OnTrac is rated as one of the worst shipping carriers in the entire world. It’s the only delivery company in the world that has received a rating of one star and is still operating in the business without being forced to shut down.
You’ll be shocked to know, that during the time of Black Friday sale, I ordered a black hoodie from Amazon and I was expecting it to get delivered via OnTrac as my shipping partner. Initially, I was getting regular tracking updates about my package and then it came to a complete halt, after two weeks of no update suddenly my package arrived at my delivery location.
In between those 2 weeks, I was quite frustrated about not getting any update from OnTrac but when my package arrived at the location I was so relieved and sure not to use OnTrac again for any delivery in the future.
Why OnTrac Tracking is Not Updating?
Bugs in the Tracking System
OnTrac is known to have the worst tracking system in the entire shipping industry. It doesn’t care about whether the recipients are getting the updates or not and their UI is so bad that you can’t navigate it properly.
There are a lot of instances with people where their tracking status shows ‘out for delivery’ for days. They didn’t receive their package after waiting two to three days. Their tracking status shows that the ‘sender may not have sent your package’ or your tracking number may be invalid.
How is this even possible when you receive the update for your package as ‘out for delivery’ and after a few hours you get another update that shows ‘the sender may not have sent your package.’
Wrong Tracking Number
Many users have shared their experience on Reddit about how they get a system-generated tracking number from OnTrac and minutes after the tracking system shows their tracking details are invalid.
A user has shared a funny incident where its package status was firstly out for delivery then he checked it again then it showed that the “tracking number does not exist.” The funny part is that his package still arrived at his address while his tracking status still shows that the ‘Tracking number does not exist”.
Shortage of Working Staff
Due to their low shipping costs, OnTrac has contracts with popular brands like Walmart, Best Buy, Shein, and a lot more. They primarily focus on the Western side of the US, which includes about 36 states and Washington DC.
Many former employees of OnTrac have admitted that they are always understaffed no matter how much they hire, their low wages, and bad working conditions. Those big friends ship millions of packages every single day which can sometimes lead to the overwhelming of packages at the OnTrac sorting facility.
If something like this happens then it often causes the packages to get delayed and the tracking status to remain stuck on the same issue and there is a proper availability of staff to perform all the necessary functions.
Website Crashed
OnTrac’s official website for tracking the packages is so bad that if it experiences a bit more users it crashes which means the whole website is down for some time. This often frustrates the recipients as they are unable to check where their package has reached or when it will be expected to get delivered.
Stolen or Lost
If your package status seems to be stuck and doesn’t show any progress at all then there is a fair chance that your package might have been lost or stolen. However, these types of cases are rare unfortunately many instances have been reported where an OnTrac delivery person has delivered the package to the front porch at the location, and some random guys picked it up and ran away. (mostly in signature release options)
The most shocking thing is that many front door cameras have recorded that the office staff and truck drivers sometimes also steal valuable packages for their benefit. Package getting stolen and lost is also a reason why OnTrac is So Bad.
What To Do When Your OnTrac Tracking Is Not Updating?
Try This
I have read somewhere that adding “&run” to your tracking URL provides you with the exact details of when your package was last scanned and where it is currently. Remember that it best works when used on smartphone mobile devices but if you use it on a computer or desktop then it may not show you the accurate details.
Use other Tracking Sites
If the OnTrac tracking system, fails to provide you with the exact details of your package then you can also try third-party tracking sites such as tracking mode which would provide you with a better experience and more details about your package as compared to OnTrac.
These are the best alternatives to try if the OnTrac Tracking system seems to be stuck on a particular update.
Contact the Shipper
It’s the responsibility of the shipper that your package arrives to you within the given time frame especially if you have paid for the OnTrac Express Shipping option. As they are providing business to OnTrac, if they contact OnTrac and ask why the tracking status of a particular package is not updating then OnTrac will pay more attention to the sender compared to the recipient.