Nothing is more exciting than the day you know your package is set to arrive. It can feel like a lifetime waiting for that USPS truck to make its way down your street.
But what if there is a way to know exactly where the truck is once it’s all loaded up and out delivering packages? Are you wondering how to track the USPS truck so you can know exactly when it will arrive with your goods? Below is what you need to know!
Can You Track a USPS Truck In 2024
While two other major shippers in the U.S. have rolled out some form of local tracking, the United States Postal Service has not in 2024. There is no way, currently, to track the USPS truck that is carrying your package for delivery, but when the status switches to Out For Delivery, often you’ll see a delivery window.
To learn more about USPS and local tracking, plus the other companies that do offer it, as well as some further information about when you can expect your package on the day it’s out for delivery, keep reading!
Can You Track the USPS Truck That Has Your Package?
While maintaining some pretty impressive tech, the United States Postal Service has not yet introduced local tracking – or being able to track the truck that will deliver your package.
What they do tell you is approximately what time you can expect the package to arrive.
When the status of your shipment switches to Out For Delivery, you should also see a delivery window, which reads something like “Expected Delivery: Between 1:45 and 3:30.”
Beyond that, there is nothing to do but wait.
The USPS is currently in a bad way financially, a downswing that has been ongoing for over a decade.
With the latest Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, at the helm, the Postal Service has been raising postage prices and cutting back service, like late-day deliveries.
So, we’re not terribly surprised that local, mapped tracking hasn’t been a priority for the agency.
For some other shipping companies, however, that is not the case.
In fact, UPS rolled out mapped tracking in 2016, allowing customers to watch, in real-time, as the truck that would deliver their package worked its way to them.
Of course, there were a few caveats – namely, the service was only available to UPS Air and UPS Worldwide Express shipments (both very expensive).
Now, the service is called Follow My Delivery and is available to UPS My Choice members.
My Choice has two membership tiers, Basic (which is free) and Premium, which costs just $19.99 a year.
Either way, My Choice members can use Follow My Delivery, while Premium members can make changes to their deliveries, like switching the delivery day or confirming delivery windows.
There is also Amazon’s own delivery service now, too.
When the push notification comes through, you can press on it. It then takes you to a real map of your neighborhood and shows you where the truck is.
If you’re on your desktop computer, you can even leave the page open on your browser and it will refresh and update every 20 seconds.
You receive new notifications when the package is three or four stops away, and then when it is at the next stop.
Additionally, Amazon’s package tracking includes a delivery photo, so you have visual confirmation that the item arrived and where it was left.
How Early Does USPS Start Delivering?
While you can’t know exactly where the USPS truck that is carrying your package is currently located, it can be helpful to know what time to start looking for it.
The USPS About page reports that Postal carriers can begin as early as 5 a.m., but a more likely starting time is around 8 or 9 a.m.
You should check the Tracking associated with your package, though, because once the parcel is marked Out for Delivery, there will likely be some important information.
That information is the expected Delivery Window, which tends to encompass a two or three-hour block of time.
But at least that way, you don’t have to start your vigil at 5 a.m., when the package isn’t supposed to arrive until 4 p.m.
How Late Can USPS Deliver Packages?
It used to be that USPS could deliver as late as 9 or even 10 p.m., especially during peak seasons.
That’s not quite as likely anymore, with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy cutting back those late-night deliveries.
On our latest deliveries from USPS, we noticed the window extending to 5:45 p.m., despite the regular mail being delivered at its usual time, between 11 a.m. and noon.
So, if your delivery window passes and you’re wondering if there’s still a chance your package is coming, we would say keep hoping up until 7 or 8 p.m.
Afterward, if your package hasn’t arrived, refresh Tracking before you go to bed; the status could update and say there was a delay, with a new delivery date, likely the next day.
Does USPS Have a Separate Truck for Packages?
USPS mail carriers do not typically operate separate trucks for letter mail and packages.
What we have found is that some carriers will deliver those items separately.
For example, they might deliver all the letter mail first, and then loop around in the truck to do all the packages in one fell swoop or vice versa.
So, don’t be alarmed if your letter mail arrives and your package isn’t there.
To know more, you can also read our posts on new USPS trucks, when do USPS trucks go out for delivery, and are USPS trucks manual.
Conclusion
There is no way currently to track the USPS truck that is carrying your package for eventual delivery.
However, the Estimated Delivery Window on your item’s Tracking page is a very good indicator of what time your parcel will arrive, and it may or may not come with your regular letter mail.