The status “in transit” on the USPS website or application means your package will arrive later than scheduled. The estimated delivery date is no longer valid. You can call or visit the post office, or file a missing mail search request to acquire the precise status of your mail/parcel.

The mail could reach an extended delivery date, beyond that date, or get delayed indefinitely. Lost or misplaced items, damaged items, unscanned items, poor weather conditions, customs processes, roadblocks or traffic accidents, incorrect delivery addresses, or demand surges could be the primary reasons behind delays.

USPS handles millions of mailers and packages every day through its vast postal network. However, “in transit, arriving late” status could be a common scenario for users.

This blog will help you understand the detailed meaning of the USPS ‘in transit arriving late’ update. We shall also discuss the steps you can take in such situations to get your mailpiece moving faster.

Let’s get started!

TL;DR

• The “in transit, arriving late” status means your mail/package is delayed.
• Common reasons for delays include items not being scanned, weather conditions, and lengthy customs processes.
• If your package is delayed for over seven business days, you can file a missing mail search request to locate it.
• Contacting USPS directly or visiting your local post office can provide more precise information about your delayed mail.

One of our clients who previously handled a few mailings internally always faced a delay when sending something through the post office. They complained about their packages or envelopes getting delayed while in transit. Hence, they wanted to understand the different USPS tracking statuses and what they mean.

If you see “Delayed in Transit” on your tracking page, it usually means the delay is due to an unforeseen situation, and the USPS is working on it. There is no cause for worry or alarm. You can always contact the nearby post office where you dropped off your items or call to stay updated on where your items are currently.

There are numerous reasons for the USPS to change your mail tracking status to ‘in transit arriving late.’ Below, we have covered them to help you stay updated and know what to do next.

Item Not Scanned

One of the most common reasons your mail gets delayed is not getting scanned at a USPS outlet or postal facility. The Post Office employees might forget to do so or miss out on your package because of large mail volumes.

Thus, the USPS online infrastructure may lose your item details even when it is still moving ahead. So, the ‘in transit arriving late’ USPS update may mean that the postal employees are yet to scan your item.

You need not worry about it as most of these items arrive on time. The details are updated whenever they are next scanned—at another sorting facility or when it is out for delivery.

 Related Article: What Does Out for Delivery Mean in USPS

Item Lost or Misplaced

Sometimes, if your item’s tracking update says ‘in transit arriving late for a week’ or more, it may be physically lost.

The USPS sorting facilities process hundreds and thousands of mail items daily, including envelopes and packages. They are scanned and sorted on huge conveyor belts now and then. Hence, your parcel may tumble off and get lost in transit. It doesn’t happen frequently, but you cannot eliminate this possibility.

Fortunately, the USPS helps track down such missing mailpieces proactively. It uses the last known details to find the item’s location and initiates an in-person search.

If the postal workers succeed in finding the item, it is rerouted back with expedited or overnight delivery. Then, the status changes from ‘in transit arriving late’ to something else, like ‘out for delivery or in transit, arriving on time.’

Item Damaged

There can also be a delay if your mail item gets damaged somewhere along the transit lines. Perhaps, your envelope tore, a box popped open, or an accident crushed your item. It is why most mailers opt for insurance while mailing.

So, if anything damages the packaging or the mailpiece, the USPS starts an investigation to figure out what happened. This process also involves recovering the item and drafting reports to be sent to the recipient to help them make claims.

Until then, your item status is updated to USPS ‘in transit arriving late.’ Mostly, the item is packaged again and delivered as soon as possible. But, if it is damaged a lot, there is not much left to do.

Hence, it is advisable to use sturdy packaging materials that help the postal workers transport your items safely.

Bad Weather Circumstances

Some factors that cause your item’s tracking update to show ‘in transit, arriving late’ are uncontrollable. They are also unpredictable, but you can take a hint depending on your mailing address.

For example, you can always expect delivery delays while mailing to coastal Georgia because of the snowfall. Also, it rains often in Miami and New Orleans, slowing down the USPS deliveries sometimes. You can consider these things and mail your items a few days in advance. Or, you can wait for the USPS to schedule your delivery as the weather permits.

