Are you expecting a package from DHL to arrive soon?
If you’ve recently checked your tracking, you may see a message that says ‘Arrival Destination DHL eCommerce Facility.’ But what does this message actually mean, and how does it relate to the delivery of your package?
In this article, I’ll be answering these questions – as well as providing some information on when your package is likely to arrive.
Let’s get to it!
What Does ‘Arrival Destination DHL eCommerce Facility’ Mean On DHL Tracking?
When DHL states ‘Arrival Destination DHL eCommerce Facility’ on their tracking page, this means that your shipment has arrived at the DHL eCommerce facility closest to your location.
DHL has 19 eCommerce distribution centers located throughout the United States, and is in the process of growing their network.
With this tracking message, the key word is ‘destination.’ This means it will be the last eCommerce facility that DHL will move your package through, before preparing it for final delivery.
DHL currently has eCommerce facilities in the following locations:
- Akron, Ohio
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Avenel, New Jersey
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky, Ohio / Kentucky
- Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
- Denver, Colorado
- Houston, Texas
- Melrose Park / Franklin Park
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Orlando, Florida
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- San Francisco, California
- Seattle, Washington
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Whittier, California
Depending on your location, the eCommerce facility closest to you may still appear to be quite far away!
However, DHL has a solution for this to aid with delivering your package quickly.
What Happens Next?
After your package has arrived and been processed through the destination eCommerce facility, it will be tendered to USPS for the final delivery.
Once it’s arrived at the destination eCommerce facility, it typically takes under 1 business day to process. In fact, in some cases it can be processed in under an hour!
Once it’s in USPS’ possession, they will actually be the ones that brings the package to you. Since USPS is delivering, it’s also possible that your package will end up being delivered to your mailbox, rather than to your door where most packages are typically delivered.
You may be wondering – why does USPS touch the package at all? Why doesn’t DHL just deliver it themselves?
Ultimately, it comes down to cost savings.
DHL is not nearly as big of a courier as other companies like UPS or Fedex are – at least within the United States. In fact, it’s estimated that DHL handles less than 1% of package deliveries to U.S addresses.
USPS on the other hand is already required to deliver mail to all addresses within the U.S, regardless of how remote or out of the way they are.
So, DHL has partnered with USPS to handle the final delivery to you. DHL moves it most of the way, then USPS takes over and actually makes the delivery.
Otherwise, it would be very expensive for DHL to make trips out to deliver packages, if there are not a lot of orders in your area!
How Long Will My Package Take To Arrive After Arriving At The Destination DHL eCommerce Facility?
Typically speaking, packages that have been tendered to USPS (or your local mail carrier) will be delivered within 2-3 business days after they’ve been handed over.
However, USPS considers DHL mail to be low priority, so exact timelines can vary. The official timeline is ‘within 5 days’, but packages often end up getting delivered quicker than that.
For the most accurate estimate on when your package is likely to arrive, reference the estimated delivery date on your tracking number.
You may also consider using a universal tracking tool like Parcels.
Parcels will check your tracking number against hundreds of carriers, allowing you to gain deeper insights into your shipment – particularly when it changes hands, as is the case for DHL eCommerce shipments.
So, the tracking information and estimated delivery date provided here may be more insightful, and give you a better idea on when your package is likely to arrive.
What To Do If Your Package Gets Stuck At An eCommerce Facility
Seeing your package get stuck at one of DHL’s eCommerce facility is frustrating enough. But it’s even more frustrating when it’s stuck at the destination facility, and is already so close to being delivered!
Ultimately, this happens for two reasons.
The first is simply due to delays. During shipping surges (such as around the holiday season, for example), both DHL and USPS see a large increase in package volume.
Unfortunately, this slows things down, and causes shipments to end up processing more slowly.
However, it’s also possible that a scan was simply missed. The last-mile carrier may already be in possession of the package, but DHL forgot to scan it as it was given to them.
If a scan is missed, an update won’t show up on the tracking page, even if the shipment is in fact moving.
If you see ‘Arrival Destination DHL eCommerce Facility’ as the most recent update for several business days, you may consider contacting DHL to inquire.
Conclusion
DHL has 19 eCommerce facilities – or distribution centers, located throughout the United States. When your package has arrived at the ‘destination’ facility, this means it’s at the one closest to you.
At this point, it will be tendered to USPS to handle the final delivery, which typically occurs 2-3 business days after it’s been received.
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful, and that it’s answered your questions.
If you have any other questions about DHL, ask them below and I’ll be happy to get back to you.
Wishing you the best, and here’s hoping your package arrives soon!
– James McAllister