USPS tracking status
USPS “In transit, moving through network”: what it means
The short answer
NormalYour package is in the middle of its trip: USPS has it and is moving it between processing plants toward your local post office. Repeated Arrived and Departed scans, and gaps of a day or two between them, are normal at this stage.
When to act: If there has been no new scan for about a week and at least 7 days have passed since mailing, file a complaint and we send it to USPS.
Also shown as: “In Transit to Next Facility” · “In Transit, Arriving On Time” · “In Transit” · “Arrived at USPS Facility” · “Departed USPS Facility”
What to do now
- 1
Check the expected delivery date on the tracking page; if it has not passed, no action is needed.
- 2
Find the mail class under Product Information and compare it with USPS's standards: within the contiguous US, Priority Mail 2 to 3 business days and USPS Ground Advantage 2 to 5, neither guaranteed; Alaska, Hawaii and the territories take longer.
- 3
Sign up for text or email updates on the tracking page so you see the next real scan.
- 4
If the date passes without a new scan, take a screenshot of the tracking history with the mailing date and the last real scan for your complaint.
- 5
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to USPS, so you do not have to chase it yourself.
What does “Moving through network” mean?
Moving Through Network is the middle stage of the trip, after USPS accepts the package and before it arrives at your post office. USPS's help groups In Transit, Arrived at USPS Facility and Departed USPS Facility under it and says the package is being processed or carried to your delivering post office. These scans can repeat at the same plant or on different days, and USPS only shows the first and last processing scan at each facility on a calendar day.
In Transit to Next Facility and In Transit, Arriving On Time are different: they are not physical scans. USPS's own scan list says they fill a visibility gap on the tracking site. Arriving On Time means USPS still expects to meet the delivery date shown; the plain version appears when no expected date is stored. A package can sit on this line for a day or more between real scans.
Why does USPS show it?
- Your package is on a truck or plane between two processing plants
- It is waiting inside a plant to be sorted, which only gets a scan when it moves
- Long distances add more legs between plants
- It was sorted to the wrong facility and is being sent on, adding a leg
- Peak season and bad weather slow plants down, so gaps between scans grow
How long does it last?
The next real scan is usually Arrived at USPS Facility, then Arrived at Post Office and Out for Delivery. A package that reaches your post office before about 9:30 am usually goes out that day; later arrivals usually go out the next business day. If USPS expects to miss the date shown, the line changes to In Transit, Arriving Late.
Other USPS statuses
- Label created, USPS awaiting itemKeep an eye on it
- Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
- In transit, arriving lateKeep an eye on it
- Alert: delivery exceptionKeep an eye on it
- Origin Post is Preparing ShipmentKeep an eye on it
- Arrived at Post OfficeNormal
- Out for DeliveryNormal
- Awaiting delivery scanKeep an eye on it
- No access to delivery locationKeep an eye on it
- Notice leftTake action
- Held at post officeTake action
- Insufficient addressTake action
- ForwardedKeep an eye on it
- Delivered, but not receivedTake action
Who is responsible for a late or missing package from USPS?
Bought it online from a business? Then the seller is usually responsible until the package is delivered. The seller chose USPS, bought the label and holds the mailing record that USPS needs for a lost package, so a late, lost or damaged order is in most cases the seller's to put right with a replacement or a refund.
Sent it yourself? Then your contract is with USPS, under the mailing rules in its Domestic Mail Manual. Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and USPS Ground Advantage include insurance of up to $100 for merchandise on most shipments; without insurance USPS pays nothing for loss or damage. Insurance does not cover delay, or a package lost or taken after delivery.
Questions about “Moving through network”
How long does Moving Through Network take?
Usually a few days, depending on distance and mail class. Within the contiguous US, USPS's standards are 2 to 3 business days for Priority Mail and 2 to 5 for USPS Ground Advantage, neither guaranteed; Alaska, Hawaii and the territories take longer.
Is USPS moving slow right now?
USPS lists current disruptions caused by severe weather, natural disasters and other events on its Service Alerts page. Beyond those, delays usually build up in the weeks before Christmas and when a regional plant falls behind. Your package only counts as late once it is past the delivery standard for its mail class.
How long does a package stay at a distribution center?
Usually not long. Within the contiguous US, USPS's standards for the whole trip are 2 to 3 business days for Priority Mail and 2 to 5 for USPS Ground Advantage, so a package normally leaves each plant within a day or so. Several days without a new scan often means a backlog or a missed scan. If there is no new scan for about a week and at least 7 days have passed since mailing, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to USPS.
Is In Transit to Next Facility a real scan?
No. USPS describes it as a message that fills a visibility gap on the tracking site. It tells you the package should be moving, not where it is.
Can my package still arrive today if it says Moving Through Network?
Sometimes. If it reaches your post office early in the morning it can still go out the same day. A package that is still between plants on the delivery date usually arrives a day or more later.
Based on
- USPS FAQ: Where is my package? Tracking Status Help
- USPS PostalPro: Domestic Tracking Scan Events (event codes and tracking texts)
- USPS FAQ: Delayed mail and packages? (delivery standards)
- USPS Link: In-transit package messaging improved
- USPS FAQ: Missing Mail, The Basics
- USPS Service Alerts
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 609: Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage
- USPS FAQ: Domestic Claims, The Basics