Have a letter that’s supposed to arrive in Fort Wayne today. Can anyone explain why it’s taking this circuitous route? Read from the bottom up. Something special about a half hour stop in Gary?

January 27, 2020, 7:00 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
INDIANAPOLIS IN DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX
Your item arrived at our USPS facility in INDIANAPOLIS IN DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX on January 27, 2020 at 7:00 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

January 27, 2020, 2:41 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
GARY IN DISTRIBUTION CENTER

January 27, 2020, 2:13 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
GARY IN DISTRIBUTION CENTER

January 27, 2020, 12:16 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
INDIANAPOLIS IN DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX

January 26, 2020, 10:08 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility
INDIANAPOLIS IN DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX

January 25, 2020
In Transit to Next Facility

If it was being sent priority overnight, maybe Gary is the local hub for them. Seems silly, but there and back.

If you have ever shipped anything via UPS Next Day Air, you’ll see most of the time, it goes to Louisville, gets sorted at the Worldship Hub, and sent back out. It’s just the way the logistics works.

Our post office used to have two slots inside. One for local the other outgoing. We are a small town of 10,000 plus the others out in the country. But there's no local any more. Everything goes in the truck and takes a ride to Columbus and back, around 60 miles each way.

Wife sent a small padded envelope (contains earrings) last Tuesday, January 21st, and as of today January 27th, it shows still in transit and yesterday confirmed with recipient it had not been received. A week for an envelope seems odd.

Back a while I saw something on fedex delivery. If you overnight an important package across town, it will fly to Memphis, get sorted, and fly back the next day. Just the way delivery works.

Nothing the USPS does surprises me!

A few years ago I ordered something that was to be shipped via USPS. I waited a couple days, checked the shipping info.

For the next 2 weeks it bounced back and forth between the same to USPS locations. It got to be a running joke here on the forum.

Finally got the Virginia (about 10 miles from where I live) where it spent several days.

Our mail carrier here changes with the weather, or something. And delivery times range from mid morning to late afternoon.

Hub & spoke distribution system. Many companies use this method.
I've had things misdirected and go to some strange places but I don't think that's what's happening in your case.
Explained here.

https://www.redwoodlogistics.c...hy-it-works-for-ltl/

Last year, I ordered something and only after I ordered did the vendor admit it was shipping from China instead of CONUS. Despite 3 day shipping policy, the Chinese didn't ship for 10 days, but once shipped it moved at a reasonable speed until it reached Houston. Check out this musical post office BS:

Sunday: arrives at the North Houston distribution center

Monday: ships to post offices in two suburbs surrounding College Station (about 90 miles from North Houston distribution center).

Tuesday AM: arrives back in North Houston distribution center

Tuesday PM: arrives at post office in my suburb of Houston

Wednesday: shipped back to North Houston distribution center

Thursday: stays at North Houston distribution center

Friday: once again arrives at post office in my suburb of Houston

Saturday: en-route (destination not stated)

Monday: arrives at Chicago International Distribution Center

Tuesday: en-route (destination not stated)

8 days later: arrives at Fuzhou Distribution Center (China)

Even though the vendor could see all of that, they still wouldn't refund my money. I had to get my credit card company involved, and my credit card sided with me.

The problem is it went to Gary by mistake. In the past it would have gone to South Bend first and then to Ft. Wayne. Now I think it goes directly to Ft. Wayne from Indy. I'm not really sure about that though since it has been many years since I worked for the USPS. Anyway I am going to guess that the next tracking info shows it going from Indy to Ft. Wayne.

Why would you track it? It will just frustrate you. All that matters is point A to point B, and how quickly.

Fred - because it’s a part I need for my Glock and if I have to contact the seller to replace a lost shipment, I’d prefer to do that ASAP.

Ogie - You nailed it. For several days tracking was predicting delivery yesterday by 8PM, but there’s no way that could happen with the Gary detour. Got an email this morning that it arrived locally and is out for delivery.

I like this, it tells all: https://www.semanticscholar.or...e4cfb785a9a/figure/0
just a sample of how shippers work. This is what will kill the mail order business, that and the "folks" (?) who think they are losing tax dollars or business!