USPS Tracking - what are your current experiences?

It’s going to be a another pure disaster this holiday season. They will be understaffed and unprepared as much as last year.

I dropped off something at the Post Office yesterday and the worker was bitching at me because my return zip was different than the post office I was actually sending it from (I send these out in during my lunch break in the town I work, not live). She said the post office that matches the zip gets credited for processing these regardless where I drop it off and this has an impact on them when they do layoffs. Meanwhile they have a huge Now Hiring sign out front. Regardless she seemed strung out.

 

Not great:

USPS tracking #9500115863311195399368

Jul 22, 2021
3:08pm
PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
MEMPHIS TN DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 38101

Jul 14, 2021
4:35pm
USPS IN POSSESSION OF ITEM
MIDDLETOWN, OH 45042

 

Yep. First Class Mail is now often taking the length of time to travel that Media Mail used to.

 

So I guess if she wanted you to change the return zip to match her post office so that they get the credit.. then if the item gets returned... it gets lost because the return zip isn't correct... What lovely customer service!!

 

DeJoy is certainly part of the problem.. but the Post Office has been a mess for years.

I know some carriers.. they would photo copy the scanner points that they were supposed to sticker in certain boxes. They had to be at those points around certain times on their route.

Then.. they would race, and I mean race, through their route to finish it hours early. They would sit around, at lunch, or friend's offices (if they were on a business route) and hang out and then set their watch and scan their 'copy' at the certain time they were supposed to be at X point in their route. They did their job and delivered all of their mail. But a 5 hour route could be done in 3 1/2. Then they had 'free time'

Here's the real trouble... the postal inspectors never saw this. When they would be inspected, they knew all about when it was happening so they would do their route and walk normal. If they walked too fast, they'd add deliveries. Nobody wants more work.

These carriers did this EVERY DAY! For years!! Still probably doing it. I don't hang with those guys anymore. I've got some mailman stories for ya!

 

I also knew a carrier who would race to do his work.. go hide his mail truck near his apt... jump in his car... run downtown to pay bills.. get back... all on the clock. Now, he did his route and delivered all his mail for the day... but still...

Sometimes he'd use the mail truck to go around the area and do his grocery shopping...

 

another early delivery.
2 lb package from Bellingham WA to Long Beach CA.
mailed Monday afternoon. scheduled for delivery next Monday. was delivered Friday.

Tracking History
August 13, 2021, 3:46 pm
Delivered, In/At Mailbox
LONG BEACH, CA 90810
Your item was delivered in or at the mailbox at 3:46 pm on August 13, 2021 in LONG BEACH, CA 90810.
August 13, 2021, 9:12 am
Out for Delivery
LONG BEACH, CA 90810
August 13, 2021, 9:01 am
Arrived at Post Office
LONG BEACH, CA 90802
August 12, 2021, 5:04 am
Departed USPS Regional Destination Facility
LOS ANGELES CA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
August 11, 2021, 9:37 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
August 10, 2021, 5:32 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
SEATTLE WA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
August 10, 2021, 4:27 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
SEATTLE WA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
August 9, 2021, 6:35 pm
Departed Post Office
BELLINGHAM, WA 98226
August 9, 2021, 2:48 pm
USPS in possession of item
BELLINGHAM, WA 98226

 

First Class Mail certainly speeds things up, but Media Mail (in my recent experience) is still a prolonged journey. More often than not, packages get stuck in Atlanta for a least a week (multiple distribution centers in that city). Even then, there is often no prompt as to if or when a package emerges from that Black Hole of the USPS operation.

 

Dropped a FC package off at a collection box on Tuesday. Tracking still has not updated. Lovely...

 

All you can control is the initial tracking scan. I always check packages in. If low value and not worth the time, you can still get an initial scan using the automated kiosk in most PO lobbies.

 

The last couple of things I've ordered that were shipped by USPS have been marked as delivered but not in my mailbox. The first item mysteriously showed up in my mailbox about a week after it was marked as delivered. The other item was marked as delivered 4 days ago but still hasn't shown up. Don't know if this is just a problem with my local carrier or anyone else is experiencing this currently? I haven't had this problem before until now.