Where is out for delivery?

While you may think that your order is shipped immediately after placing it, that’s not usually the case.

Shipping is typically the final step in the post-processing stage of the supply chain.

In fact, eCommerce orders have lengthy logistics processes.

After your order is confirmed, the supply company begins order processing.

This involves packing and labeling the item you’ve ordered.

If the item you’ve ordered isn’t already manufactured, order processing covers the production process.

Once the order is ready to be transported to you, the supplier hands it over to a delivery company like USPS, DHL, or FedEx.

However, the supply company might skip this step if it has its own courier service.

For instance, Amazon orders are processed through Amazon Logistics — their own delivery service.

When the package leaves the supplier’s warehouse, the shipping process begins.

Shipping refers to the process of getting the package from the seller (origin location) to the customer (final destination).

How long the shipping process takes depends on several factors, such as:

For express or priority shipping, delivery time typically ranges from one to three days. For standard shipping, delivery time can range between two and eight days.

And you’ll have to pay more for express shipping.

Another factor that can determine the shipping process length is how your package is transported.

For instance, a package that’s shipped by air will likely get to you quicker than if it’s shipped by ground.

If your package travels from another country, it’ll also take longer to get to you due to processes like customs.

(Check out our guide to international tracking.)

Large or heavy items may take longer to reach your destination due to special packing and transportation needs.

Similarly, a package may take more time to get to you if it needs a cold chain or temperature-controlled packaging.

The good news is that you can use a package-tracking app like Circuit Package Tracker to keep up with your delivery status and know how long the shipping process will take.

No, “shipped” doesn’t mean “delivered.”

When you get a notification indicating that your package has been shipped, it means your package is making its way to your destination.

The package is between the seller’s location and the final delivery location (you).

If the tracking status shows that your package has been delivered, it means that the delivery driver dropped the package off at your place (hopefully!) and completed the order fulfillment process.

So what does out for delivery mean? It means that a package has reached a shipping transit point near the recipient and been loaded on a truck headed toward its final delivery destination. In most cases, once a package is marked as 'out for delivery', it will arrive later that day.

Being able to track that package every step of the way to our doorstep is even cooler! At the same time, though, it’s important to remember that “out for delivery” doesn’t always mean that our package is going to arrive within the next few minutes. No, sometimes this tracking message is a little vaguer than most people expect. But that’s why we’ve put together this detailed guide. What does “out for delivery” mean, really?

Let’s find out right now!

“Out for Delivery” is one of the easier tracking messages to decipher, if only because it means exactly what it says – that your package is on a truck or a vehicle out for delivery right now, this very moment. At the same time, though, this doesn’t necessarily mean that your package is going to arrive within a couple of moments. It just means that your packages on a vehicle with a whole bunch of other packages that are also “Out for Delivery”. It may be a few moments until your package arrives, but it also might take a couple of hours – or even the entire day – for your package to hit your doorstep.

In the rest of this detailed breakdown we are not only going to cover what does out for delivery mean really, but we are also going to shine a light on some tips and tricks to better understand tracking information and anticipate when your actual delivery will happen.

There’s no real right or wrong answer here for how often you should be tracking your information. Some people like to check their tracking information as soon as they place and order, couple of days after that, and then on the anticipated day of delivery.

Other folks, though (maybe even the majority of people), like to look at their tracking information all whole lot more frequently than that. They might check their tracking information shortly after placing an order, the next morning, the afternoon of that same day, and then at least twice a day every day until they see the “Out for Delivery” message update. That’s when they know that delivery day is upon them and they are going to get their package 99 times out of 100 within the next few hours!

Of course, if you’re checking your tracking information on a regular basis the odds are pretty good you’re going to see different messages from the “Out for Delivery” one – all depending on where your packages in the shipping journey. Here’s a quick rundown of the kinds of tracking updates you might see, tracking updates that help give a little more context to what does out for delivery mean, really.

