While tracking your expected USPS parcel, you might have encountered the delivery status update “Arrived or Departed USPS Shipping Partner Facility,” and you may be curious about the purpose of this facility.
A USPS shipping partner facility is a parcel-handling center operated by a third-party shipping company that collaborates with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to provide you with quick and efficient mail and package delivery logistics services.
USPS shipping partner facilities typically handle the initial sorting and processing of large retailers’ or e-commerce companies’ parcels before getting transferred to the USPS for delivery to your address.
Below, we will discuss what a USPS shipping partner facility is, its significance for the USPS, and the delivery status updates that you may encounter when your parcel enters or departs a USPS shipping partner facility.
USPS Shipping Partner Facility
USPS (United States Postal Service) is the U.S.’s broadest and oldest shipping service provider, delivering millions of parcels daily since 1971.
USPS has access to almost every area of the United States, including hard-to-reach countryside locations. Therefore, various small shipping companies often use USPS for final delivery to rural destinations.
Likewise, USPS also takes advantage of those small courier service providers to collect packages from USPS-partnered sellers or any customer who requests a home parcel pick-up.
The location or place where a small-scale logistics company takes your USPS packages after collecting them from the sellers is known as the USPS shipping partner facility.
You can also drop off the packages you want to send somewhere at any USPS shipping partner facility if you don’t have a USPS store or mailbox near you.
A USPS shipping partner facility sorts your parcels after collection and transfers them to the nearest USPS hub for further delivery processing toward the final destination.
Packages sent through a USPS shipping partner facility may experience some delays in the final delivery to your address. On the other hand, if the parcel is shipped directly from a USPS hub, it may arrive more quickly.
Ultimately, USPS shipping partner facilities help USPS speed up and streamline your parcel delivery procedure by scattering the workload of USPS sorting centers.
Let’s now discuss the processes involved in packages coming through a USPS shipping partner facility and the respective delivery statuses you will see during this procedure.
1. Parcel Picked Up by USPS Partner
As discussed above, USPS handles millions of shipments daily, so picking up packages from the sender’s doorstep or partnered retail stores is difficult.
Hence, USPS allow small shipping companies (USPS partners) to pick up parcels on their behalf and delivers them to the nearest USPS hub, from where the consignments are delivered to the destination address.
You can notice while tracking that your parcel delivery status converts to “Picked Up by USPS Partner” when a USPS shipping partner picks it up from the sender’s location.
2. Parcel Arrived at USPS Shipping Partner Facility
After picking up your package from the sender, USPS shipping partners take it to their location, known as the USPS shipping partner facility.
At this stage, the USPS shipment partner sorts out the packages according to their size, item type, and mode of delivery mode (fast or regular) and then transfers them to the nearest USPS hub.
When your USPS package enters and gets stranded at a USPS shipping partner facility, its delivery status updates to “Arrived at USPS Shipping Partner Facility.”
USPS has 22 hubs in the United States.
3. Parcel Departed USPS Shipping Partner Facility
After sorting your USPS parcel, the shipping partners transfer it to the nearest USPS hub from where the package departs for your destination.
When your USPS package leaves the shipping partner company location, its delivery status changes to “Departed USPS Shipping Partner Facility.”
Summary
This short article discussed what a USPS shipping partner facility is and how it streamlines USPS delivery operations. We’ve also explored various delivery status notifications when your parcel passes a USPS shipping partner facility.
We hope you understand now that USPS only uses shipping partner facilities to speed up the delivery process and provide an efficient home parcel pick-up service if you want to send a package to someone at far locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does My Package Say USPS Awaiting the Item?
If your package tracking information shows “USPS Awaiting Item,” the USPS hub still has not received the package from the USPS shipping partner facility.
How Much Time Does a Package Take To Reach USPS From the Shipping Partner Facility?
If the package is dropped off at a USPS shipping partner facility, it may take two to eight days to be received and processed by the USPS hub.
Can I Pick Up the Package at the USPS Shipping Partner Facility?
Some USPS shipping partner facilities may allow package pick-up, while others may not. If you wish to pick up your parcel at a USPS shipping partner facility, contact them directly or visit their location mentioned with USPS tracking status.
Can I Buy Postage at a USPS Shipping Partner Facility?
Yes, many USPS shipping partner facilities sell postage stamps. However, not all facilities offer these services, so you should contact them beforehand and ask whether they have postages.
Is My USPS Package Safe With the USPS Shipping Partner Facility?
Yes, USPS shipping partner facilities collaborate with USPS to provide additional package drop-off, pick-up, and sorting services. As such, they must adhere to strict security protocols to ensure the safety and security of all packages.
