How To Track Your DHL (Deutsche Post) Package

The modern postal service is a marvel of transportation and organisation, connecting the world and keeping it turning, and DHL plays a major role in this process.

Perhaps one of the best things about the modern postal establishment is the ability to track your packages, alleviating the anxiety we all experience when our package enters the limbo between starting point and destination, but how does DHL handle tracking?

Here, I’m going to break down all your options when it comes to tracking your DHL package.

Thankfully, the company works hard to make the process as easy and flexible as possible, so there’ll almost certainly be a method that suits you below!

How To Have A Parcel Tracked With DHL

I’m kicking things off with some good news! DHL provides tracking as standard, so you won’t be expected to pay a premium in order to keep an eye on your package during its journey.

Whether you’ve arranged a DHL pickup, you’re receiving a parcel from an online outlet, or you’re sending a parcel from an online outlet to somewhere else, you will receive an email documenting the delivery information.

This email will include all the tracking details you’ll need to keep tabs on your package while it’s on the move.

How To Track Your DHL Package: A Step-By-Step Guide

Okay, now that you know tracking is a dead cert with DHL, let’s get on with the tracking guide.

Step 1. Find Your Tracking Number

Remember that email I mentioned a moment ago? Well, your first port of call is to log in to your email account and locate it.

It will be clearly labelled as a DHL correspondence and will contain your tracking number.

If you don’t have any emails from DHL, you’ll find your tracking information in the order confirmation sent to you by the company you’re buying from.

What Is A DHL Tracking Number?

Between dates, technical numbers, reference numbers, and order numbers, it can be easy to get a little lost when looking for a tracking number, especially as they can vary in length.

Typically, the tracking number will be between 10 and 39 characters long and should be clearly labelled as tracking info.

Should there be no label, keep an eye out for a string of characters composed of both numbers and letters — This will be your tracking number.

It should also be quite prominent in the email, as DHL wants it to stand out amongst all the other numbers and catch your attention.

The length of your tracking ID may be defined by the branch of the DHL company you’re using.

For instance, when using the Deutsche Post Packet service, it will be between 12 and 20 characters long, but the standard US DHL service utilises the full 10 to 39 character range.

The nature of the service will also affect the length of the tracking number. As such, a returns service will have a different type of tracking ID to a standard outbound service.

Step 2. Copying The Tracking Number

Once you’ve located your tracking number, instead of trying to remember it, highlight it, then copy it by clicking ctrl + c (on Windows) or cmd + c (Mac).

Step 3. Find The Tracking Page On The DHL Website

Head on over to the DHL website and look to the primary navigation bar running along the top of the display. Dead centre, you should see a “Track” option. Click on it. 

You’ll then see a little dropdown menu. Click on the field of this dropdown menu, then press ctrl + p (Windows) or cmd + p (Mac) to paste in the copied tracking ID, then click “Track Parcel”.

If you’re using the US DHL site, the navigation bar will take you to a discrete tracking page.

Here, you can enter up to 10 different tracking numbers to check the status of multiple parcels efficiently.

Step 4. Read Your Package’s Postal Status

You’ll then be redirected to a status page that will tell you precisely what stage in its journey your package has reached.

How To Track Your DHL Express Package

If you’re running a business, sending products out in a timely manner is essential, which is why DHL offers an express service for time-sensitive operations.

But not only is DHL Express swift, it also offers you multiple tracking options.

How To Track DHL Express Parcel Online

Tracking your DHL Express parcel online is exactly the same as tracking a parcel sent with their standard service, so you just follow the steps detailed above, but you’ll head to the DHL Express web page rather than the standard DHL site for your region.

Tracking numbers for the Express service are almost always 10 characters long; however, an international delivery within Europe will have 13 characters, the first two of which will be letters.

How To Track DHL Express Parcel Using WhatsApp

DHL Express offers a nifty digital assistant on WhatsApp, and it can help you track your package without going online. Here’s how it’s done…

• Head on over to your email on your phone and note down the tracking ID for your package.
• Open up WhatsApp on your smartphone and enter the DHL WhatsApp number: (country calling code) 1163 265750.
• Add the DHL number to your contacts.
• Open up a conversation with DHL.
• Type “Track” proceeded by your 10-digit tracking number.

That’s literally it! Do bear in mind, though, that DHL doesn’t offer a WhatsApp call service, but you can call their customer service line to track a parcel if you want.

How To Track A DHL Package By Phone

All you have to do to track your DHL package by phone is call the customer service number for your location (you’ll find this on the DHL website), then, when prompted by the automated voice recognition service, say “track a parcel”.

You’ll then be asked to submit your 10-digit tracking number before being told where in the system your package is.

What Are The Stages Of DHL Tracking?

To keep data logging efficient and user-friendly, DHL breaks down their tracking service into 14 statuses split between the various stages of delivery:

• In transit / In progress — Your package is being transported long-distance.
• Arrived overseas — Your international package has reached its destination.
• Item is pre-advised — Your package has been given a shipping label, but it’s yet to be collected by the courier.
• Otb — Your package has been shipped beyond national borders.
• Out for delivery — The package will shortly arrive at its destination.
• Poste restante — Your package is safely housed in the destination postal depot awaiting pick-up from the addressee.
• Departure to a country of destination — Your package is on its way to an international destination.
• Arrival scan — Your parcel has arrived at a postal facility.
• Exported to opened — The package is being returned to the country of origin.
• Redirected — Address error. Package is being sent back to sender or to proper address.
• Into customs — Your package has arrived at customs.
• Cleared customs — Your package has successfully passed through customs.
• Unsuccessful delivery attempt — Usually because the addressee was not home.
• Returned to sender — This can happen for a number of reasons.

Final Thoughts

There you have it — Your package may be out of sight, but thanks to some pretty darn comprehensive tracking options from DHL, you can follow it on its trip, no matter how far it’s going!