What Does “Origin Post is Preparing Shipment” Mean?

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Learn why your package may be delayed or “stuck” during shipment
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“Origin post is preparing shipment” can mean a lot of different things, like a delay in transit or a complication with the pallet that the package was attached to. In this guide, we’ll walk you all the possible reasons you might be seeing this message—and, most importantly, what steps you can take next to stay in the loop about your package.

What does “origin post is preparing shipment” mean from USPS?

“Origin post is preparing shipment” typically means that the package is in the early portion of transit within USPS. It’s likely scanned into the system, but it’s run into some sort of problem in the very beginning of its delivery route, like a delay in air transit, or a pallet-related issue.

Section 1 of 4:

“Origin Post Is Preparing Shipment” Meaning

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  1. If you’re seeing this status, there’s a good chance that your package was scanned, but it hasn’t made any significant progress in the transit system yet. It could also signify that your package's progress has been slowed down in some way (like it was unable to be placed on the first outgoing flight), or that there was an issue with the pallet the package was attached to (which has caused a shipping delay).
    • Some netizens find that this status is used by USPS as a grab-bag label for a variety of different circumstances.
    • Other customers have seen this shipping status pop up on their international shipments, and believe it can mean that their package is stuck in customs.
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Section 2 of 4:

How long do I have to wait for my package to be delivered?

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  1. The “origin post is preparing shipment” status is notoriously vague, and USPS doesn’t actually provide an explanation (or time estimation) for this label on its website glossary. [1] Some believe that this shipping status points to a 1-2 day hold-up, although it’s possible that you may have to wait longer for the status to change.
Section 3 of 4:

Reasons You’re Seeing This Message

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  1. Many packages travel via plane to reach their final destination—but when there are a lot of packages to process, your parcel might find itself on a later flight. In the meantime, a vague “origin post is preparing shipment” label gets stuck to your package.
  2. During shipment, your package will likely be condensed with other packages in a larger pallet. If something goes wrong with the pallet (e.g., the packaging becomes unsecure), the packages in the pallet will be delayed (with the “origin post is preparing shipment” label attached to it).
  3. USPS employees work super hard to field tons of packages on a daily basis, and a few sometimes slip through the cracks in terms of tracking, even if they were originally scanned into the system. There’s a chance that your package could be moving through transit as normal, but the tracking system just doesn’t reflect that.
  4. There’s a chance that the transportation used to move your package along ran into some sort of delay, like poor weather or maintenance issues. This can stick your package into a frustrating point of limbo.
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Section 4 of 4:

What to Do Next

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  1. Make sure that you have your tracking number on hand when you make the call, so you can get assistance with your specific package. [2]
    • Alternative: Paste your tracking number onto this webpage to send the USPS customer service team an email about your order.
    • If you’re having an issue with a non-USPS order, find the contact information for the origin courier of your package to make an inquiry.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Where-is-my-package
      2. ↑ https://www.usps.com/help/contact-us.htm

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