Let’s get into it!

Anytime you see “Arrival Scan” pop up in your tracking information it means that your package has arrived at a new shipping facility. This can is used by USPS, UPS, and FedEx alike (as well as a bunch of other shipping services, too). It’s just to let you know that your package has showed up at the next leg in a journey, that it is scanned into that facility, and that it’s moving through the infrastructure to be routed further.

Don’t be surprised if you see this tracking update a handful of times. It just means that your package is getting dropped off at a bunch of different spots before it goes out for delivery!

“Departure Scan” is the update you’ll see when your package leaves those same shipment facilities. This is also great news, as it means that your package has cleared through the shipping infrastructure of that facility, has been successfully rerouted, bundled up with other packages, and is moving to the next facility – or its final stop before loaded onto a truck and shipped to your door. Still, it might mean that your package is a day (or a couple of days) away from you getting the “Out for Delivery” update. Just know that this means your packages on the move once again!

This is another of the tracking updates you shouldn’t be surprised to see multiple times during the travels of your package. A package being “In Transit” simply means that your packages literally on the move – physically on the move – inside of some kind of shipping company vehicle. Sometimes it means that your package is on board a truck being sent across town, across the state, or across the country. Sometimes it means that your package is on board and airplane, being flown to the next regional hub. Sometimes it might even mean that your package is loaded into a train and is taking a more scenic route to its next destination!

When you get right down to it, though, “In Transit” means that your package is moving between facilities. The next scan you’ll see is (usually) going to be the “Arrival” can that we highlighted just a moment ago. The tricky thing with this particular update, though, is that it is impossible to know exactly how long the “In Transit” leg of this journey is going to take. Just like trying to figure out what does “Out for Delivery” mean, sometimes it’s impossible to know exactly what “In Transit” means in regards to how long it’s going to take for a new update to pop into your tracking info.

Keep refreshing, keep checking in, and sooner or later you’ll get your next update.

Now we’re talking! Seeing the “On Vehicle” message pop up doesn’t always happen, but when it does you can be sure that your package is being loaded onto a vehicle (or has already been loaded up) and is being prepared for delivery. This is the kind of tracking update you’ll usually see bright and early in the morning. We are talking about before 8 AM most of the time. That’s because a lot of operations – like USPS, FedEx, and UPS – like to have their vehicles loaded and on the road by 8 AM, 9 AM at the latest.

The tricky thing about this particular tracking update, though, is that you never really know exactly when it’s going to pop up in your tracking. Some facilities are really serious about making sure that this scan gets added to every single box that’s loaded onto a vehicle before delivery. Other facilities aren’t all that interested about scanning every single package, so sometimes your box might update with this info and sometimes it might not.

At the end of the day that make things a little more confusing and harder to pin down. Just know, though, that the “Out for Delivery” message is almost always going to pop up right after this one does.

This is a tracking message that absolutely nobody wants to see, and hopefully you won’t have to worry about it. But if it does pop up in your tracking information you should know that it means your packages being rerouted back to the sender for one reason or another.

A lot of times you won’t get any more information about why your package is being rerouted, just that it is being rerouted. You may have to reach out to the shipping company directly to see exactly why your package isn’t going to be delivered any longer. They may or may not be able to clear things up.

If they can’t give you a straight answer it’s time to reach out to the person that shipped your package to see what’s going on. They’ll be able to let you know why your package is being returned to them, what they are going to do about it, and a timeline for when you’ll get a refund or a replacement sent back to you.

On the flip side of things, this is the message that all of us are looking for! This is the message that means our package isn’t just out for delivery but it has in fact been delivered, and that it’s sitting on our front step, somewhere in our driveway, or up against our door at last. Plenty of people stop worrying about what does “Out for Delivery” mean the second that they see this message pop up in their tracking info (and it’s not hard to understand why)!

