Are you tracking a package from DHL, and the most recent message says, ‘Departure Origin DHL eCommerce Facility?’
If you aren’t familiar with DHL’s tracking terminology, this message can be both confusing and frustrating – especially if it gets stuck on there for several days.
So, what does this message actually mean, how much longer until it updates, and what should you do now?
In this article, I’ll cover everything that you need to know!
What Does ‘Departure Origin DHL eCommerce Facility’ Mean On DHL Tracking?
If you see a message on your DHL tracking page that says your shipment has departed DHL’s origin eCommerce facility, this means that it has left the first DHL eCommerce facility that it was scheduled to go to.
However, it will have to go to at least one more eCommerce facility before the final delivery process can begin. When this happens, the tracking will update to show a message stating ‘Arrival Destination DHL eCommerce Facility.’
Keep in mind however that depending on where your package was shipped from, it may actually be almost here by the time it reaches the origin facility.
This is because when you order a package from China to the United States for example, DHL doesn’t actually take possession of the package until it reaches the United States.
So, a large portion of the total transit time may already have been completed by the time you are seeing this message!
What Happens Next?
Once a package has departed from the origin DHL eCommerce facility, it will make its way throughout DHL’s network until it gets to the destination facility.
This will be the facility that is located closest to you. For reference, a list of facility locations will be given in the next section of this article.
Anyhow, once it is processed by the destination facility, DHL eCommerce packages are handed off to a local courier for the final delivery.
If you are in the U.S, this final courier is USPS.
From there, packages are usually delivered in 2-3 business days. However, USPS’ official timeline is no more than 5 business days.
So, be on the lookout for USPS – not a DHL delivery vehicle!
My Package Is Stuck On ‘Departure Origin DHL eCommerce Facility.’ What Now?
What should you do if DHL tracking is still showing the same message after several days?
For the most part, this is normal. There may be a considerable amount of distance between the origin eCommerce facility, and the one nearest your location. For reference, here is a list of DHL eCommerce facilities located in the United States:
- 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
If more than 10 or so days have passed however, it’s possible (though still unlikely) that DHL may have lost your package – or at the very least, temporarily misplaced it (such as shipping it to the wrong location, causing additional delays.)
At this point, it may be a wise idea to contact the shipper for additional assistance. At the very least, they may be able to contact and work with DHL on your behalf.
Depending on the place that you ordered from, you may even be entitled to a refund or replacement – so be sure to check their policies!
However, it’s still possible that tracking will update shortly. Unlike Fedex (which will let you know when there is operational delay), DHL does not always provide as much insight when things go wrong – or when you can expect the shipment to get back on track.
That doesn’t mean it won’t still arrive – it may just take longer.
Conclusion
Most of the time, seeing a ‘Departure Origin DHL eCommerce Facility’ message on your DHL tracking page is nothing to worry about.
Within a few days, the package should arrive at the destination eCommerce facility, and then be tendered to your local courier (such as USPS) for final delivery. From this point, it should arrive at your address within 2 to 5 business days.
Of course, if the package remains stuck for a lengthy period of time, contact the shipper to let them know.
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful, and that it’s answered all of your questions.
If you have any other questions about DHL, ask them below and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as I can.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister