Why Was My Package Stopped In Transit?
TL;DR
- Parcels may be stopped in transit due to customs clearance issues, incorrect or incomplete documentation, or prohibited items.
- Oversized or overweight shipments can be halted until additional costs are covered or the parcel is returned to the sender.
- Damaged labels or barcodes might delay packages as manual sorting takes more time.
- Delivery address errors or recipient absence can also cause delays, with parcels held at depots for several days.
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Whenever sending a parcel, make sure you have access to the appropriate tracking tools. Keeping an eye on your shipment will allow you not only to predict its delivery time but also to recognise any problems along the way. For example, when your package stopped in transit for too long.
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Why was the parcel left in transit?
If your package still remains in one spot for more than 2 working days, however, it may have been stopped on purpose. Whenever you witness any suspicious information in the tracking system (or lack thereof), you should request an update from the courier company responsible for your package. But why was your package stopped in transit in the first place?
- In some cases, customs clearance may be necessary. If there is no proper documentation, provided documents are incorrect or incomplete, or there is any forbidden item inside your package – it may be stopped at customs. Read more about customs clearance here.
- If your package is oversized or overweight, it may be stopped in transit until it’s returned back to the sender or the additional costs are covered. To avoid such a scenario, make sure your shipment complies with the standards of the chosen courier service. Continue reading about overweight packages here.
- Every parcel can be scanned thanks to its label and an assigned barcode. If the label gets damaged by any chance, it makes it harder to sort the package and scan the barcode. This is when delays may occur, as manual sorting takes much more time.
- If you decided to make any changes in your order when your package had already been in transit – it may have been stopped in order to process the new details (another delivery address, for example). Remember that any amendments may influence the transit time, even if they are not significant. Here’s how (and when) to reroute a shipment.
From time to time, the delivery address is wrong, the recipient is absent for a couple of days in a row, or your shipment becomes undeliverable for some other reason. Whenever that happens, your package will be kept in the depot for a few days, hence its delivery will be delayed.
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How does the tracking system work?
The tracking system should be updated whenever your package is scanned in a depot. Although the current status of your shipment may be delayed, you should be able to follow its progress most of the time. If there is no update for less than 48 hours, don’t worry too much. It does not necessarily mean that your package stopped in transit, but it’s most likely still in the vehicle and hasn’t been offloaded or processed yet. Remember that the volume of shipments can be high sometimes, and there is always a possibility of a machine or human error. Thus, scanning your parcel may take slightly longer than expected.
Nonetheless, whenever you find some of the statuses confusing, have a look at the explanation of the tracking system we prepared.
Transporting a package may seem like a fairly simple process, but in reality, it’s quite complex. What’s more, it can be easily affected by weather conditions and accidents, which often cause delays. Apart from the reasons listed above, your package can be stopped in transit due to unforeseen circumstances, which courier companies can’t always control.
Sporadically, after being stopped in transit for too long, your package can be considered missing or lost. That’s why it’s important to seek assistance whenever your shipment seems to be stuck. If you are worried about your parcel and booked a shipping service with Eurosender, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The most common tracking statuses
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About the author
Marcel Nahtigal is Head of Marketing at Eurosender, specializing in digital strategies to enhance customer connections in logistics.
