So your package is moving through the USPS Network and you have just seen the status of your package to be “Arrived at USPS Regional Facility?”
Don’t worry anymore as we have compiled this comprehensive guide to let you know what this update means and more helpful details to make it clearer for you.
What does the “Arrived at USPS Regional Facility” Update Mean?
This status means that a package has been taken to a USPS regional distribution center where it will be processed and sorted to be directed in the right route towards the destination.
Under the Latest Update, USPS says, “Your Item Arrived at Our Usps Facility. The Item is Currently in Transit to the Destination” to mean that your package is just undergoing routing to seamlessly come your way.
The great thing is that the tracking page will always show you the regional distribution facility where your package is, so you can gauge how longer you will wait for it, or make you more knowledgeable when contacting USPS about your package.
It’s possible for the tracking page to show that a package has gone through different regional facilities as seen in the screenshot below, but don’t worry. Your package will still make it to you unless it’s lost.
3 Main Reasons Why a Package Can Go Through Different USPS Regional Facilities
Backed Up Regional Facilities
When the larger regional facilities are backed up, USPS sometimes takes the packages to the next regional facility for faster processing and sorting to avoid more delays.
When the next regional distribution center is also overwhelmed with packages, drivers keep taking the parcels on to the next until they find a distribution center that is not experiencing too much of a backlog.
This is quite sensible instead of letting the package sit further until the staff has a more free schedule.
As such, don’t worry much when your package seems to go from the nearest distribution facility near you to another in a distant place. That could be the fastest way to get your package processed and sorted.
Regardless of how far from the destination facility your package goes, they will reroute it toward you after sorting.
The Package Got Scanned on the Wrong Truck
It happens a lot where packages get scanned on the wrong trucks, which is why they can be taken to the wrong regional facilities until the error gets rectified.
Even worse, smaller-sized packages may miss getting scanned, thereby making it hard for them to be carried to the right distribution centers.
All in all, this is a USPS mistake and it’s more inconveniencing when they don’t notice the error fast as your package status may stay stuck on “Arrived at USPS Facility” for several weeks before it shows up.
Also Read: USPS Package Arriving Later than Expected.
Sorting Error at the Regional Facility
Human errors are bound to happen and in case the staff at the warehouse make a sorting or processing error, the package may be sent to another regional facility.
When I had this delay occurring due to a sorting error at the warehouse, my package was coming from Wilmington and it was supposed to come to Fayetteville. The sorting error made it go all the way to Charlotte, delaying the delivery from Monday to Friday.
Again, this is a USPS error, but thankfully, it wasn’t a time-sensitive package. Waiting it out wasn’t an issue for me.
Another problem is when USPS staff scans a package to go on a container heading to the destination facility but due to human error, the package lands in a different container. That parcel ends up in a different regional facility and has to be rerouted.
It’s crucial for you to note that as packages go through the sorting equipment, they are associated with a label of a specific container. If that container’s label gets a subsequent scan, info gets sent to each package, which is why a scanning error may be too confusing.
Related: Your Package Departed a USPS Facility.
FAQs About “Arrived at USPS Regional Facility”
What is a USPS Regional Facility?
A USPS Regional Facility refers to a distribution center where packages are sent for processing and sorting, before getting sent out to the final destination facilities for delivery.
How Long Does it Take to Move for a Package that Has Arrived at USPS Facility?
It takes a few hours to a week for a package that has “Arrived at USPS Facility” to start moving.
If a package had no mis-scanning or missorting, it can depart the regional facility towards the local destination facility in just an hour. Conversely, a package that has gone to a distant regional facility due to an error may take a whole week to get going.
What Should I Do When My Package Doesn’t Move?
If USPS tells you, “Your item arrived at our USPS Facility. The item is currently in transit to the destination” and the tracking status is stuck there for several days, you can contact USPS with your tracking number and the regional facility where your package is to initiate package movement.
If it’s not an urgently-needed package, we recommend that you be patient, though as you will eventually get it, albeit relatively late sometimes.