Royal Mail tracker.

[Alex321]

In fairness there's too many unknown variables (traffic, delivery waiting, weather etc etc) to know when they will be delivering something as the schedule is non linear. The sequence can also change throughout the day due to traffic conditions. I would be surprised if the algorithm is set at 5am and does not change as the day progresses
For example, you have to deliver 300 items in and around the city you live in. Can you tell when the 178th item would be delivered?

The best they could realistically do is tell you when they are, say, 10 away from you and that would be in around an hour. Some couriers do this.

So how do all the other delivery services manage it?

They can all tell you when they have received the parcel, when it is at their depot, when it is "out for delivery", and usually on the day, a time range (which may be a couple of hours) within which you can expect delivery.

And actually, so do Royal Mail normally, without going to the tracking page - I will get an email telling me my parcel will be delivered between 11:38 and 13:38 (and yes they are that weirdly specific). So why can't that also be on the tracking page?

 

[rualexander]

Unlike parcel delivery couriers, your average postie who delivers your parcels also has to deliver letters, magazines and junk mail etc to around 300-400 addresses per day.
So it's not really a comparable task.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Unlike parcel delivery couriers, your average postie who delivers your parcels also has to deliver letters, magazines and junk mail etc to around 300-400 addresses per day.
So it's not really a comparable task.

I think most parcels are delivered by Royal Mail van drivers, not walking post men and women. I do see posties collecting parcels from the small vans then delivering them, but most RM parcels I receive are by a bigger van and driver.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Having worked at Royal Mail for both Christmas 24 & 25 there was a lot more scanning going on in 25 as opposed to the year previous. Even though parcels were only moving approx 10-20 yards (but part of a different process) they were getting scanned again.

Whether this was process update or a training issue last year: who knows?

 

[rualexander]

I think most parcels are delivered by Royal Mail van drivers, not walking post men and women. I do see posties collecting parcels from the small vans then delivering them, but most RM parcels I receive are by a bigger van and driver.

But do you know that the driver of that bigger van isn't also delivering letters etc?
There are some dedicated parcel delivery drivers depending on the location but most still also have a walk to do at the same time, as far as I know.

 

[DCLane]

@rualexander - @Accy cyclist is correct here.

Letters and small 'postable' items are by one arm of the company, parcels are by another. Son no. 2 is in the parcels only arm, using a bigger van with a much wider delivery area. Those drivers don't do letter delivery.

 

[rualexander]

@rualexander - @Accy cyclist is correct here.

Letters and small 'postable' items are by one arm of the company, parcels are by another. Son no. 2 is in the parcels only arm, using a bigger van with a much wider delivery area. Those drivers don't do letter delivery.

Depends where you live.
Around here the regular postie still has to deliver many larger parcels as well as do their walk.

 

[MontyVeda]

...
For example, you have to deliver 300 items in and around the city you live in. Can you tell when the 178th item would be delivered?

The best they could realistically do is tell you when they are, say, 10 away from you and that would be in around an hour. Some couriers do this.

so on the one hand you say they can't accurately track parcels, and on the other, you know some companies can track their parcels.

Yodel tracking has a map showing where the van is and how many stops it's got before my item will be delivered... so yes, proper tracking is entirely possible

 

[markemark]

so on the one hand you say they can't accurately track parcels, and on the other, you know some companies can track their parcels.

Yodel tracking has a map showing where the van is and how many stops it's got before my item will be delivered... so yes, proper tracking is entirely possible

This is not about tracking but about delivery time estimation first thing in the morning. Of course tracking is very easy should the company choose to share their data. The original OP wanted to know when it would be delivered so they could organise their day when to be at home. I am saying that the delivery window is rarely accurate at the beginning of the day but you start to get a clue closer to the time. Yes, you can track it and see how many deliveries before it is you. But to get an idea of when that would be several hours prior has too many variables to be accurate.
Like I say, if I was the 178th delivery, could you as you are starting up your van give an estimation of what time that would be? I could track you throughout the day and start to get an idea, but as you were loading the van it would be very difficult to give a window,

 

[MontyVeda]

...
Like I say, if I was the 178th delivery, could you as you are starting up your van give an estimation of what time that would be? I could track you throughout the day and start to get an idea, but as you were loading the van it would be very difficult to give a window,

yet Yodel does give a window. I guess they do so many deliveries they have a good idea of the variables and give a reliable 2 hour window first thing on the delivery day.

 

[markemark]

yet Yodel does give a window. I guess they do so many deliveries they have a good idea of the variables and give a reliable 2 hour window first thing on the delivery day.

I have usually a few deliveries each day at work. We sometimes get a window but it’s pretty much meaningless and rarely accurate to the point we discard the information. As we’re operating all day it doesn’t matter. The only one which could be useful is the one that says they’re x minutes away.

 

[newts]

I ordered on the Internet from a company on Tuesday. They for some reason decided to send the items separately, both were dispatched Wednesday morning on 48 hr services. 1 item via DPD arrived today. The other sent through Royal Mail tracked 48 doesn't show up on their system yet as being in transit?

 

[MontyVeda]

I ordered on the Internet from a company on Tuesday. They for some reason decided to send the items separately, both were dispatched Wednesday morning on 48 hr services. 1 item via DPD arrived today. The other sent through Royal Mail tracked 48 doesn't show up on their system yet as being in transit?

Royal Mail's tracking is shoddy to the point of useless. Yodel have by far the best tracking i've come across... but it's rare i get something sent via Yodel.
Evri hid a package in my garden yesterday. They told the seller where they'd put my parcel, but not me

 

[Gunk]

Royal Mail's tracking is shoddy to the point of useless

I posted a Brompton I sold last week, firstly they failed to collect it and I ended up waiting in all bloody day

Then the tracking number failed to be recognised on their website, fortunately I had a very nice message from the buyer once it arrived, but all in all a very unnecessarily stressful experience.