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USPS shipping (non) tracking General discussion shipping
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Prolific poster 4,438 posts David Emery deemery2 Prolific poster 4,438 posts
David Emery deemery2
I ordered some stuff from Woodland Scenics.  They said "Free Shipping, USPS, delivery 4-6 days" and provided me with a tracking number.   By Friday, I was getting concerned that USPS had lost the package.  This morning I checked again:
Screenshot 2026-05-09 at 08.43.48.jpg
 
Usually (but not always!) "out for delivery" does mean I get the package today.  But the lack of in-transit visibility is really annoying.  
 
No dig on WS at all, they got my order out right away (Order submitted Saturday and shipped Monday.)
 
dave
Modeling 1890s northeast US
Reply 3
kenheywood MRH Author 2,255 posts
kenheywood
A couple times in the past 10 years, I noticed a package bounce back and forth from hub to hub. It's almost like it never got into the proper transport. "Oh Joe, that doesn't go here, send it back!" Go figure.
Ken
[259338%2F8551665%2Fmceclip0]
Ken on Youtube
Reply 3
Ancientmariner Prolific poster 2,273 posts
Ancientmariner
I've had several USPS packages make unaccountable detours. It usually corrects itself quickly, losing a day or two at most. What amuses me is when I get a message telling me that a package will be delivered tomorrow, followed immediately by another message telling me the same package is waiting in my mailbox. Overall, I can't complain.
R/ Tony Anderson
 
Half of what I know is wrong. Bear with me while I figure out which half.
Reply 3
CandOfan Prolific poster 2,631 posts
CandOfan
(chuckles) Sometimes it’s better not to know! I’ve seen some packages take some pretty crazy adventures. In 2020 I had one package take 43 days to get from Albany NY to Richmond VA. More recently I had a FedEx package literally do a circle around me before arriving. (Roanoke -> Raleigh NC -> Northern VA -> Hampton somewhere -> Richmond. Scenic tour of VA I guess.) Maybe 15 years ago I had a printer (a BIG printer - palette sized) go from Brooklyn to me via somewhere in Washington State.

Modeling the C&O in Virginia in 1943, 1927 and 1918
Reply 3
Ancientmariner Prolific poster 2,273 posts
Ancientmariner
Not a package, but, many years ago, I received a letter three years after it had been mailed. Stamped on the envelope was "Found in supposedly empty equipment". So, it happens often enough that they have a rubber stamp for it?
R/ Tony Anderson
 
Half of what I know is wrong. Bear with me while I figure out which half.
Reply 3
Ancientmariner Prolific poster 2,273 posts
Ancientmariner
At this moment, I have two messages from Amazon. One says my package has been delivered. The other apologizes for not delivering my package. I guess I should go downstairs and begin the search to find out which is true. From past experiences, it could be anywhere on my five acres.
R/ Tony Anderson
 
Half of what I know is wrong. Bear with me while I figure out which half.
Reply 4
chris.mincemoyer Regular poster 410 posts
chris.mincemoyer
This is what a deal with with the Rochester NY distribution center. Stuff arrive in Rochester and never "leaves" and magically appears at the post office lol.Screenshot 2026-05-09 112805.png
Reply 2
Highlandsoft Active Member 33 posts
Highlandsoft
From last week: Among other things, caught in a loop between Greensboro and Gastonia. Nothing special about it, just a plain manilla envelope:
Delivered, In/At Mailbox TAYLORSVILLE, NC 28681  May 4, 2026, 1:06 pm
Out for Delivery TAYLORSVILLE, NC 28681  May 4, 2026, 8:07 am
Arrived at Post Office TAYLORSVILLE, NC 28681 May 4, 2026, 7:56 am
Arrived at USPS Facility TAYLORSVILLE, NC 28681  May 4, 2026, 4:16 am
Departed USPS Facility STATESVILLE, NC 28677 May 4, 2026, 3:48 am
In Transit to Next Facility May 3, 2026
Departed USPS Facility May 2, 2026, 11:58 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility CHARLOTTE NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER May 2, 2026, 8:18 am
Arrived at USPS Facility GASTONIA, NC 28054 May 2, 2026, 3:00 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  May 2, 2026, 12:36 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  May 1, 2026, 10:10 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  May 1, 2026, 12:10 am
Arrived at USPS Facility GASTONIA, NC 28054  April 30, 2026, 11:10 pm
In Transit to Next Facility April 30, 2026, 10:00 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  April 30, 2026, 8:55 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  April 29, 2026, 4:36 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC PACKAGE SORTING CENTER  April 29, 2026, 4:08 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC PACKAGE SORTING CENTER  April 29, 2026, 10:51 am
In Transit to Next Facility April 29, 2026, 7:30 am
In Transit to Next Facility April 29, 2026, 5:15 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility JACKSONVILLE FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER  April 29, 2026, 2:43 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility JACKSONVILLE FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER  April 28, 2026, 10:01 pm
Departed Post Office NICEVILLE, FL 32578  April 28, 2026, 5:15 am
USPS in possession of item NICEVILLE, FL 32578  April 27, 2026, 3:51 pm
It travelled like an internet packet.
Reply 2
David Emery deemery2 Prolific poster 4,438 posts
David Emery deemery2
At this moment, I have two messages from Amazon. One says my package has been delivered. The other apologizes for not delivering my package. I guess I should go downstairs and begin the search to find out which is true. From past experiences, it could be anywhere on my five acres.
We should call that the "Amazon Uncertainty Principle"  Uncertainty principle - Wikipedia  
 