This message isn’t quite as bad as seeing “Returning to Sender” but it still isn’t a great message to see on Delivery Day. Usually this message means that a shipping company tried to drop off your package but wasn’t able to for one reason or another. Maybe it’s the middle of winter and there was too much snow in the driveway for the delivery driver to get to your doorstep. Maybe something went wrong with the delivery vehicle and they’ll attempt delivery again later. Maybe something else entirely happened that prevented your package from getting to you on the day you expected it.

No matter what, when you see this message just know that delivery is (likely) going to be attempted the very next day. You might also be able to contact the shipping service directly – the USPS, FedEx, or UPS – and pickup your package yourself if you want to shortcut things a little bit.

Now that we’ve gone over what does “Out for Delivery” and other tracking updates mean, it’s important to really reinforce the fact that you can’t ever know for sure how much time will pass between seeing this tracking update and actually getting your package. Some people live in houses that are first on the delivery route whereas others are the last house delivery drivers visit before they finish for the day. Most people sit somewhere in the middle.

This can mean that the “Out for Delivery” message pops up first thing in the morning and your package arrives within a few minutes. It might also mean that this message pops up and then you have to wait eight hours or longer to actually get your package. Most of the time, though, you’ll have a good idea of when to expect your package’s arrival. If you’ve ever ordered things in the past and had them delivered from USPS, FedEx, or UPS you’ve probably got a ballpark idea.

These delivery services are really consistent, after all. If they deliver between 3 and 4 PM every other time you order something chances are that’s when your package will arrive this time, too.

Imagine never having to worry about tracking updates ever again, knowing that you would be immediately notified about the arrival of your package the second that it was delivered? Sound too good to be true? That’s the daily reality for all of the US Global Mail customers taking advantage of their Virtual Mailbox services!

Not only do Virtual Mailbox customers get to take advantage of a permanent, physical street address (allowing them to receive packages from all major shipping companies with a lot more privacy, too), but they also get instant digital notifications about mail and packages that hit their mailbox in real time.

You’ll never again have to worry about whether or not your package was actually delivered when it said it would be. You’ll never again have to worry about seeing “Out for Delivery”, either. Instead you’ll get a digital scan of your package the moment that it arrives. This scan will get uploaded to your customer dashboard and can get pushed to your email or phone as a notification in real time, too.

Of course, there are a whole bunch of other benefits to becoming a US Global Mail customer. Benefits like increased privacy and anonymity, forwarding of mail and packages to almost all addresses on the planet at up to 80% off of retail prices, instant check depositing features, and so much more. To learn more about what makes US Global Mail so special visit their website today!

A recurring topic here on Linguablog is how different communities develop their own words, expressions, and even entire languages.

And, these communities don’t have to populate a country. They can be a relatively small group of people meeting online to talk about gaming.

After all, it’s the Twitch community that has given us words like “Poggers,” “Pepega,” and “LULW.”

However, these communities can also come in the form of groups of people working the same job.

You probably know what I am talking about if you’ve ever listened to people in finance speaking with each other.

Another vocation with its own terms and expressions is that of logistics.

If you don’t know what logistics is, it is that field responsible for making sure you get those brand new shoes you ordered from Amazon a couple of weeks ago.

And, you have already been exposed to some of the terms of the field.

For instance, when you track the products you purchase online, the different updates you get tend to contain terms used within logistics.

A classic case in point, one that can confuse those unfamiliar with it, is “out for delivery.”

“Out for delivery” means that the package you bought is on the truck that will drop it at your doorstep. It is another way of saying that the package is on its way to you and should be in your possession today or tomorrow at the latest.

But, to get a better idea of what “out for delivery” entails, we need to discuss how your products get delivered to you in the first place and what “Last Mile Delivery” is.

Logistics is the lifeblood of any supply chain. Whereas a supply chain looks at how different parts of an industry interrelate together, logistics concerns itself with moving resources from one link in the chain to the other.