Roadblocks and Traffic Accidents

Another potential reason for your USPS package being delayed in transit is roadblocks. If you choose Priority Mail Express and there is a massive roadblock the same day, the USPS cannot deliver your item on time.

There is a money-back guarantee. Hence, you can get your postage back, but the item will be delivered late. It is better to watch out for the current news and mail accordingly to avoid such situations.

However, some road accidents or traffic jams also lead to lost mail or delays. In such cases, you can expect your items to get delayed for several days or weeks.

Customs Delays

Mailing to international locations requires the USPS to fulfill several customs formalities. There can be delays at the customs office as the items are held back for inspection.

The USPS cannot always guarantee the number of days it takes to clear customs and deliver your international mail. Thus, you may get an ‘in transit, arriving late’ message for mailpieces sent globally.

Unexpected Demand Surges

Understaffing, sudden demand surges, etc., are other factors that lead to late deliveries. The USPS faces unexpected increases in mail volume from Thanksgiving up to New Year’s Day. Hence, you must either choose an Express service or mail several weeks in advance during the holidays, as there are a lot of backlogs.

Since 2019, the Covid outbreak has also led to several backlogs and slowdowns. Hence, an ‘in transit, arriving late’ tracking update could mean that the Post Office cannot adhere to the delivery standards.

Missing Details or Incorrect Delivery Addresses

Out of all the above reasons- some are uncontrollable, whereas the USPS is accountable for the others. But, there is one reason that is on you—writing incorrect mailing addresses!

An incorrect address causes a load of misinterpretation and confusion, causing your item status to show ‘in transit, arriving late.’ If the address is totally wrong or invalid, the item gets returned to you. Sometimes, there is an address forwarding service if the recipient has moved to another address.

But, you cannot expect on-time and accurate deliveries after shipping off an item without a precise delivery address. Thus, the best thing is to validate your mailing lists beforehand using a USPS Address Validation API like PostGrid. It can help you cross-confirm, standardize, and verify your mailing addresses to avoid such problems.

Please note: A USPS ‘in transit arriving late’ message does not always mean your item will not arrive on time. Keep checking the extended delivery date at the end of the tracking page. If it is not available, you can wait for the USPS to update it.

 Related Article: What Does In Transit Mean?

Does ‘In Transit, Arriving Late’ Also Affect International Shipments?

USPS manages both national and international shipments. It can send mail to 180+ countries, including Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, etc. You can send mail using Priority Mail Express International® and Priority Mail International®. It allows you to get global tracking and insurance up to a certain amount. Also, you can use First-Class Package International Service®, which is the cheapest option. But the question is whether these international deliveries can also reflect the “In Transit, Arriving Late” status. The answer is yes.

Global deliveries can also be delayed due to several reasons, like customs clearance, international holidays, weather circumstances, or invalid address formats. Sometimes, customs alone can take up to several business days or even weeks. Thus, you might see this status for a long time. However, it depends on the mailing class and mail type you sent. It is best to have an eye on the destination country’s postal guidelines, border controls, and latest news to get an idea of when your mail might get delivered to the recipient's address.

Also, please note that USPS only conducts mail deliveries within the U.S. borders. Beyond that, other global postal services take control based on the destination. Hence, repeatedly calling USPS to ask for updates might not work for international shipments. 

Luckily. PostGrid offers accurate International Address Verification to help you reformat, transliterate, and verify addresses of 245+ countries and territories. Thus, you can ship anywhere confidently without worrying about the “In Transit, Arriving Late” tracking update.

Which USPS Mailing Classes Are Most Likely to Get Delayed?

Some USPS mailing classes are more likely to get delayed than others because of how they are handled and how fast they are meant to travel. The most delayed type is USPS Marketing Mail (formerly Standard Mail). This class is low-cost and used for ads, flyers, and promotions. Since it is not urgent mail, USPS moves it only when there is extra space in trucks and planes. During busy seasons or bad weather, it is usually the first to be slowed down.

