Logistics is the backbone of any thriving eCommerce business. This supply chain component manages the picking and transportation of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption, storage at warehouses, and the reverse flow of goods. Tracking the consignments is also a part of the logistics operation.
After a customer places an order online, the shipping agent will provide a tracking number or ID to both the sellers and the consumers to track their order status. During the tracking of the package, you may come across the status ‘package arrived at a carrier facility’ multiple times on the tracking page. Do you know what it means?
This blog aims to explain what a carrier facility is, what does the status ‘package arrived at a carrier facility’ mean and how it is important in the eCommerce fulfillment process. We will also explore the meaning of some other tracking messages that you get, like picking up a package, the estimated time of arrival, the stages of eCommerce fulfilment, etc.
What Does a Carrier Facility Mean?
A carrier facility is a large warehouse or distribution center managed by the shipping company. It is the location where packages and couriers are processed, sorted, and shipped to their final destinations. These distribution centers are hubs of the logistics networks. Carrier facilities play an important role in shipping packages efficiently from one location to another.
When the tracking information is provided to the customers and the consignment is noted as being at a ‘carrier facility,’ it means that the package is being processed for shipping to its destination.
What is the Meaning of the Message, ‘Your Package Has Arrived at a Carrier Facility’?
The message ‘Your package has arrived at a carrier facility’ means that your package has reached one of the shipping company’s distribution centers or carrier facilities. This should be seen as a halfway point in the package’s journey from the sender to the final destination.
At the carrier facility, the package will be processed, sorted, and then shipped to its next location, which can be another facility close to the delivery location or the final destination.
This message in the tracking information lets the customer know that their package is making progress and will reach them soon.
Stages of eCommerce Fulfillment
eCommerce fulfillment is an operation that swings into action after a customer makes a purchase online. It ensures the products ordered online are efficiently and securely processed and delivered to the consumer’s doorstep. Each stage of eCommerce fulfillment plays an important role, such as:
- Receiving Inventory: Products are delivered by the manufacturers or suppliers to the fulfillment center. There, the goods are checked for their quality and accuracy against purchase orders and then scanned and recorded into the inventory management system for tracking.
- Inventory Storage: Products are stored on shelves, racks, etc., according to their type, SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), or other categories. Fulfillment centers have systems designed to pick and pack products easily when an order is placed. The inventory storage also keeps track of the stocks and locations of the products.
- Order Processing: When a customer places an order, the system checks and verifies the order details, such as the customer’s information, payment status, product availability, etc.
- Picking up: Staff at the carrier facility locate the ordered products and pick them up from storage for the next step.
- Packing: The products are then packed using boxes, bubble wraps, etc., according to their weight, size, and fragility. Packages are then labelled with shipping addresses, barcodes, tracking information, and any other needed information.
- Shipping: After packing the order securely, the suitable shipping carrier is chosen as per the delivery speed, cost, and destination. Packed orders are then loaded onto the preferred carrier’s truck for delivery. At this step, the tracking information is shared with the customers to keep track of the parcel’s location.
- Delivery (last-mile delivery): When packages reach the regional distribution or carrier facility centers, they are sorted according to their delivery routes. Then, the delivery agents deliver them to the customer’s address. Meanwhile, the customers are notified of the arrival of their package.
How to Calculate the Estimated Delivery Time?
The calculation of the estimated delivery time of a package involves a simple method. However, you should know the factors that can influence the delivery time, such as:
- Shipping methods: There are different shipping methods, such as standard shipping, expedited shipping, and express shipping. Expected delivery time varies for each.
- Carriers: There are specific carriers chosen for delivering packages as per their delivery time, shipping method, and the distance between the origin and destination.
- Cargo handling time: Always consider the handling time required to process the order before it is shipped when calculating the estimated delivery time.
- Non-working days: Keep a count of the weekends and holidays and keep them excluded from the calculation.
- Package status: The shipping provider provides real-time updates once the package is dispatched. You can use this information to track the package and get real-time updates and an expected delivery date.
- Time for customs checks: If the package needs to be delivered internationally, then you need to add time for the customs process and international logistics.
- Remote areas: Deliveries in remote locations and rural areas may take longer than usual.
After considering all these factors, you can follow the below steps to calculate the estimated delivery time:
- Let’s assume that the package is shipped on February 3 and that the shipping provider takes 1-3 business days to deliver within the state.
- Add the handling time next while calculating the delivery date. So, if the handling time is 2 days, then your package will be shipped on February 5.
- If February 5 is a Monday, then the next 1-3 business days will be February 6 to February 8.
- Hence, the estimated delivery date for the package will be between February 6 and 8.
Why do Orders Sometimes Sit at Carrier Facilities?
You might see an update that ‘your package has arrived at a carrier facility centre’ if you’re tracking a much-anticipated online order. And then it might just sit there, sometimes for several days with no updates. That could mean that the delivery company is dealing with any operational issue that is delaying the delivery. Some of the reasons that can make an order sit at carrier facilities include –
- A high volume of packages: During peak season, sales, events, etc., there can be a high number of packages, which can exceed the capacity of the carrier facility center and cause delays in processing and delivering the orders.
- Transportation issues: There may be limited trucks, planes, or other transportation vehicles to ship the packages to their next step, which can affect the efficiency of deliveries.
- Regulatory delays: Packages can arrive late due to delays in customs processes, such as inspections, paperwork issues, compliance checks, etc.
- Natural disasters: Natural disasters like snow, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fire, etc. can impact and delay carrier facility operations and transportation routes.
- Technical issues: Technical problems with scanning, tracking systems, etc., can cause delays in delivering the packages.
- Operational issues: Delays can occur, or processing can be slower due to a staff shortage.
- Other reasons: There can be many other reasons, like packages being sent to incorrect delivery routes, getting lost, or mixing up with other deliverables.
Five Ways to Ensure Timely Delivery
Ensuring timely delivery of the packages is important for sellers to maintain customer satisfaction and trust. Here are the five ways to do so:
- Inventory management: It is important to have optimised inventory management to keep track of the stock and avoid any type of mishaps during sales. You can also use real-time inventory tracking systems to label and track every piece of the stock. Strategic warehousing of the inventory at different fulfillment or distribution centers is also helpful in delivering packages to the customers on time as it reduces the shipping time. Stock forecasting, as per market analysis, upcoming season, and sales, ensures timely delivery, as the item can be shipped promptly once an order is placed.
- Collaborate with reliable carriers: To avoid any possible delays due to carriers, shipping methods, or drivers, you should always consider collaborating with reliable logistics companies. They will be able to offer multiple shipping options, flexibility of carriers/ methods, affordable rates, and services to meet the required delivery requirements.
- Effective order processing: Automated order processing methods can manage orders quickly and minimise the possibility of human errors. Batch processing techniques can also cater to multiple orders at once and speed up the picking, packing, and shipping stages.
- Use technology: Shipping software is available to streamline shipping processes, print labels, compare different carriers, provide real-time updates to customers, etc. Data analytics can also be used to address and identify problems in the supply chain and improve the overall efficiency of the shipping process.
- Communicate efficiently with customers: Sellers should clearly communicate with customers about their shipping policies and estimated delivery times, send updates on their orders, and support customers with any of their shipping-related concerns or problems.
Conclusion
Understanding the complex nature of eCommerce fulfillment becomes easier when you understand each stage of the process. Knowing what a carrier facility is, how it works, what tracking updates are available, how to manage your deliveries, etc., is important. Understanding the logistics process not only helps with your own expectations but also with avoiding any possible delays that can occur and cause an issue in order fulfillment.
