Our system right now is outdated. We do not have instant upload of delivery confirmation. It must wait until the carrier returns to the post office and plugs in the scanner tray. The bluetooth phones are supposed to fix this, allowing instant upload or within just a few minutes.
Often, the scan labels get bashed enroute. If it won’t scan, we punch in the numbers manually. sometimes they’re illegible as well, and there’s not a thing we can do about it. Sometimes they arrive looking like that. You’ll NEVER get a ship confirmation if the label is trashed. shippers often wrap them around corners, around round things, cover them with tape, or they use cheap printer ink for the labels that run off if they get a drop of rain on it. These are things the USPS has no control over.
FedEx uploads very fast. I was checking a delivery status with them once, when they pulled up. Great! I received the package, and went back to my computer. By the time I sat down, it already confirmed delivery. Maybe two minutes max. That’s what I want the post office to be able to do. Can’t wait.
Sure, shippers have to use a little common sense.
But the USPS specifically tells you not to tape over the bar codes on printed labels.
The USPS is pushing "click it and ship it" (with a discount) either directly or through eBay. Millions of people are using ink jet printed shipping labels. Obviously, opaque tape is a bad idea. What about clear tape to protect the label? Why won't they say that's OK to use? Or isn't it? WTF?