Download the article Find out why your package may be delayed or “stuck” during shipping
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“The originating post office is preparing the shipment” can mean many different things, such as a delay in transit or complications with the pallet the package was attached to. In this guide, we’ll explain all the possible reasons you might see this message—and, most importantly, what next steps you can take to stay on top of your package.
“Original mail is preparing shipment” usually means that the package is in the early part of transit within the USPS. It’s probably been scanned into the system, but encountered some sort of problem early in its delivery route, such as an air freight delay or a pallet issue.
Your package has been placed on a later flight. Many packages travel by plane to reach their final destination—but when there are many packages to process, your package may find itself on a later flight. Meanwhile, a vague “originating post office prepares shipment” label is affixed to your package.
There was a problem with the pallet your package was attached to. During shipping, your package will likely be lumped together with other packages in a larger pallet. If something goes wrong with the pallet (e.g. the packaging becomes unsafe), the packages in the pallet will be delayed (with a “originating post office preparing shipment” label).
USPS did not scan your package when it first arrived. USPS employees work hard to collect tons of packages every day, and a few sometimes slip through the cracks in terms of tracking, even if they were originally scanned into the system. There is a possibility that your package is moving through transit as usual, but the tracking system simply does not reflect this.
There were general transit delays that slowed progress. There is a possibility that the carrier used to transport your package encountered some kind of delay, such as bad weather or maintenance issues. This can put your package in a frustrating point of limbo.
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Source: HIS Education