It is a field that concerns itself with shipping, storage, and other aspects of managing resources in transit.

Logistics today have become so intricate and complex that a detailed discussion of all the steps required to deliver your products far exceeds the scope of this article.

Instead, we are interested in how the delivery steps relate to the notifications you get when you are tracking a package.

To make things simple, let’s imagine that you are tracking a package that is being delivered by UPS. What follows are some of the terms and expressions you will probably see.

On its way to you, your package will undoubtedly have to make several pit stops. It will pass by a few facilities, some of which may be in different countries.

“Arrival scan” means that your package has arrived at a UPS facility and has been scanned. In other words, it is on the move.

Yet, this doesn’t mean that your package will arrive tomorrow.

There might be several days between an “arrival scan” and another “arrival scan,” depending on how far the two facilities are from each other and whether they are in the same country or in different countries.

“Departure scan” sort of stands in opposition to “Arrival scan.” It means that your package has left a UPS facility.

Once your package leaves a facility, it will be moving within the UPS network. At this stage, your package will be considered “In Transit.”

This means that your package has finally arrived at its last UPS facility. This is a local facility, one that is probably close to you, and the package should shortly leave the facility and head to you.

We are now in the final stretch. The package has left the local UPS facility and is on a truck on its way to you.

When you receive the package, then its status will have been “Delivered.”

In logistics, “last mile delivery” is the term used to describe the rather short trip your package takes from the final local facility to your place.

It is the idea that each package should reach the customer’s doorstep rather than having the customers pick up the package themselves from the nearby facility.

The term “Out For Delivery” refers to the phase of “Last Mile Delivery.”

Now, you might think that delivering packages to customers’ homes might seem like an obvious idea, one that doesn’t exactly warrant plenty of scrutiny. However, you’d be wrong.

“Last Mile Delivery” is one of the most complicated processes in the field of logistics, and it poses a serious problem to companies all over the world.

In fact, if there is any possibility of innovation or disruption in the field of logistics, it will probably have something to do with the last mile problem.

Within the shipping process, the most expensive and time-draining part is “Last Mile Delivery.”

For starters, you might have a sense of the problem if you ever saw that your package was “Out For Delivery,” yet it seemed to take forever for the package to arrive.

You probably felt that the process was inefficient somehow, and, this time, you were right.

You see, while packages are shipped in bulk, “Last Mile Delivery” means that each package will be dropped off individually, so companies can no longer benefit from economies of scale.

Additionally, a truck delivering several products might have to travel several miles between each drop-off.

Ergo, planning routes for trucks can be a source of great inefficiency if done incorrectly.

Another problem, rural areas can be so expansive that even optimally planned routes will take a long time to fulfill.

Alternatively, urban areas can be congested, which means that a delivery truck can easily get stuck in traffic.

Because of all of this, “Last Mile Delivery” can prove expensive to companies.

In fact, “Last Mile Delivery” can easily comprise more than half of the entire cost of shipping the product.

This is not to mention that the last mile problem has been exacerbated recently.

For one thing, e-commerce is on the rise, which means that more and more packages need to be delivered, complicating the problem further.

On the other hand, customers are expecting free and efficient shipping, so any issues with “Last Mile Delivery” will end up getting shouldered by the company.

Unfortunately, the answer is yes, especially during periods of high activity, such as the holidays and special days like Black Friday.

The point is that if a delivery company is overwhelmed by the number of packages it has to deliver, this can have a ripple effect on everybody expecting packages.

For one thing, some countries limit the number of hours truck drivers are allowed to be on the road behind the wheel, so if a driver reaches their limit before finishing their route, they have to bring back all the undelivered packages to the local facility.

Consequently, a package that was supposed to arrive today can take up two or more days to make it to its destination.

You can just add this to the problems and complications involved with “Last Mile Delivery.”

All of this shines a new light on “Out For Delivery,” doesn’t it? I bet you won’t be looking at that phrase the same way again.