Already a well-traveled package

[John Rose]

Here's the USPS Tracking History for an item I purchased, originating in Elkin, North Carolina, USA; and bound for Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.
(The top entries are the most recent, in case it gets confusing.)

May 31, 2018, 5:36 pm
Departed
LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES
Your item departed a transfer airport in METROPOLITAN AREA, LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES on May 31, 2018 at 5:36 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
May 31, 2018, 2:36 pm
Departed
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
May 29, 2018, 8:55 pm
Departed
WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES
May 29, 2018, 8:55 pm
Departed
LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES
May 29, 2018, 11:49 am
Arrived
MIAMI, UNITED STATES
May 26, 2018, 8:50 am
Processed Through Regional Facility
MIAMI FL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 26, 2018, 8:50 am
Arrived at Regional Facility
MIAMI FL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 25, 2018
In Transit to Next Facility
May 24, 2018
In Transit to Next Facility
May 23, 2018, 9:15 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 23, 2018, 8:00 pm
Accepted at USPS Origin Facility
ELKIN, NC 28621
May 22, 2018, 3:41 pm
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
ELKIN, NC 28621​

It's like a textbook illustration for "Brownian Motion", or "Random Walk".
West Palm Beach is only 107 km north of Miami, as the flamingo flies, or 2872 km, if you take the shortcut through Louisville.
I looked it up.
Then back to Louisville again, by way of Los Angeles?
What is up with that?
I can hardly wait until it crosses the Canadian border.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

'splains why the postage is high.

 

[John Rose]

'splains why the postage is high.

Ohhhhh. Here I thought it was due to the increases in long-term storage costs.

 

[StillShaving]

I am not surprised it took 6 days to reach and pass through Miami but that route is amazing. A 3rd grader could do better logistics planning.

 

[thematthatter]

I had a package I mailed myself from Kuwait to iraq through usps. A 4 hr flight took them 4 weeks to get to me. The box was soft and looked like a brown lunch bag by the time it got to me

 

[kelbro]

Smaller parcels often get mis-routed. Not sure why but it is something that I've noticed.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Saturday's Barron's noted the success of FedEx. Or maybe it was yesterday's WSJ.

 

[Mick]

The longest I've had a package in UPS was 14 days before it vanished in Arizona. In that time it went to both coasts twice.

 

[R100]

Meanwhile, here's what's happening to your package.

 

[Villalobos]

My theory is: there is a study on deliveries that saves fuel by not making left turns

 

[dmshaver]

We can start a pool for where it will be next! Who has Buffalo, NY and who has Los Angeles, CA? Those are the next 2 likely stops. But it seems to like Miami! LOL!

 

[R100]

We can start a pool for where it will be next! Who has Buffalo, NY and who has Los Angeles, CA? Those are the next 2 likely stops. But it seems to like Miami! LOL!

Wherever the weather is nicest. Now that Alberto has left FL the package is probably headed back to Miami for a few more days of vacation before going home to Canada.

 

[John Rose]

June 3rd, not much news from USPS tracking.

May 31, 2018, 5:36 pm
Departed
LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES
Your item departed a transfer airport in METROPOLITAN AREA, LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES on May 31, 2018 at 5:36 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.​

I just hope it's not "Dearly Departed".

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Update?

 

[John Rose]

Update? You got it.
Five days later:

June 5, 2018, 6:33 pm
Departed
WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES
Your item departed from an intermediate transfer airport in INTERNATIONAL, WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES on June 5, 2018 at 6:33 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

June 5, 2018, 3:45 pm
Departed
MIAMI, UNITED STATES
​

So, that's twice through Miami, and twice through West Palm Beach (as well as twice through Louisville).
To recap, with most recent at top:

WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES
MIAMI, UNITED STATES
LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES
LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES
MIAMI, UNITED STATES
MIAMI FL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER
ELKIN, NC (the origin)​

I think it's about time to go back to North Carolina, isn't it?
Or maybe head up to New Brunswick, New Jersey.
At least it would be much closer to Sackville, New Brunswick (Canada).

 

[kelbro]

I'm guessing that there may be a wrong zip code or possibly an old label on the box.

 

[Try em all]

Y'know, when I saw the title of this post, I thought it was about Freddie Mercury or David Bowie or Sting.
After all, no-one had more traveled packages than those guys...

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Update? You got it.
Five days later:

June 5, 2018, 6:33 pm
Departed
WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES
Your item departed from an intermediate transfer airport in INTERNATIONAL, WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES on June 5, 2018 at 6:33 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

June 5, 2018, 3:45 pm
Departed
MIAMI, UNITED STATES
​

So, that's twice through Miami, and twice through West Palm Beach (as well as twice through Louisville).
To recap, with most recent at top:

WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES
MIAMI, UNITED STATES
LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
WEST PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES
LOUISVILLE, UNITED STATES
MIAMI, UNITED STATES
MIAMI FL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
GREENSBORO NC DISTRIBUTION CENTER
ELKIN, NC (the origin)​

I think it's about time to go back to North Carolina, isn't it?
Or maybe head up to New Brunswick, New Jersey.
At least it would be much closer to Sackville, New Brunswick (Canada).

Maybe a stop in Flint Michigan for a water break. Then a visit to Niagra Falls to see the sights. Then to WaWa to look at the giant goose. And then....

 

[John Rose]

Woo-hoo!

June 7, 2018, 12:33 pm
Departed
MONTREAL, CANADA
Your item departed a transfer airport in DORVAL, MONTREAL, CANADA on June 7, 2018 at 12:33 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.​

Finally in the right country.
Now Canada Post gets its kick at the can.

 

[cleanshaved]

I have a love hate thing with international tracking.
While it's good to know where it is, it can also be baffling to see the way it moves.
More often that not it's like watching paint dry.
I've noticed a few Amazon packages do a back and forth in the US prior to heading out. What's up with that?

I got a package from the same retailer (not Amazon) in the US about four days apart. They shipped with different postal companies and cut a different tract to get here. The one that left last, arrived first.
The first one showed it arrived in NZ for about 4 days before NZ Post showed it in their tracking as arrived. Was it here or was it close enough they just entered it as arrived.

Now I have a package coming from France. It shows as location CACHAN PRINCIPAL and has been there for a few days.
Date: 06/06/2018
Status: Pris en charge
Location: CACHAN PRINCIPAL

I must be a sucker for punishment, as I keep going back to check its status.