Originally Posted by ClapperZapper
I don’t think they track packages like an Uber eats pizza where Google is showing you turn by turn directions where the box is.

You'd be wrong there. Packages are scanned via barcode into a location. When that location is a FedEx (or UPS) truck with GPS, you can follow your shipment on the website.

Originally Posted by ClapperZapper
At best, it is bulk processing. The packages get scanned as they get loaded on a truck, and then they get scanned when they leave the truck. For all anyone knows, the contractor’s truck was listed as in, but wasn’t fully unloaded yet because somebody went to the dentist.

No, the package was listed (scanned) as sitting at the warehouse in Minnesota. Not even to the local hub, and certainly not on a truck.



When a package is scanned, it means only one thing, that it was at one exact location at one particular point in time. It means nothing other than that. Without getting scanned again it could get lost in the warehouse, it could end up on another truck going to another warehouse, or it could go on a conveyor belt to be delivered.

If it went down a conveyor belt without getting scanned again, it could end up in a big pile of boxes at the end of a conveyor belt and not move, it could get loaded on a truck, it could end up in the problem area, it could end up on the wrong conveyor belt going to the wrong contractor, or it could end up on the floor and get run over by a truck, or it could just "disappear."

If it goes down the conveyor belt and get scanned it could end up in a big pile of boxes at the end of the belt, it could end up on the floor and get run over, it could end up in the problem area, it could go on the correct truck and get delivered, or get delivered to the wrong address, or get brought back to the warehouse and shipped to another warehouse, or fall out of the truck and get lost. It could get scanned to the correct truck, and end up on a different truck and get lost or disappear.

If the label gets damaged it could end up on a truck and disappearing, or it could end up getting lost in the warehouse for a long time.


Tim

Son just where in this picture would you like to be?