UK shipping company to enable (almost) real-time package tracking

[Shawn Knight]

If you’ve ever ordered anything of great value or importance online, your routine is probably similar to most. You follow the package online through every step as it is received by the courier, shipped to your local hub and finally sent out on a truck for delivery. But it’s that last part of the equation that is so frustrating as you can only expect it to arrive at some point before the end of the day.

A UK delivery company by the name of Interlink Express/DPD will soon take package tracking to the next level. On August 5, the courier will launch a new service called Follow My Parcel which will allow customers to track overnight deliveries in real time with stunning accuracy.

The delivery company already offers SMS alerts (or e-mails) on the morning of delivery to let customers know when a package is scheduled to arrive within a one-hour time slot (FedEx and UPS, are you listening?). The text alerts will continue but after August 5, they will include a link directing customers to an online map.

The map, which works with desktops and mobile devices, shows where the delivery driver is as he / she makes their way to you. As such, customers will know when a package is set to arrive within 15 minutes. Impressive!

The Verge points out that Amazon uses DPD to deliver a large number of their next-day orders. Additionally, online fashion shop ASOS is also expected to use the new tracking service. Now if we could just get couriers on this side of the pond to adopt a similar system…

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https://www.techspot.com/news/53296-uk-shipping-company-to-enable-almost-real-time-package-tracking.html

 

[scorpionvenom]

Was always wondering when this would happen

 

[TekGun]

Yea DPD are one of the better couriers, with the notification text they send you can also reschedule by replying to the text, if the time slot is inconvenient.

 

[bexwhitt]

I wish Amazon UK (who I get quite a bit of stuff from) would stick with DPD instead of sometimes use UPS.

The DPD sms alerts make it much easier to beat home for the time they say the parcel will be delivered, in my experience the slot they give you say 10:25-11:25 they usually come around the beginning of the time so you hardly have to wait in at all

 

[Burty117]

I use DPD a lot as I orde a lot from scan.co.uk and they have been flawless, always on time and more often than not within the first 15 minutes of my time slot anyway, this is just another reason I will always use DPD!

 

[bexwhitt]

I use DPD a lot as I orde a lot from scan.co.uk and they have been flawless, always on time and more often than not within the first 15 minutes of my time slot anyway, this is just another reason I will always use DPD!

yes in my experience DPD are great, never used them from scan though as they are fairly local I pop in.

 

[Burty117]

yes in my experience DPD are great, never used them from scan though as they are fairly local I pop in.

Wish I lived near scan! Luckily for me, I've bought so much from them they've added unlimited free next day delivery to my account no matter what I order! Still through DPD as well.

 

[Emexrulsier]

COOL ... I will know exactly where my expensive order is to break into the van and get it before delivery is attempted...

 

[AvaCristi]

[FONT=Calibri]That’s really innovative. Real-time packaging tracking should already be a part of most shipping management systems now that we’re more mobile. Perhaps a live countdown of your package arrival would make it a little bit better? [/FONT]