Why would an item say “shipping label created” and then have no tracking or delivery status updates for days on end (USPS)?
Pre-Shipment, USPS Awaiting Item. What It Means: A shipping label has been created with a USPS Tracking® number. The package has not yet been given to USPS.
The shipper may have “created a label” at their location, and the label is now in the data base of the USPS, but the item itself has not left the shipper’s location. No further status updates are available because there are none until USPS actually receives the item from the shipper!!
Bitch at the shipper, not the USPS!!! Only they know the reason for the delay!! Listen to them prevaricate when confronted with their incompetence!!!
If you see the message “Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item,” it means that USPS has picked up the package from our warehouse but they forwarded it to the next point without scanning it.
When an item says “shipping label created” at USPS, it means that the sender has generated a shipping label for the package, but the package has not yet been handed over to USPS for processing. This status indicates that the shipping process has begun, but the item is still with the sender or in the seller’s possession. Once the package is dropped off at a USPS location or picked up by a postal worker, it will be scanned into the system, and the tracking status will update to reflect that it’s in transit.
Why does USPS keep saying my package is moving through the network to its final destination three days past the expected delivery date?
Probably because they’ve screwed up.
I once bought a used vape mod from a guy on a forum where I am a member. A nice piece hadn’t been made in years, and I failed to get on the train when it was moving, so I was delighted to see one in good condition going used.
Anyway, he lived in Florida, and I, of course, am a Texan. When we concluded our transaction, I paid him to also insure the package and provide me with a tracking number so I could make sure to be available when it was scheduled to arrive.
So I watched it cross the eastern half of the US en route to me. Then, on the day it was scheduled to be delivered, it vanished. The guy emailed me to make sure everything was OK. I had to tell him it hadn’t been delivered, even though tracking showed it was in my city. It never got marked “out for delivery.” So we sat on pins and needles for two days with no updates.
Then it suddenly reappeared. In Honolulu. Now, referring to just about any map will inform you that it isn’t necessary to go to Hawaii to get from Florida to Texas, but that’s what happened. It did return and was finally delivered a week late. Once it got “found” by the system, it never deviated; it came back to LA and then got in the pipeline and got itself delivered in a reasonable hurry.
The dude and I had a good laugh about the mod needing a vacation before going back to work, and nobody was mad about it; it was just one of those things. But if I had to guess, if your package didn’t get delivered and tracking has stopped, it probably got misshipped somewhere else. And it will probably also eventually be found and delivered to you.
Is the USPS frequently wrong when it gives an expected tracking delivery day?
My experience as both a letter carrier for 17 years and a customer for most of my life is that they are on time 93% of the time. I can only think of about seven times I have ever heard of them being late. When you consider the size of the country, the number of customers, and the 700,000 employees, I think that’s a pretty awesome record.
What if USPS does not update tracking?
One of two things has happened:
- There is nothing new to report. This happens. One recent example is a package I was waiting for to be shipped from Canada to the US. 2 days across the border and the first 1,000 miles. Then I spent 28 days sitting in the customs processing center, 18 miles from my home. With no updates.
- Your package has not been scanned correctly. USPS has a formal policy that all trackable packages are to be scanned at every interaction, most importantly in the final touches during delivery. However, scans can and do get missed. Some delivery folks skip it if there is a problem with the first scan attempt, or they don’t want to guess what the missing numbers are for a 22-digit number if the label is torn or damaged, or their scanner has a software glitch, or they run out of battery power. In the real world, things happen.
What happens to your package? It was probably delivered; most are. Occasionally, it wasn’t. Or delivered incorrectly. Every carrier that I have ever encountered is a documented genius; they are absolutely the most caring, honest, and giving people in the world, but even they will occasionally make a small mistake. Or have a package fly off the sorting tray and out the truck window into an intersection and not be seen again.
Can my package be in the mail if my tracking number tells me a USPS shipping label has been created for an awaiting item? The contacted seller said the number was a delivery confirmation only number.
Yes, your package could be in the mail stream getting ready to be delivered; it could have missed its scans. When it says they’re waiting for the package at the UPS, that means that the delivery label was generated but either the package hasn’t been mailed yet or has missed being scanned as accepted by the post office, but there should be more scans after that. I can’t believe they would have missed them all.
Does USPS deliver until 8 p.m.?
We try not to. If a package is delivered after 8 p.m., the postal service considers it a failure. With that being said, there are some special circumstances in which your mail and/or packages might get delivered at or after 8 p.m.
A typical workday is 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Mail and parcel volumes are not the same every day. On a light day for my office, we may have around 30,000 mailpieces for the entire office, which has about 50 routes. On a day like this, a carrier should have plenty of time to do his or her route and possibly some route maintenance.
An average day for us is about 55,000 mail pieces. As long as we don’t have “door-to-door” (standard mail such as coupons that go to every single house), we should be able to be done by 4:30. A heavy day is anything above average. Sometimes there are two “doors to doors” that you will have to carry.
