You’re expecting a delivery from Amazon and you have received a “Package Transferred to Another Carrier for Delivery” tracking update.
What does this mean exactly? Which carrier has your package now and is there anything you need to do?
Let’s take a look…
Summary: Package Transferred to Another Carrier for Delivery
This alert means that responsibility for the package’s final delivery has shifted from one shipping carrier to another during its transit. The transfer may occur for various reasons, such as optimizing shipping routes, regional coverage, or managing high shipping volumes.
Understanding the Tracking Update
When you receive the “Package Transferred to Another Carrier for Delivery,” tracking alert, it simply means that your package is being handed over to a different carrier service for delivery.
This transfer occurs during the transit phase, as the package moves through a facility and is sorted for dispatch to an alternative carrier.
- Related Content: Domestic Sorting Centre Tracking Updates – Full Guide
Why is Another Carrier Handling My Package?
There are a number of reasons your package may have been handed over to another carrier, and for you to have received this update.
Common causes include:
1. To Optimize the Shipping Route
Carriers may collaborate to optimize delivery routes, ensuring packages reach their destinations more efficiently.
2. Better Regional Coverage
Some carriers specialize in specific regions, and a transfer may occur to leverage the expertise of a local carrier for the final leg of the journey.
This is especially applicable in remote, rural areas where the original carrier may not have coverage. A local-based carrier is therefore required.
3. Tackling High Volumes
High shipping volumes or unexpected events, such as weather disruptions, may prompt carriers to redistribute packages among themselves to manage workloads effectively.
- Related Content: Gateway Transit Out Meaning
Will My Package Be Delayed?
While package transfers are generally part of the logistics process, there is a possibility of delay after you have received this update.
Delays could result from coordination issues between carriers, unexpected events, or increased transit time due to the transfer.
However, many packages proceed smoothly through this phase without significant delays.
In cases where the transfer has taken place due to high volumes and regional coverage issues, the handover should mitigate delays, rather than cause them.
Which Carrier Now Has My Package?
As this particular update is more common with Amazon deliveries, here is the list of the most likely candidates for the carrier your package is now with:
You will be able to find this information on your tracking page, however, as the details of the new carrier will be listed there.
Tracking Number Continuity
Which brings us to the subject of the tracking number.
In most cases, the tracking number remains the same throughout the journey, even after the transfer.
You will be able to continue using the original tracking number provided by the seller or Amazon to monitor the progress of their shipment.
- Related Content: USPS Tracking: “Delivered, Left with Individual” – What Now?
I’m a 25 year veteran of USPS. I’m retired now, but as the editor of Mailbox Master, I can’t quite remove myself from the carrier industry just yet. 🙂
