TCS Tracking
TCS has an international presence with thousands of sites across Pakistan and abroad. They have a fleet of aircraft, vehicles, and couriers to carry out their services.
About TCS
Founded in 1983 with 12 stations, TCS tracking has grown to become Pakistan’s premier transport and logistics company.
The impetus to create TCS came from a merger of ideas between Pakistan International Airlines and the German-based courier DHL. Now, they can deliver to over 220 countries.
How TCS tracking works
TCS package tracking works the same way as tracking with most other couriers. TCS uses the term “reference number.” But their site has different wording and may use “tracking” or “reference” interchangeably or together.
Note: If you want to track your TCS Express package now, simply download the Circuit Package Tracker app for free. Then all you have to do is enter your tracking number into the app. Job done!
How to find your TCS tracking number
You will find the TCS tracking shipment number in different places depending on how you handle the order. People sending and getting packages interact in different ways.
The first person who finds the reference number on a receipt, in a message, or on a sending label under the barcode is the sender.
The sender is often a person running a small business and is also the seller. As the seller and sender, these small companies should give the tracking number to the buyer.
On an online market like Amazon or eBay, the sender has the email and mobile number of the buyer. The buyer can expect to get the reference number as an email and text message from the seller.
Sometimes people are multi-tasking when they buy and do not realize they get a message that contains the tracking number.
Never move a message about an online transaction to the trash because you may throw away your tracking number. Mistakenly deleting messages is about the only way people lose tracking numbers anymore.
How to track your TCS package location
To find the tracking tool if you land on the TCS homepage, you cannot go wrong because the tool hovers semi-transparently over the banner.
If you want to put in multiple numbers, find the “tracking” button, which is the second one on the top right.
When you hover over the button a dropdown box appears that says “Track & Trace Shipment.” That button leads to the dedicated tracking page.
When using the track TCS shipment tool, you can put one reference number per line.
Lost TCS tracking number
TCS shipment tracking relies on the reference number as the primary way to keep up with orders. The good news is that people rarely get and lose a tracking number anymore because of the internet.
How to track a TCS package without a tracking number
When somebody uses the track my TCS package tool but does not have a reference number, the problem is rarely serious. The sender only has to give the tracking number once, thanks to the internet.
Usually, as long as the sender gives the tracking number, the receiver has the number in a message. Sometimes you think you do not have the number, but if you read every message, the number is there somewhere.
Sometimes people check everything and realize the sender forgot to send the message. Contacting support is an option, but you will get better results by contacting the sender.
Always use the sender, when possible, to resolve any problems. The sender does the work for you and should get faster results because they have the receipt.
Most senders are people running small businesses, sometimes alone. Offering the best customer service possible is part of the job.
Without being nice and helpful with everything, downvotes and negative comments appear, which hurts the finances. Take advantage of this mandatory helper if any problems arise.
Solving TCS tracking issues
While some tracking issues persist, most resolve after waiting a few hours or another 1-2 days. The problem is usually due to miscommunication or human error.
Why you can't track your TCS package
Many people put in their reference number, get nothing, and jump to the hasty conclusion that the package is missing, or that tracking is broken. These kinds of serious problems are rare.
The most likely reason is that a TCS employee at an office, facility, or hub has not scanned the barcode yet. There are a few reasons that a barcode does not get scanned.
More than likely, the sender still has the package, or the first scan has not happened yet. Usually, the sender can get a tracking number before the package starts moving.
Many senders have multiple orders coming and going. The simplest solution is to collect all the orders for each day and send them the following business day.
Sending the next working day is especially important if you place an order on a Friday or Saturday. The next working day is probably Monday so you might get a tracking number early.
Never assume the worst if you enter a tracking number and nothing happens, especially soon after placing an order. Wait a few hours or 1-2 business days, and the tracking should start working.
Why your TCS package is not updating or moving
Not updating or moving is almost the same as not finding a tracking status. The difference is that tracking starts, and then the package experiences a delay at or near a hub or facility.
Somebody in a facility has the dedicated job of scanning packages, which usually happens after everything gets delivered, unloaded, organized, stacked, and finally scanned.
Especially true with big cities during busy periods, delivery trucks might arrive and have to wait in line to get unloaded. The journey may have already been long, and now everything is on hold.
The whole process from unloading to scanning could take a couple, or a few, more hours. The good news is that couriers know these delays happen and try to give estimated delivery times that take delays into account.
Remember that most deliveries, despite delays, arrive on time or slightly late.
TCS tracking status explained
TCS likes to use a simple set of tracking statuses so that understanding what is going on is never difficult.
