If you regularly buy products or make online purchases, then you might have seen this “Departed Shipping Partner Facility USPS Awaiting Item” several times for the package. Before facing it, I don’t even know that Issues like this even exist.
Do you know what it means? Why the Tracking status of the package remains stuck with ‘Departed Shipping Partner Facility USPS Awaiting Item’. If you don’t then there’s nothing to worry about, here we have created a detailed article that will help you to know what’s wrong with the package and how long it will take to reach it’s final destination.
What does it mean departed shipping partner facility USPS awaiting item?
“Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item” means that your Package has left the facility of the initial shipping partner and is now it’s on the way to picked up by USPS.
To make it more clear, it simply means that the package is no longer in the possession of the initial shipping carrier( the one that is selling the product) and USPS is yet to receive the package physically. The packages are yet to be scanned and processed in one of the USPS facilities.
Once all the scans and formalities are cleared, the tracking status of the package will be change to ‘accept the package’. Depending upon the distance from shipper location to USPS warehouse, it might take a day or few a week in case of longer distance.
Reasons for Departed Shipping Partner Facility USPS Awaiting Item
High Volume of Packages
During peak seasons, (usually at the time of some big online sales) if USPS is heavily backlogged, there are fairly high chances that your package might have to wait for weeks in a sorting facility before getting scanned and shipped. Although it happens very rarely but there is a slight possibility that it can happen.
In such scenerios, the companies call the extra staff from other facilities where the volume of packages is not that much high.
Transportation Delays
Depending on your chosen shipping method, the package might need further transportation to a nearby USPS facility before reaching the final destination. This is uncommon and only happens with a few packages, specially that are meant to be delivered to far away places.
Road closure and machinery(engine) failure can also cause the delay in the expected delivery time of the parcel. If something like this happens then you only left to wait until the problem is resolved.
Technical Issues
Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item issue can also occur due to occasional scanner malfunctions or system errors, which severly impact the transmission of information to the customer end. If something like this occurs then the status of the package remains stuck until the issue is rectified.
Sometime the these issues can take longer than expected to get fixed which often cause the tracking status to remain stuck on the same status for days.
Why does USPS Use Shipping Partners for Some Packages?
To Lower the Operational Cost
If USPS wants to deliver every single package by itself then they are required to have a large working staff and a lot of delivery vehicles which will make the whole business model economically unviable. So, they choose the Shipping Partners method that keep the operational cost lower and make the process of shipping a bit faster and more efficient.
That’s one of the main reason why all the package delivery companies have shipping partners.
Accessibility
To be true, USPS can not take every package from the sellers and do all the deliveries by itself. They are required to get help from these shipping partners so that they can make the last-mile delivery possible.
Keep in mind, that USPS always works with reliable shipping partners so that the customers don’t have to worry about their packages. UPS, FedEx, and DHL are some of the most popular shipping partners that USPS uses to deliver packages/couriers on time.
Make Deliveries More Efficient
Having shipping partners allows the USPS to process the packages quickly as soon as they arrive at their facility which in turn reduces the shipping time and makes the process much faster and efficient. It also reduce the chance of delay and make the final delivery of the package within the expected delivery time.
How long does it take to deliver after the “Departed Shipping Partner Facility” Update?
If you have got this message. it means your package will usually take more time than expected to get delivered. As the package is transferred from the shipping partner to USPS. The exact time can vary, but you can expect your package to take an additional of 2-5 working days without any public holiday.
It indicates that the shipping partner has picked up the package and is yet to deliver it to USPS. After that, USPS will make the final delivery attempt to the recipient’s address.
The transit of the package between the shipping partner and USPS can take several days and even weeks depending upon the distance between the shipping partner’s facility and the USPS hub. During peak time, you might have to wait for a day or even a couple of weeks to get your package if you have got this update so be prepared for that. To be True, there is not much that you can do to get your package quickly.
Shipping Partners of USPS
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has many shipping partners, few of them are FedEx, UPS, DHL, LaserShip, and Ontrac to speed up the transportation and delivery of packages.
These shipping partners pick up the packages from the seller and deliver them to the USPS Facility. After that, the packages gets scanned and are sent over to the final recipient address to get delivered with in the given time frame.
Why My Tracking Status is Stuck on “Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item”?
Scanning Issue
This usually happens when there is a long queue of packages already piled up in the USPS facility. It might take a few days or in the worst case even a few weeks to get all the package scanned and processed.
Once USPS gets your package and scanned it, the Tracking Status will change to “Accepted” indicating that the package has been accepted in the facility of USPS.
Transportation Issue
Mechanical failure of delivery vehicles can also cause delays in the expected delivery time of the package. This is a common issue that occurs mostly during the winter season due to harsh weather conditions. Depending upon the extent of the damage, and in some cases, it may take a few weeks to fix the problem and resume normal delivery operations.
If the problem is too severe, then the company might have to arrange another transportation vehicle so that the consignment can reach on time.
Package Issue
Most of the USPS Shipping Partners(FedEx, UPS, DHL, Lasership) wait until the transportation vehicle get filled with the package and then they deliver it to the distant USPS facility to get scanned and delivered to the final recipient.
It doesn’t make sense for a delivery company to move just 2 boxes(packages) to a far-away USPS facility. It costs them money in wages and fuel, and they might not make that much profit on it. So, they wait until they have enough packages to fill the truck and make it worth the trip.
What To Do when the Tracking Status stays on “Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item?”
Be Patient
If you have received this update on the tracking status of the package, then be patient and wait for a while (about 1 day). If it’s a minor issue then it will get fixed on it’s on without your need to do any thing.
Fill Out the USPS Contact Form
The best possible thing that you can do when your Tracking Status shows you “Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item” for days, is to fill out the USPS Find My Package” Contact Form”.
You can expect to receive a message or update within 12 hours. Surprisingly, In my case after filling out that form, it took about 3 hours, and receiving an update means my package has been scanned and is ready to be delivered once picked up by the delivery partner.
Reach Out to Shipping Partners
If your package is delayed for days or weeks, then you need to contact the shipper. They can reach out to the USPS shipping partner to find out the package’s location. Taking this step might speed up the process of getting the package to USPS. If the package is lost, the shipper will need to reimburse you or send another package as per the agreement.