1. First-Class Mail (letters, bills, small packages) is more reliable than Marketing Mail, but it can still be delayed if there are weather problems, staff shortages, or address issues. It is given medium priority, so it moves faster than ads but slower than express services.
2. Priority Mail is less likely to be delayed because USPS gives it higher priority. However, it can still arrive late during holidays, storms, or heavy mail volume.
3. Priority Mail Express is the least likely to be delayed. It has a guaranteed delivery time in most cases. If it arrives late, you may be able to get a refund.

There are several things you can do to help speed up your mail delivery. The USPS may not notice a delivery delay in the system at first, but you can always contact them and ask them to provide you with the exact details.

Calling Up the USPS Office

According to the USPS, businesses and individuals must follow the post office-prescribed address format when mailing something. It doesn't matter which city or state you want to ship to; you must mention the addresses in this layout to ensure the automated equipment at the post office can read the locations.

The post office can do little if your address is incorrect or incomplete. Also, they might have to continuously reroute your items if you don't follow the correct address format. The machines might interpret your state name as a city, street name as a state, etc., leading to numerous errors and delays. However, it is best to call the post office if you think the items are taking too long to arrive at their destinations.

Calling up your local USPS office is the first and easiest thing you can do. It is better to call the office where you originally posted your item. If you dropped it in a mailbox, you should contact the nearest Post Office. 

Try dialing 1800-275-8777 and talking to a representative. Provide them your tracking number and inquire why your tracking update says USPS ‘in transit arriving late’ for a month. Please provide them with the exact details so they can track down your mailpiece speedily. 

Another option is calling 1800-222-1811 and getting in touch with the Delivery Tracking Department of the USPS. They may or may not be able to give any more details than the customer service, but it’s worth a try. 

You may need to call the Post Office several times before finally getting a proper update. Please try being patient as the USPS is overloaded with several such requests. Your customer service representative may check your mail status and update the online update from ‘in transit arriving late’ to something else. Or, they might ask you for a few hours or days to get back to you. 

Visiting the Post Office

If you aren’t satisfied with the business phone system, you can instead visit a nearby Post Office. Inquire why your item’s tracking update says ‘in transit arriving late.’ The USPS employees working there might locate your item and give you more precise details. 

It is also a viable option if you have a Post Office nearby your residence or office. Having a face-to-face conversation with a postal worker is always better than talking to them on call. 

They might ask you for some details related to your item and its packaging. Hence, remember to carry your mailing receipt with you. 

If the USPS tells you that your item is lost, you can provide all possible information, like:

• What did your package consist of
• How did the packaging look
• What was the value of your mailpiece? etc.

It allows you to initiate a claims process and get compensation at the earliest if your item never arrives.

File a Missing Mail Search Request

If your item status says ‘in transit arriving late’ for seven business days, you should file a missing mail search request. Here’s what you need:

• Recipient’s delivery address
• Sender’s address or return address
• Size of the envelope or box you used
• Type of the envelope or box you used
• Mailing date, Click-N-Ship label receipt, mailing receipt, or USPS tracking number to identify your item
• Description of your mail contents, like the model, brand, color, and size (if applicable)
• Images to help the postal workers recognize your mailpiece

You can then wait for the Post Office to reply or call on the number given for a follow-up.

 Also Read: 4 Steps to Take to Solve USPS Tracking Issues

Now, let’s discuss what happens after you get the ‘in transit, arriving late’ message. There are a few possibilities regarding when your item will finally arrive, including:

Your Mailpiece Arrives On the Extended Delivery Date

It is the most common scenario after getting a USPS package delayed in transit notification. The USPS informs you that your initial delivery date will be missed and puts up an extension delivery window. Then, all you need to do is relax and wait for the item to arrive during that period. 

If you chose the Priority Mail Express option and paid for expedited shipping, remember to contact the USPS and get a refund. The Post Office might not give you a full refund if the delaying factor was outside their control. 

Remember, most of your items that have an ‘in transit, arriving late’ status will arrive soon. Therefore, wait for a couple of days and check the website before going to the Post Office or calling. The extended delivery window is not always too late. Often, it is only extended by two or three business days. 

