Tracking your package with the Postal Service is half the fun of getting a package, but if you’re unfamiliar with USPS terminology, it might as well be written in Greek.
For example: “Departed USPS Destination Facility.” Does that mean it’s close? Where is it heading?
If you’ve ever wondered what “Departed USPS Destination Facility” means, I’ve got the answer you’re looking for.
What Does Departed USPS Destination Facility Mean?
When the United States Postal Service uses the phrase “Departed USPS Destination Facility,” it means that your package has left the closest sorting facility to your location and the parcel is heading to your local Post Office for final sorting. This is the second-to-last step before the parcel will be delivered.
To learn more about what a USPS destination facility is, what it means when something has arrived or departed at a destination facility, and what it means when something has arrived at a regional facility, keep reading below!
What Is a USPS Destination Facility?
A USPS destination facility is actually the last place a parcel goes before it is sent on to your delivering Post Office.
According to a commenter on Quora:
“A destination Sectional Center Facility (SCF) is a Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) of the USPS that serves a designated geographical area defined by one or more three-digit Zip Code prefixes.”
He continued, “An SCF routes mail between local post offices and to and from Network Distribution Centers.”
While at the USPS destination facility, parcels are sorted by zip code into groups so that all similarly zip-coded parcels head to the same Post Office before delivery.
With how the Postal Service has had to make operational changes in the past few years to stay afloat financially, your package might not always go to a destination facility.
Sometimes, even the final stop before the post office is called a distribution facility; if it’s in your city, it indicates about the same thing.
The next time your parcel departs, it is very likely heading to your delivering Post Office location.
According to another commenter on Quora, if your package is at the destination facility (or the distribution facility in your own city), it’s likely you will receive the parcel the next business day.
If you see that your parcel has a “Departed Destination Facility” mark at night, it is generally received and sorted very early the next day at the Post Office and then put on the truck for delivery.
So the USPS destination facility on your USPS Tracking log is a very good sign!
What Does Arrived Or Processed at USPS Destination Facility Mean?
If your package has just arrived or been processed at a USPS destination facility, that means it has reached the second-to-last leg of its journey.
“Arrived” and “Processed” might be used interchangeably; I’ve had parcels scanned as both arrived and processed and then also just scanned arrived before they departed.
In any case, it’s a positive! It means your package is just a few days away.
What Is a USPS Regional Distribution Facility?
A USPS regional distribution facility is like a waypost on the journey from sender to recipient.
In most cases, Postal Service regional distribution facilities are simply stopping and sorting points along the route.
Parcels go in, get scanned and sorted (after scanning, you’ll see the update in USPS Tracking), and depart for the next facility.
Sometimes when packages get held up or delayed, it’s in regional distribution centers. If something has caused a disruption in the transport chain, a parcel may sit still here.
Trust that USPS is always working to get things moving again; it’s in their best interest to maintain the loyalty of their customers.
If your parcel hasn’t moved from a regional distribution facility in more than a week, then you might want to contact USPS at that point to see what’s going on.
What Does Arrived at USPS Regional Distribution Facility Mean?
When a parcel shows up on USPS Tracking as “Arrived at USPS Regional Distribution Facility,” it indicates that it is stopping to be scanned and sorted.
The Postal Service is comprised of a network of distribution centers (as well as Post Offices) that are used to get parcels where they need to go.
Scanning and sorting is a way for USPS to keep their deliveries organized, but it’s also a way to maintain transparency with their customers.
What Does USPS Label Created, Not Yet in System Mean?
Phrases like “Arrived At Destination Facility” or “Departed Regional Distribution Facility” indicate your package is on the road (or near its final stop).
But other phrases, like “Label Created, Not Yet in System,” indicate that your package has barely started its journey to you.
In fact, this means that USPS doesn’t even have your parcel yet in their possession.
Rather, the shipment has been initiated by the sender; very likely, they purchased the postage online and have scheduled a pick-up.
It could also mean that the Post Office is backed up, and there is a delay in getting the parcel fully into the system.
The next scan after “Label Created” is for “USPS in possession of item.” They’ll sort it and put it on a truck so that it can begin to make its way to you.
To know more about USPS, you can also read our posts on USPS dead mail, whether you can use duct tape on USPS packages, and if USPS delivers to the door.
