You’ve placed an online shopping order and are waiting patiently for it to arrive — well, let’s be honest, not so patiently.  

Finally, you get an email saying that your parcel has been “shipped”. Now, you’re expecting a delivery driver to arrive any minute. But no one turns up. What gives?

In this article, we’ll explain:

1. What “shipped” means 
2. The different stages of product delivery
3. Some of the factors that impact delivery times
4.  you can expect your order  to arrive
5. Common delivery terminology

What does shipped mean?

An order is “shipped” once it has left the seller (also known as the shipper) and is on the way to you. 

Think of shipped as meaning that your package is en route, but the exact delivery date and time are not decided yet. Your order could arrive tomorrow, within a couple of days, or in a couple of weeks — it all depends on how far it has to travel. 

Once your order is shipped, you’ll usually receive tracking information so you can keep an eye on it as it moves from the seller, courier company, or delivery company — like USPS, UPS, DHL or FedEx — to your delivery address. 

Some retailers handle their own deliveries, without using courier services . Amazon has Amazon Logistics, for example, and Walmart is growing its own shipping and logistical operations. In that case, there won’t be a third-party logistics provider involved. Your tracking number will come direct from the retailer instead.

💡Ever wondered why shipping doesn’t always involve actual ships? Long ago, most cargo really did travel by ship. Now that we also have planes, trains, trucks, and everything else, we still say “shipped” — the word has evolved to have a broader meaning. It’s just one more way that English is weird.

Factors that affect delivery times

A typical ecommerce shipping process involves a number of different steps, and different players:

1. Order: A customer places an order online.
2. Order processing: The retailer or shipper gets all the items in the order ready, and makes sure that they are packaged and labeled correctly.
3. Shipping: The order is given to a shipping service, courier or delivery service. This is the start of the product’s journey from the seller to the customer’s doorstep. 
4. Out for delivery: When your order is actually in a delivery van and is due to be delivered, it is “out for delivery”, which means it will be in your hands shortly — almost always on the same day.
5. Delivered: Once the package is delivered successfully to its final destination, the delivery journey is complete. The tracking system will update the transaction as being complete.

So, my order is shipped. When can I expect it?

Back in 2016, McKinsey forecast that same-day and instant delivery options would account for as much as 25% of the market by 2025. They were wrong: same-day delivery services and business models haven’t taken off as much as they expected. 

This doesn’t mean that speed is no longer important. More recent McKinsey research shows that 90% of online shoppers expect their order to arrive in two to three days and almost half of them will shop somewhere else if delivery takes too long.

So what determines how long shipping will take? The six most important factors are: 

1. Type of shipping selected

Customers can often pick the shipping method that's most convenient for them, and fits their budget:

• If they want their order fast and are happy to pay a little extra, they can opt for an express or overnight shipping service.
• If there’s no rush, they can opt to have their order arrive within a few business days, usually at lower cost. 

But even when choosing fast shipping methods like same-day, next-day, or overnight delivery, delays can still happen. 

2. Distance

Unsurprisingly, the further your package has to travel, the longer it will take. If you’ve ordered something from another country, it will probably be passed from one delivery company to another during the international shipping process. 

That increases the chance of something going wrong along the way, and can affect how long it takes for your product to arrive. 

International orders may also need customs clearance before making its way to your local distribution center, which can cause extra delays.

3. Product type and size

Large or heavy items may take longer to reach their destination. 

If your order needs specialized packaging or transport — for example, foods or medicines that must be refrigerated to ensure that they stay fresh — you can also expect delivery to be slower than usual.

4. Shipping budget

Faster shipping methods, like air freight, come at a higher cost. Or to put it another way, the less you pay in shipping fees, the longer your delivery will take.

Let’s say you’re based in Houston and you’ve ordered something from a small retailer in Chicago. A delivery company will charge different rates depending on package size, shipping speed, and their business relationship with the shipper. 

For example, the UPS Flat Rate service offers a choice of five different package sizes and four shipping speeds. Prices start at $10.85 for an extra small package delivered at the slowest speed of five days, to $87.70 for an extra large package delivered by next-day air freight. That’s a pretty big difference!

💡Did you know that UPS operates its own international airline? UPS Air Cargo is based in Louisville, Kentucky and flies to more than 90 American and 120 international airports.

5. Unexpected delays

Sometimes, things go wrong. Unexpected events like poor weather conditions, traffic jams, natural disasters, and even global pandemics can cause delays, impacting arrival times. If a truck breaks down or a plane is delayed, your order may be late.

6. Holidays and business days

For some delivery services, like USPS, Saturday is considered a business day. For others, UPS and FedEx, it’s not. Be sure to factor this into your timing. 

The holiday season is the busiest time for big shipping carriers, so it’s important to plan ahead so that gifts arrive in time. While delivery companies like UPS, FedEx, and USPS will bring in extra seasonal help to deal with increased demand, don’t expect that order you placed on Christmas Eve to arrive on Christmas Day!

So now you know what shipping means! Here are some other delivery and logistics-related terms you may come across.  

Common delivery terms explained

From the moment you place an order to the time it arrives, you’ll probably come across a number of different tracking status messages. 

It can get confusing, so we’ve created this handy delivery supply chain glossary to help you out. Here’s what each status means:

• Accepted by carrier: The seller has packaged up your order and handed it to a carrier — a synonym for a delivery company. As the customer, you’ll get a notification with tracking numbers so you can follow the progress of your order. 
• In transit: Your package is traveling to you, but still has to pass through different sorting facilities, transportation hubs, or distribution hubs before it arrives. “In transit” and “out for delivery” do not mean the same thing. 
• Arrived at the regional carrier facility: If there’s a big distance between the customer and the seller, your order will likely pass through a regional fulfillment center before it reaches your local facility. If that same package mentioned above is moving from Chicago to Houston, it’ll move across a number of regions - and through a regional fulfillment center - before arriving at your local facility or post office
• Arrived at local carrier facility or post office: Your parcel has now moved to a local distribution center or post office that is nearer to your delivery location, which means it’s almost on the final step of its journey to you.
• Out for delivery: Once your order has left the final pickup point, it is “out for delivery” and will be delivered to you on that day or the next day.
• Last-mile delivery: This is the name for the final stage of the whole delivery process, when a delivery driver has picked up your package and it’s out for delivery to you.
• Attempted delivery: If a delivery driver tries to deliver your package but you’re not home or the driver can’t get access to drop off the package, you’ll be notified that delivery was unsuccessful and you can arrange for delivery at another time.
• Failed delivery: When a courier driver tries but fails to deliver the parcel to the customer, this is known as a failed delivery attempt. The courier will usually leave a note for the customer letting them know about an unsuccessful delivery.
• Delayed delivery: When a delivery is delayed, it won’t be arriving when you expect it. This can happen for various reasons from incorrect addresses and contact information to supply chain issues or labor shortages. 
• Delivered: Once your order is in your hands, the order tracking status will change to “delivered,” which means that the delivery process is now complete.

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