USPS package tracking fails

Until fairly recently (like up until a few months ago), I’ve never had many issues with USPS package tracking. So far this year, USPS has been pretty abysmal with their package tracking.

Slow deliveries I don’t mind so much. It’s USPS, I’m used to them being slow. When I was in Detroit, it didn’t matter where something was being mailed from. It always took a week to get to me. The lack of package tracking updates is what annoys me.

Earlier this year, I was having some items from Etherkit sent to me. USPS tracking showed the shipping label being created, and then nothing for 7 days when it pops up in Ft. Worth, TX. It left there and disappeared for another 5 days before showing up in Columbia SC and finally arriving in my mailbox the next day.

A few months ago, I was waiting on an order from Sparkfun. After taking 2 days to leave Colorado (where Sparkfun lives), it disappeared for 6 days and popped up in Philadelphia. A couple of days later the package finally arrived after bouncing around to a couple of places here.

The latest package we’re waiting for now hasn’t had any tracking updates in 7 days when it was first scanned into the system.

Granted my sample size is pretty small. However, Adafruit, who ships many more packages than I’ll ever receive, has a much larger sample size to work with and has written a few times about USPS’ recent failings

• USPS slowing down – our thoughts on the postal service over the last few months #makerbusiness
• Update: USPS slowing down – our thoughts on the postal service over the last few months #makerbusiness
• Update: USPS slowing down #makerbusiness
• U.S. Postal Service delivery times lag more than expected @USPS #usps #makerbusiness

At this rate, I’m pretty much ready to say “Screw USPS” and eat the higher shipping costs for UPS/Fedex for future orders. At least their tracking updates are more reliable.

Update: After 10 days without any updates, the package showed up in Aurora, CO. Totally in the wrong direction. That was a mighty slow truck to take 10 days to go from CT to CO. It left CO, and two days later the tracking showed it in Columbia, SC. Finally, the next day it arrived in our mailbox. 13 days for a “Priority 3-day” package. USPS, you’re totally failing.