When a mail carrier calls off, that mail still has to be delivered. The whole route can be given to a rookie (CCA), or it can be broken down into “pivots” to give to multiple carriers. These are called pivots because they are supposed to be on the route right beside yours, but often times they are on the complete other side of town and require a 20+ minute drive. On a day with 15 call-offs (that’s a lot), you could be doing two pivots.
Combine that heavy day with call-offs, and you have yourself an 8 p.m. delivery. Don’t get mad at me, CCA’s I know some of you guys in smaller offices have been CCA’s for longer than my career.
What time will USPS arrive to deliver my item?
Due to a multitude of factors, the postal service makes every attempt to ensure mail is delivered at the earliest possible time. If anyone seeks to have a guaranteed mail delivery time, I recommend the mail piece be sent via our Express Mail delivery service. This is a guaranteed delivery time, either before noon or by 3 p.m. There are minimal exceptions to this policy, such as acts of God that impact delivery for an area, region, or district and cause an adjustment in operations.
Although it may be frustrating from the appearance that no one cares, trust that when your carriers are delayed due to plant-related issues, vehicle breakdowns, or an accident, they too are equally frustrated for their customers. Nonetheless, be assured that the men and women working for the postal service are dedicated to getting mail delivered as quickly and safely to you guys as possible.
Why does my UPS package just says label created?
Label Created. We’ve received the shipment details and billing information from the sender of the shipment. Once we have possession of the shipment and have it moving within our network, the status will be updated.
If your UPS package status says “label created,” it means that the shipping label has been generated, but the package has not yet been handed over to UPS for processing. This can happen for several reasons:
- Pending Drop-off: The sender has printed the label but hasn’t taken the package to a UPS location yet.
- Scheduled Pickup: If the sender requested a pickup, it might not have occurred yet.
- Processing Delay: There may be a delay in the UPS system updating the status once the package is actually dropped off.
- Seller Issues: If it’s an online order, the seller might be experiencing delays in getting the package ready for shipment.
If this status continues for a few days, it’s a good idea to reach out to the sender or check with UPS for more details.
Does USPS deliver at 9 p.m?
We don’t like to but sometimes, yes. This can happen if we a bunch of carriers are on vacation or out sick. During election time, Christmas, prime day. Any time that mail or packages increase and carriers decrease, this can happen.
Why does my USPS package still say shipping label created?
“Label Created, Not Yet in System” typically means that the shipping label for the package has been generated, usually by the sender, but the package hasn’t been scanned into the carrier’s tracking system yet.
If your USPS package still says “shipping label created,” it typically means that the sender has printed the shipping label but hasn’t yet dropped off the package or scheduled a pickup. Here are a few reasons why this might happen:
- Pending Drop-off: The sender may not have taken the package to the post office yet.
- Delayed Pickup: If the sender arranged for a USPS pickup, it might not have occurred yet.
- Processing Delay: There could be a delay in the USPS system updating the status once the package is actually dropped off.
- Seller Issues: If you ordered online, the seller might be experiencing delays in fulfilling or shipping your order.
If this status persists for several days, it may be helpful to contact the sender or check with USPS for more information.
Yesterday it said my package arrived at the USPS destination facility at 3:53 PM. Should it be out for delivery today?
Depends if they cold boxed it. My hub used to cold box packages whenever we couldn’t keep up with the load. Cold boxing is essentially unloading a trailer, purposefully mis-sorting it to a designated belt, then dumping it all back into a trailer to be sorted the next day.
I once had a package that said, “due to weather conditions”, my package couldn’t be delivered. I knew it was bullshit. We were cold boxing like crazy and I knew my hub had it. It was somewhere in this sea of boxes and it couldn’t get out because we were understaffed.
Why cold box? Because the hub is understaffed or underequipped to handle such a load and the managers want to make their numbers look good: technically, they’re still turning trailers if they unload them… they’re just shifting the contents around and not reporing extra trailers.
I hope it’s out for delivery, but UPS may cold box it.
If someone prints up a USPS label with tracking number, why does it say that Your package is on its way to a USPS facility, when the seller says it was shipped but the USPS tracking details take 24 to 48 hours to provide updates?
Where does it say “on its way”? On the USPS website? On a retail website? Did the seller say these words to you? On Ebay? Etsy? Amazon? Mercari? Let go? Facebook Marketplace?
The USPS is notified when a shipping label is printed. Since they are expecting to have the item soon, it’s considered “on the way” to a Postal Service Facility. Think of it as a friend texting you, saying “I’m on the way…” You might not be certain when they will arrive, you only know their arrival is expected.
There are many times, especially with Amazon, that an item will be shipped from one Amazon Facility to another before arriving at a USPS facility. Also, UPS and FedEx make daily “hand-offs” of parcels to local USPS delivery units. It’s entirely possible the sender has shipped it, and it hasn’t made it to the USPS yet. This is common.
If you’re using the USPS website to track it, and it reads “USPS awaiting item”, that means the Post Office doesn’t have it yet. It most likely also says something about a partner/affiliate facility. This shows the package going through other shipper’s facility on its way to the USPS.
I always suggest using Welcome | USPS to track packages. They have the most up to date information, and it’s quite easy to understand.
Hope this helps!
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Why would an item say “shipping label created” at USPS?