Your Mailpiece Arrives Beyond the Extended Delivery Date

If your mail status shows ‘in transit, arriving late’ for a month or even a week, it is when the problem begins. It isn’t common, but you cannot rule out this outcome. Weather conditions, backlogs, and other similar reasons can cause such long delays every once in a while. 

The USPS has enough experience handling such scenarios and sees that mailpieces reach their destinations at the earliest. Again, it is best if you can wait for a day or two for your tracking status to get updated. 

Your Mailpiece is Delayed Indefinitely

The worst thing that can happen after seeing the ‘in transit arriving late’ update on your screen is that there is no extended delivery date. It means that your package is delayed indefinitely; the USPS cannot give you any dates at the moment. 

If this happens, you need to contact the USPS immediately via all channels possible. They must take note of your item and initiate a search instantly. In such situations, you can hold the USPS accountable and ask them how they plan to remedy this delay. Also, inquire why your mail got delayed in the first place. 

Mostly, the USPS is going to find your item and expedite delivery. Perhaps, you may also get a refund, depending on the mailing service on filing a claims request. It is possible to submit claim requests online, but you can also work with a local Post Office employee to speed up the process. 

Contact USPS support whenever you think your items are stuck along the route, or if you have added some incorrect information to the package. It allows you to do some damage control and let the post office change the delivery route, if possible. Please note that the USPS may not always be able to help you in such situations. It might have to return the items to your address and let you try shipping again.

If that seems like a lot of work, you can instead send your items via one of the best direct mail APIs like PostGrid. It helps you print and ship your items speedily and allows you to track them effortlessly.

You no longer need to call the USPS after seeing the ‘in transit, arriving late’ status. Also, you need not run to the Post Office and wait in queues to get more information. With PostGrid, you can do everything with the click of a button and ensure smooth deliveries. 

 Also Read: Best Direct Mail Marketing Companies

Apart from ‘in transit, arriving late,’ there are many tracking updates you may get. Some of the most common tracking updates are:

Acceptance

It is the first update you will receive after posting an item or dropping it in a mailbox. This update means that the Post Office has received and accepted the item for delivery. You may need to wait a couple of hours before seeing this message, as it is updated only after the first scan. 

Processed Through the Post Office

This scanning update means that your item is processed by a postal outlet and sent to another facility. It shows that your mailpiece is moving ahead of the USPS delivery network. You can also see the dates and times when your items arrive at specific facilities. 

In Transit

There are several variations of the ‘in transit tracking status, like:

• In transit, arriving on time
• In transit, arriving late, etc. 

‘In transit, arriving on time’ denotes that everything is on track and you will get the item on the estimated delivery date. You may see this update for a few days because it stays the same every time the item is scanned. However, you can still see the dates and times of your item’s arrivals and departures from several postal outlets. 

Arrival at the Unit

This USPS tracking update means that your item has reached the annual postal unit. It is the last stop in the USPS system, and the final delivery occurs from this facility.

Imagine you mail something from Ohio to a city in Pennsylvania. You can regularly see the tracking updates changing from one postal facility to another. USPS typically has seven to ten scan points throughout the delivery process, depending on how far the destination post office is from the origin. Arrival at the unit would mean the USPS would take nearly two to four working days more to complete the last-mile deliveries.

During this stage, you can inform your intended recipients that they can expect a package or item delivery anytime soon. It allows you to keep them in the loop and lets your employees follow up at the perfect time

Out for Delivery

It refers to items that are scanned and released for their final delivery. If you see this update, you may receive your item the same day. However, if there is a delay, your item status is changed to ‘in transit arriving late.’ 

Delivered

Your tracking status will show ‘delivered’ only when the carrier drops off the item at its last destination. If you didn’t receive the mailpiece yet, you might get the same in a few minutes or hours. 

Forwarded

It is not always that your item is delivered accurately. The update ‘forwarded’ tells you that the Post Office forwarded your item to another location. It can happen when:

• The receiver instructed the postal workers to deliver the package elsewhere, or
• There was an outdated or invalid address on the mailpiece. 

