Have you ever wondered why some retailers get packages to you in a day or two while others take weeks? And why do some overseas orders arrive without an issue while others get held up at customs?
We’re here to deliver all the answers you’ve been seeking about your online order deliveries. From the retailer to their e-commerce fulfillment warehouse, your country’s customs department to your local delivery driver, here are all the steps a parcel takes to make it to your door.
1. Automated fulfillment
The moment you click the “checkout” button, AI goes to work confirming your order and sending it to the fulfillment center’s system. In many cases, complex algorithms will have established the ordering patterns in your region, so the products you desire may already be waiting for you in a local warehouse. If not, delivery will be arranged from the nearest distribution center.
2. Picking and packing
This job may one day be fully automated too. However, at the moment, it’s generally handled by humans. An employee at the distribution center will receive your order – along with many others – pick it from the shelves, and package it up for you.
3. On the road
Once your order has been securely packaged for you, it will be loaded into the appropriate delivery van or truck. If you’re within the local delivery network, it will soon be on its way to your house. If you’re a few cities over, it may be taken via road transport to another distribution center, where it will await pick-up by your local delivery driver.
If you’re in another country, it will be taken to the appropriate port to be loaded onto a freight flight, train, or ship. Larger items often travel via ships, which can lead to longer transit times.
4. A visit to the customs department
Overseas orders all go through customs, but what happens to them depends greatly on the nature of the items you ordered and your country’s rules and tax laws. Some packages sail right on through without an issue. Others may be held up as customs officers check the contents and confirm whether your order is legal and whether any additional payments apply.
Some countries impose fees and taxes on the import of certain items. If a customs officer determines that you need to pay a fee, they will contact you to let you know what you owe. Likewise, they may contact you if they need more information to clear the goods you’ve ordered.
5. Out for delivery
Once your package has run the gauntlet described above, it will be handed over to your chosen delivery service, ready to be dropped on your doorstep. Unfortunately, its safe arrival isn’t a sure bet. While most parcels do reach their rightful owners, parcel theft is a rising concern in countries like the US and Australia.
Australian statistics reveal that at least 36% of the country’s citizens have experienced parcel theft. In the US, that figure is even higher, with 41% of Americans having experienced parcel theft in their lifetimes. An astonishing 49 million Americans have been victims of parcel theft within the last year alone.
So, if you’re waiting on a parcel, try to ensure someone will be home on the expected delivery date. Other options include having your parcel delivered to your workplace, paying extra for a secure delivery service, and installing visible security cameras outside your house.
Next time you’re impatiently checking and rechecking your order status, remember that your parcel is going through quite the journey to get to you.
