The hub sorting centre is a focal point for the logistics process of deliveries, through which all parcels sent by both private individuals and companies pass, before arriving in the hands of the recipient. In fact, from a logistics point of view, it would be impossible to organise a journey in which the courier passes directly from the sender to the recipient, which is why the route of each individual parcel consists of several intermediate stages in logistical sorting centres, from which it is sent to the various local offices that organise shipments to the recipient.
So, the hub sorting centre is a facility that manages the parcel shipments in transit, They will then organise courier vehicles for home delivery or at a pick-up point of the chosen shipping company.
The work done by the hub sorting centres is essential to organise shipments on time, which is why they use highly sophisticated automated systems that ensure that the process is error-free and as fast as possible.
National and international hub sorting centres
Depending on the type of shipments they handle, hub sorting centres can be both national and international. From this it can be deduced that national and international deliveries have different stages and practices, and in fact in international hub sorting centres all possible customs clearance practices, and to facilitate the logistical process, international centres are often located near airports, or even within them.
At the international hub sorting centres, therefore, parcels are processed, sorted and routed to the various destination areas, where they will arrive at the relevant hub sorting centres in the country and, as with deliveries within Italy, they will be sent to the various local offices that will organise their delivery to the recipient in accordance with the timetable and methods provided by the chosen service.
Hub sorting centres in shipment tracking
When you check the status of your shipment through the tracking services provided by couriers, you may come across the words hub sorting centre - in transit or the like, and from what we know now we can infer that in this state our parcel will be at a hub sorting centre waiting to be sorted and sent to the relevant local offices for the specific geographical area where delivery is to be made.
Regarding the tracking of shipments, in addition to the one we have just mentioned, there may also be other indications, which we will explain in the next few lines.
For example, the wording tnt shipping consignment from the sender's premises means that the parcel was entrusted to the express courier, and is on its way to a local sorting centre, from where it will reach the hub sorting centre. When, on the other hand, the parcel has passed through the logistical process of the hub sorting centre, and reaches the local location in the recipient's territory, the wording in the tracking will become shipment arrived at headquarters.
There are also a number of inscriptions that identify different situations in which the parcel may be found close to the time of delivery, such as the inscription scheduled delivery by the end of the day, which indicates that the courier will deliver the parcel into the hands of the recipient by the end of the working day, i.e. generally between 09:00 and 18:00. When the delivery is successful, however, the wording of the tracking will change to delivered.
However, although the logistical process put in place by the shipping companies aims to ensure that deliveries are not delayed, it is possible that there are external factors that cause mishaps that slow down the delivery, and even in these cases each possible situation has an associated wording that will appear in the tracking service.
For example, the wording attempted delivery means that the courier tried to deliver the parcel to the address indicated by the sender, but the recipient was not at home. In general, standard shipping offered by most couriers includes three delivery attempts to be made on different days, and on the third unsuccessful delivery attempt the parcel will be returned to the sender, in which case the tracking entry will change to preparation for return or similar.
The wording rescheduled delivery, on the other hand, means that the delivery date has been changed by the courier from the one previously indicated, and this may occur due to malfunctions, delays or strikes that slow down the entire logistical process. If, on the other hand, the words damaged parcel, means that during transport the parcel has suffered damage of some kind, and the courier is carrying out the appropriate checks to see whether or not delivery will still be possible.
In the entire logistical process faced by a package delivery, therefore, it is crucial that the work done by the hub sorting centre is precise and punctual, to ensure that the delivery can be guaranteed within the timeframe offered by the international shipping and without the package being damaged in transit.
