Main reasons why your parcel is late

We’ve all had a parcel that hasn’t arrived on time and it can be a real pain. Parcels arrive late for a number of reasons. Some of these circumstances are beyond the control of the courier or delivery company, whilst others can be mitigated against with a little bit of careful planning and foresight. As same day couriers, we know how important prompt arrival of packages and parcels is. Read on to find out some of the main reasons why parcels arrive late (in no particular order.)

1) Poor weather.

The weather can cause a number of delays to parcels and each season presents different problems. In winter, the obvious hazards of snow, ice and fog can be real concerns. In summer, torrential downpours leading to floods, or exceptional hot days can cause equal issues. These problems tend to come round every year, and good courier companies will have strategies and systems in place where their drivers can still be safe on the roads and negotiate the worst of the weather, yet still get parcels to customers in good time.

2) Vehicle problems.

If your delivery van breaks down whilst you are in the middle of a round or halfway to your destination on a drop off, this is going to cause obvious problems and delays because you simply won’t be able to move very far! At times like this, couriers which have good breakdown services or have made other plans between colleagues and other employees to counter such instances, stand the best chance of causing the minimum disruption to their clients.

3) Traffic problems.

Just as breakdowns can’t be helped or legislated for, the same applies to traffic jams, accidents or temporary roadworks which pop up on our highway network from time to time. A way couriers can lower impact here, is to have access to real time data and technology which can allow their drivers to avoid the worst of these traffic problems. This ensures that they do not fall too far behind in their delivery schedule.

4) Customs.

If goods are arriving from abroad (or being transported abroad,) customs delays are very likely –  depending on what you are sending, and the staffing levels at that particular time. So called ‘red tape’ has been widely reported to have increased since Brexit and extra checks and paperwork are adding further time at the customs borders. If your parcel involves a leg of a journey which is outside the UK and it is held up, customs problems are a very strong likelihood. Senders and receivers can of course do their best to offset any issues by making sure paperwork is filled out correctly etc, but ultimately, this is sometimes one of those situations where time just has to take its course.

5) Delivery problems.

Perhaps a less likely problem but one that still happens frequently even so. Your delivery may be late because you might not have been able to receive it and no where or no one else suitable has been able to have safe custody of it as your caretaker. This perhaps shifts the issue away of circumstances within a couriers control a little, but more accurate and successful deliveries can be achieved by ensuring customers have access to a good tracking system where they can update their availability and make changes or adjustments accordingly. This saves time and hassle for courier and customer alike.

6) Lost.

We have all heard of the saying ‘better late than never.’ If your late parcel still hasn’t arrived after a certain amount of time, there becomes a real possibility that lateness can turn into lost (or at least mislaid.) There can be many reasons why parcels become delayed indefinitely or lost, ranging from labelling problems to items being misplaced. Good couriers have step by step tracking which shows where a parcel is at every part of its journey – lowering the risk of this happening.

Next time your parcel is late, have a think about which one of these main reasons could apply.

Did you know we deliver in all parts of the country – including the different nations? Why not visit our locations page to see exactly where we cover.