DHL Forwarded for Delivery • What does it mean?

DHL shipments are known for being quite fast, especially because it is a dedicated shipping company that will always give you exceptional service. However, there are different statuses such as “forwarded for delivery” that can generate doubts about the delivery of your packages.

This is a status that will appear in the tracking, which appears when DHL does not have direct coverage at the final delivery site. In these cases, a 3rd party courier will be used for the final delivery, allowing you to get a fast delivery.

What does forwarded for delivery mean at DHL?

When DHL forwarded for delivery appears in the tracking information, it means that your package has been delivered to another carrier. Essentially, this means that the delivery is on its way, but you will not see a DHL van outside your home for delivery.

This means that another company has taken the package. In the end, it will arrive by another company that will take care of delivering the package to you at the address.

In some cases, DHL makes use of the USPS at the destination or a 3rd party courier that will handle the last leg of delivery. Please note that DHL tracking will continue to work after the package is received by the other carrier. This means that you can still track your package with the same DHL number.

What is a 3rd party service to which the package is transferred?

DHL has been using the USPS service since 2003. This is done in order to keep costs lower for customers. In addition, USPS has access to over 20,000 ZIP codes nationwide.

This is a quite common practice around the world thanks to DHL’s different agreements. In the end, the package is delivered by another carrier, which is usually a local company at the final place of delivery.

Once DHL delivers the package to another carrier it will immediately be updated with a “forwarded for delivery” message. In addition to the USPS service, in the United States it uses other carriers such as LaserShip and OnTrac, to name a few.

Normally, reliable 3rd party services are always used, which will deliver quickly and effectively.

Will the tracking number still be updated when the ”Forwarded for Delivery” message appears?

Yes, the tracking number given to you by DHL will normally remain the same. However, this may depend on the carrier that was used to make the final delivery.

When using the USPS service the DHL tracking number will normally continue to work until the final delivery is made. Therefore, you will be able to track your package until it arrives at your doorstep in a very simple and convenient way.

USPS Informed Delivery Service

There is a service known as USPS Informed Delivery which serves to notify you of the delivery of your DHL packages. For this, you will have to sign up for this service before the package is transferred to the USPS.

This is a service that is completely free, and you will be able to control your package deliveries easily. In addition, you will get all the data of the delivery when it is made via a USPS driver. You will also have access to the tracking code provided by USPS.

Please note that the DHL forwarded for delivery status means that the package is at the end of its journey. Therefore, delivery will be made imminently, being delivered the same day or the next day.

Once it is updated to this status, normally nothing else will appear until it changes to “delivered”. In some cases, the tracking will not continue to update, so you have to wait until delivery is made to your door.

What to do if the package is delayed once it has been transferred for delivery?

Once you receive the ”forwarded for delivery” message, the package should be delivered quickly. However, it may take two days or more for the package to arrive at your door once this status appears.

In these cases, you will need to call DHL as soon as possible. In the call, they will ask you for the tracking number and will tell you the company to which the package has been delivered. Don’t worry, however, because DHL will contact the carrier to find out the cause of the delay.

Normally, the delivery will be done in a fast way, because once DHL contacts the other company, the delivery will be prioritized. For this reason, you will not have to worry at all about the delivery, because you will receive it at the end without waiting so long.

What statuses can appear in DHL tracking?

DHL will always give us details about the tracking, and we may encounter different statuses during the package’s journey, such as:

  • Forwarded for delivery: this is the notification we have been talking about. This will mean that it will be delivered to you soon.
  • Arrived at Sort Facility: this notification normally appears on international shipments. This means that it will be sent to the delivery site.
  • Contact DHL: this is a notification that rarely appears. It is usually an inconvenience that may be due to customs, or if the final address is not clear. When contacting DHL, be sure to provide the tracking number so that the problem can be resolved and your package can be delivered.
  • Customs Status Updated: this means that the package is in the process of being released at the destination.

Note that with the tracking number you can manage the status of your DHL shipment. From the website, you can manage everything related to your shipment, and you will be able to know at all times the updates. This way, you can get great convenience when receiving your packages, and it will give you all the information regarding your package and if it has been transferred to another carrier.