement
- Shipment Delivered
- Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending
- Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
- Tendered to Military Agent
- Tendered to Returns Agent
- Transferred Through
- Unclaimed/Being Returned to Sender
- USPS expects item for mailing (SSK)
- USPS in possession of item
- USPS picked up item
- Vacant
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Help, my USPS package is lost, what now?
If it should happen that your USPS shipment got lost during its journey, you should contact USPS as soon as possible. Before contacting the customer service, we recommend you to check the current status of your package via tracking.
- If the current status messages don't help you, you can contact USPS via online form.
- If there is still no information regarding your USPS shipment after 7 days, you can submit a so-called "Missing Mail Search Request" via the USPS website.
Within the next few days, USPS will start tracking and notify you by mail with updated information. If your package is found, it will be forwarded to the recipient's address.
If your USPS package is lost in the recipient country (e.g. Germany), you should contact DHL directly, as they have taken over the transport and delivery in Germany as a partner. You can find more information here.
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What happens when you are not at home
If you are expecting a shipment with USPS, but unfortunately you will not be home on the day of delivery. If you live in Germany, your USPS shipment was handed over to the shipping partner DHL. So if you were not found by the DHL delivery person, your shipment was either left with a neighbor, it was forwarded to a parcel store or a post office branch, or it was left at your specified desired location (if you have one with DHL).
You will receive a notification card on which you can read exactly what happened to your shipment.
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Individual references:
- https://www.history.com/news/post-office-mail-delivery
Other sources:
- https://www.usps.com/
- https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Informed-Delivery-The-Basics
- https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Where-is-my-package
Related links: