If you have ever ordered something online and tracked your package with UPS, you might have seen the status “preparing for delivery” on the tracking page.
What is Preparing for Delivery Status?
Preparing for delivery status means that your package is “on its way to a UPS driver for delivery today”.
This means that your package has already been sorted and loaded onto a delivery vehicle, and it is waiting for the driver to start his or her route.
Once the driver scans your package, the status will change to “out for delivery”, which means that your package is in transit and will be delivered soon.
What Happens Before Preparing for Delivery?
Before your package reaches the preparing for delivery status, it goes through several steps in the UPS process. Here is a brief overview of what happens to your package before it gets to this stage:
Pick up and sorting: Your package is picked up from the sender or a drop-off location and taken to a local or regional sorting facility.
There, it is scanned and labeled with a smart label that contains all the information about the destination, weight, size, and service level of your package.
Also Read:Does UPS Say Delivered When It’s Not?
The smart label also has a barcode and a maxi code that can be read by machines and humans throughout the shipping process.
Land, sea, or air?: Depending on the distance and the service level of your package, it may be transported by truck, plane, rail, or ocean vessel. If your package is going less than 200 miles, it will likely travel by truck.
If it is going more than 200 miles, it will likely fly by plane. UPS has six airports in the US and one in Germany, where packages are sorted and transferred to different flights or vehicles.
The Worldport:
If your package flies by plane, it may end up in the UPS Global Operations Center, also known as the Worldport, in Louisville, Kentucky.
This is the largest automated package handling facility in the world, where more than 300 flights and 1.6 million packages arrive and depart every day.
Also Read:Is Fedex or UPS Cheaper For International Shipping
Here, your package is unloaded, scanned, sorted, and loaded onto another plane or vehicle, depending on its final destination.
What Happens After Preparing for Delivery?
After your package reaches the preparing for delivery status, it goes through the final steps in the UPS process. Here is what happens to your package after it gets to this stage:
Out for delivery:
Your package is scanned by the driver and loaded onto his or her delivery vehicle. The driver then starts his or her route, delivering packages along the way.
Track the progress of your package on the UPS website or app, where you can see the estimated delivery time and the location of your package on a map.
Also Read:Who Pays More Fedex or UPS Package Handler
Delivered:
Package is delivered to your address or a UPS Access Point location, where you can pick it up at your convenience.
You may need to sign for your package or provide identification, depending on the service level and the sender’s instructions. You will receive a notification by email, text, or phone when your package is delivered.
How to Estimate the Delivery Time?
The delivery time of your package depends on several factors, such as the service level, the origin and destination, the weather, the traffic, and the driver’s schedule.
However, you can get an estimate of the delivery time by using the UPS Calculate Time and Cost tool. This tool allows you to enter the details of your package, such as the weight, dimensions, origin, destination, and service level, and get an estimate of the delivery time and cost. You can also compare different service levels and see how they affect the delivery time and cost.
Also Read:When Does UPS Direct Deposit Hit?
Keep in mind that this tool only provides an estimate, not a guarantee, of the delivery time. The actual delivery time may vary depending on the actual conditions and circumstances.
Therefore, it is always advisable to track your package on the UPS website or app, where you can get the most updated information and status of your package.
Conclusion
Preparing for delivery status means that your package is on its way to a UPS driver for delivery today. It is one of the final stages in the UPS process, which involves several steps, such as pick up, sorting, transportation, and delivery.
You can track your package on the UPS website or app, where you can see the estimated delivery time and the location of your package.
Also Read:Why Does My UPS Package Say Delivered When It’s Not?
Use the UPS Calculate Time and Cost tool to get an estimate of the delivery time and cost of your package, but remember that this is only an estimate, not a guarantee.
We hope this article has helped you understand what preparing for delivery means UPS and how to estimate the delivery time of your package. Happy shipping!