dave
Modeling 1890s northeast US
Reply 3
Ray Hamilton Frequent poster 742 posts
Ray Hamilton
From last week: Among other things, caught in a loop between Greensboro and Gastonia. Nothing special about it, just a plain manilla envelope:
Delivered, In/At Mailbox TAYLORSVILLE, NC 28681  May 4, 2026, 1:06 pm
Out for Delivery TAYLORSVILLE, NC 28681  May 4, 2026, 8:07 am
Arrived at Post Office TAYLORSVILLE, NC 28681 May 4, 2026, 7:56 am
Arrived at USPS Facility TAYLORSVILLE, NC 28681  May 4, 2026, 4:16 am
Departed USPS Facility STATESVILLE, NC 28677 May 4, 2026, 3:48 am
In Transit to Next Facility May 3, 2026
Departed USPS Facility May 2, 2026, 11:58 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility CHARLOTTE NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER May 2, 2026, 8:18 am
Arrived at USPS Facility GASTONIA, NC 28054 May 2, 2026, 3:00 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  May 2, 2026, 12:36 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  May 1, 2026, 10:10 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  May 1, 2026, 12:10 am
Arrived at USPS Facility GASTONIA, NC 28054  April 30, 2026, 11:10 pm
In Transit to Next Facility April 30, 2026, 10:00 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  April 30, 2026, 8:55 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER  April 29, 2026, 4:36 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC PACKAGE SORTING CENTER  April 29, 2026, 4:08 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility GREENSBORO NC PACKAGE SORTING CENTER  April 29, 2026, 10:51 am
In Transit to Next Facility April 29, 2026, 7:30 am
In Transit to Next Facility April 29, 2026, 5:15 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility JACKSONVILLE FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER  April 29, 2026, 2:43 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility JACKSONVILLE FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER  April 28, 2026, 10:01 pm
Departed Post Office NICEVILLE, FL 32578  April 28, 2026, 5:15 am
USPS in possession of item NICEVILLE, FL 32578  April 27, 2026, 3:51 pm
It travelled like an internet packet.
Interesting routing. I live between Statesville and Taylorsville, so we're near neighbors. I've noticed all our mail comes through Greensboro. I just got a tracking message saying the package is in Gastonia but won't be delivered until Wednesday. I'm sure it has to go from Gastonia to Greensboro before heading back our way.
Ray
 
Modeling Southern Pacific’s Ventura Subdivision in the San Fernando Valley (GEMCO to Northridge) circa Summer 1958.
Reply 1
spyder62 Regular poster 198 posts
spyder62
I got one back over a year after they said it was out for delivery.
rich
Reply 1
Jolly Roger Active Member 92 posts
Jolly Roger
It gets worse if the vendor uses a shipper who then uses the USPS as a final delivery means.
 
Then there is the 'the package has shipped'; which in vendor parlance means 'we've generated a shipping label through the shipper, but they haven't picked up the package, because the label was generated late in the day'.
 
Several years ago, I had several shipments of items I sold on eBay, and the items got lost in the 'system'. Started getting righteous complaints from the purchasers. Yet the USPS system said they were on the way, even after numerous days 'in transit'. Both shipments finally arrived at the buyers' homes, but not after they decided to lodge concerns with eBay. Going to check with the USPS about their status got me nothing; I'm not even sure the requests were honored.
 
I have noted that the in transit messages have gotten much more cryptic. Having reached the regional distribution facility 20 miles away on a given day does not mean that it will be out for delivery the next business day, either.
 
The USPS, being run like a business by businessmen. Ahem.
Reply 1
Bshoop Super User 2,568 posts
Bshoop
I guess it's all relative to where you're at.
Here in south-central PA, our local USPS actually does a pretty good job getting things here promptly, and in good condition.
It is annoying though, when I'm tracking a package from them on my phone, and it'll show its initial send-off time/date/ facility, and then just go dead on the tracking information for 3-4 days, and then show up.😒
I'd say that happens about 25% of the time.
Irritating?
Yes, but thankfully it almost always still gets here when it should, and in good shape.
Reply 2
Mister Beasley Prolific poster 1,178 posts
Mister Beasley
Best performance was from Trainworld in NYC to the burbs of Boston, less than a day. Worst was almost a month from Florida to Boston.
Reply 0
Ray Hamilton Frequent poster 742 posts
Ray Hamilton
As a followup to my response to Highland soft, I just got this tracking information. The package didn't go through Greensboro this time, but it circled between Gastonia and Charlotte. Very inefficient routing. However, it was originally scheduled for Wednesday, so they did beat that (presuming it does show up today).
 
USPS.png
Ray
 
Modeling Southern Pacific’s Ventura Subdivision in the San Fernando Valley (GEMCO to Northridge) circa Summer 1958.
Reply 0
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