You may also get an ‘in transit arriving late’ message first, which is later updated to ‘forwarded.’

Notice Left

This scanning status denotes that the mail item is ready for pickup. The carrier usually leaves a notice if the item needs a signature confirmation. Then, the recipient can visit the Post Office, sign, and collect the item. Otherwise, the package is sent back to the sender after a few days. 

According to the USPS, businesses and individuals must always check if they have received a post office notice for attempted delivery or item pickup. It enables them to prevent missing out on significant mail items and contact the nearest postal facility to inquire about the status. If not, the sender might have to incur double expenses to ship the mailers back from the post office to their address and then reship them to the recipients. It wastes time and resources, adding to your work and impacting sender-recipient relationships.

How Can PostGrid Allow You to Print and Ship Items Promptly to Avoid Delivery Delays?

PostGrid’s Direct Mail solution lets businesses design, produce, and ship their mail items to intended recipients in only two business days. It doesn't matter which collaterals you want to send, including postcards, letters, invoices, statements, self-mailers, flyers, etc. PostGrid allows you to create them and place orders whenever needed.

Additionally, you can print and ship as many items as you need. We help you execute mailings for one or a million mailers with the same efficiency, reliability, and speed. Here are some of our features you should know about:

Mailing List Segmentation

You can create new mailing lists based on your target audiences and preferred demographics. We help you curate lists based on location, age, profession, gender, and other characteristics, allowing you to conduct targeted campaigns that suit your business goals. It is best for when you want to run marketing, lead generation, and customer acquisition campaigns. You can use this feature to introduce new products, invite people to your trade show stalls, promote seasonal sales, etc.

Address Verification

If you want to send mailers to your existing mailing lists, PostGrid lets you verify your customers' or prospects' delivery addresses. It helps you ensure you only ship to updated, completed, and deliverable addresses. Thus, you can avoid mail returns that cost you additional time, effort, and resources. It also hampers your relationships with buyers who expect to receive mail within a specified time.

PostGrid offers free address autocomplete, standardization, and verification before every mailing campaign. Hence, you can rest assured that you can send your mailers to the correct recipients without hassles.

Delivery Options

PostGrid lets you select which USPS mailing service you prefer for shipping your mailers. It includes First-Class Mail, Express Mail, Certified Mail (with and without the Return Receipt), and Registered Mail. You can choose one based on what you must send, your mailing urgency, and budget. First-Class Mail is the most preferred delivery method by most companies to send transactional and compliance mailpieces. For marketing mail, they can choose Standard Class, which takes up to ten business days to arrive at their destinations.

Real-Time Campaign Tracking

 Also Read: Best Direct Mail Marketing Services

If seeing the ‘in transit arriving late’ constantly annoys you, it is now time to take another approach to offline mailing. How about using an automated tool that can help you speed up deliveries? 

PostGrid’s automated direct mail software can help you:

• Design your marketing and transactional items through our HTML templates
• Compile a mailing list of verified, deliverable addresses
• Print mailpieces in high quality via our extensive printing network
• Add Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMBs) to help track your items
• Presort envelopes and packages to allow the USPS employees to deliver them faster
• Make your items mail-ready in only two working days
• Track campaign performance and access analytics

Hence, you can skip worrying about the USPS tracking updates, like ‘in transit, arriving late.’ Plus, you can automate all related tasks and give a digital twist to your offline mailing activities. Just integrate our API into your CRM, and you are good to go!

 Related Article: Payment Reminder Templates to Ask for Overdue Payments Professionally

One of our clients in the financial services industry wanted to automate their direct mailing efforts. They planned on sending invoices, thank you postcards, etc., regularly to their prospects in bulk. Today, they are able to send thousands of mailings every month using our Restful direct mail API. In return, they saw an incredible jump in their response and retention rates through customer appreciation.

You can also achieve such excellent results by transforming the face of your direct mail activities. Sign up now to see how PostGrid helps solve problems of USPS packages delayed in transit and allows you to mail smoothly!