Destination Scan – Meaning & What To Do If This Update Is Stuck

The United Parcel Service is a well-known logistics company in the United States. Their tracking tool is said to be one of the best available. However, customers encounter confusing updates while tracking, e.g., “destination scan.”

The UPS destination scan update is a notification that your package has arrived at the local UPS facility. This local UPS facility will be responsible for the final delivery of your package.

Did you come across this UPS update? Want to know how long it will take until your package arrives after receiving this update? Then, read on to get your answers.

What does the UPS update “destination scan” mean?

As I mentioned, this update implies your package has arrived at the local UPS facility. This facility will be in charge of the final phase of the delivery, which is taking the package to its final destination.

How long after this update will you receive your package?

The good news is that the UPS “destination scan” update signifies that your package is very close. It must only be sorted and loaded onto a vehicle for final delivery.

Most of the time, customers receive their package the same day after coming across this update. But it could also arrive the following day if;

  • The final destination is far from the UPS facility
  • The package arrives at the UPS facility after all trucks for that day have been loaded already

Therefore, if you encounter this update, you should expect your package within the next 48 hours. However, if you receive this update on a Friday, it may arrive the following week (except the customer paid for weekend delivery initially).

Why has this update been stuck for a long time?

Although it is not planned, some factors can lead to delays even after coming across this update. They include the following;

1. Bad weather condition

Inclement weather conditions are not controllable, even for the UPS. Weather conditions like snowstorms, hurricanes, heavy downpours, etc. These are common inclement weather conditions that affect the delivery process.

2. Incorrect information

Even after customers encounter this update, incorrect details might be a stumbling block. Damaged labels or incorrect addresses are the most common reasons for this.

When UPS cannot determine a package’s final destination, it causes delays. The package will have to remain in the facility until the address is identified, else it will have to be returned to the sender.

3. High number of deliveries

Sometimes, the number of deliveries increases, especially during festive or holiday periods. And when there are limited hands on deck, it will affect the delivery process.

A delay could be because UPS has a truckload of packages to be delivered. And once the driver cannot finish his or her deliveries for the day, he or she will have to return them to the UPS facility, causing delays.

What if this update remains for an unusually long time?

Most of these issues are addressed shortly, so having patience is the best move.

Ideally, you should receive your package 48 hours after this update. However, if this update remains for more than 4 working days, you may need to take further action.

The best move is to contact the local UPS hub or facility and talk to a representative about your package. Hopefully, the representative should be able to shed more light on the current status of your package.

Can you pick up a UPS package if the update says “destination scan”?

No, you can’t. Since the package is already close and should be delivered soon, you cannot pick it up.

The only way to pick up a UPS package from the facility is if the UPS “will call” service was used while the package was still in transit to that facility. You can see this article on how to pick up a UPS package early for more insight.

FAQs

What update comes after a UPS destination scan update?

Usually, a follow-up update should come as “out for delivery”.

Does UPS scan packages before delivering?

Yes, they do. Packages are scanned at various points in the UPS delivery infrastructure. This is to update customers on the status of their packages.

Conclusion

The UPS tracking tool happens to be a very effective tool for customers. You simply get an update depicting the current status of your package. The update “destination scan” is one update that happens to be confusing.

It implies that your package has arrived at the local UPS facility. There, it will be sorted onto a vehicle heading to your address.

After seeing this update, you should receive your package within 48 hours. But if this update is unusually long, contacting UPS might be the best move.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you did, you should also see the article on what to do if your UPS tracking number is invalid.

Thanks for reading this article.