In transit
Like many other couriers, TCS prefers to omit the word “tracking” and use words like “arrived, departed,” and “delivered.” Any arrival or departure status can include a hub, facility, or country.
Why your TCS package is still in transit
Many factors can play into causing an order to stay in transit longer than expected. Most of the situations are predictable, such as a customs stop.
TCS operations combine packages that TCS delivers and packages that get passed off to another courier. Sometimes multiple couriers handle a package.
TCS uses an international courier, and the international courier may transfer a package to a local courier for final delivery. All of the changing hands, plus customs, can add considerable travel time to delivery.
There are a couple of things to observe about the tracking status if you want to understand why a package is still in transit. One of the most important things is to determine if the package is at a facility or in motion.
For hubs and facilities, at least two tracking statuses will note arrival and departure. If you find that your package departed a hub and has not arrived anywhere, the journey might be long.
You should wait 1-2 business days before following up on why the status has not shown a new arrival after a departure. The same goes if you find that a package has not departed a facility.
If you find that the package arrives in a new country and no departures or arrivals follow within a day or two, there is a good chance a customs issue has arisen.
You can follow up with customs or contact the sender with questions to get the fastest response.
How long a TCS package can stay in transit
TCS does not publish specific delivery times for everything because they have so much business that relies on other couriers. They prefer to collect booking information and give an estimate.
Within the UAE same and next-day deliveries are available. The standard delivery times are between 4-5 days in Pakistan and throughout the region.
Everything changes with international orders because TCS uses another courier. With most international deliveries around the world, the standard time is between 1-2 weeks.
Sometimes, you have to allow travel times of up to 21 days and even a month or more. Timing international deliveries is tricky because you can choose the fastest courier and get stopped by customs.
Not often, but on occasion, packages sit in customs for weeks.
Pending
Just like “transit,” TCS does use the word “pending.” The solution is to find places in the tracking status where the package seems to sit for too long without an update.
Why your TCS package may be pending
Most pending situations happen on international orders when a package reaches customs or some sort of security checkpoint. Since TCS uses different couriers, you may get a variety of statuses.
You will find a status that shows arrival at customs, or you can infer customs after arriving in a new country. Either way, the package will arrive at a facility next.
Customs often clears orders within a few hours or a working day. Allow 2-3 working days before contacting the sender. Hopefully, the sender can get a quick answer about what is happening.
In addition to customs, the time between every arrival and departure is a pending status. Your tracking status should consist of a list of arrivals and departures that eventually end with a “delivered” status.
TCS delivery times
TCS does not guarantee customers delivery times or dates, apart from some premium services with same and next-day delivery in the local region.
TCS delivery times: What time will your package arrive
While you cannot know the exact time your package will arrive, you have two very strong indicators. The status will change to something with the word “deliver,” and the offices close at 6 pm.
TCS places a lot of importance on completing an order on the same day that “delivery” enters the tracking status. You can also tell when the package is getting close to you when the status updates to show your region or country.
Since you can know the day, you only have to be ready to get a package that needs a signature from morning to 6 pm.
How late TCS delivers
As stated above, TCS delivers until 6 pm. However, other couriers regularly handle TCS packages. As soon as another courier takes over, new rules for delivery times apply.
International TCS delivery times
Since other couriers regularly take over the delivery of TCS packages, there are too many delivery times to list here.
The safe assumption to make about international delivery times is to expect a package between 8 am and 5 pm, within normal business hours.
You should always check the policies of the courier who will handle your package at the end. Take the local standards into account as well.
There are couriers and places, especially in Europe and Asia, where deliveries can continue as late as 9 pm. Delivering until 6-8 pm is more common.
Later delivery times usually apply in countries with higher population densities. The same goes for densely populated cities. In some places, trying to cut off all deliveries by late afternoon is almost impossible.
Lost and missed TCS deliveries
The good news about lost and missed delivery is that losing a package is rare, and missing a delivery is nothing to worry about. You only need to make sure that the address is correct and that there is an approved consignee.
What happens if you miss a TCS delivery
Missed deliveries are easy to fix as long as the solution happens promptly to avoid a return-to-sender situation. With different couriers handling many TCS orders, the policies can change a bit.
Usually, when nobody is available at a home or office, the courier will leave a notice of delivery attempt. The courier might attempt another delivery the next day automatically from morning until 6 pm.
Sometimes the courier redelivers after the receiver follows the instructions on the note and schedules a new delivery. If two redelivery attempts fail, the courier may hold the package or return the package to the sender.
Some couriers leave a note and hold the package until the receiver goes to a kiosk or office for pickup.
How long TCS will hold a package
For deliveries that TCS handles, the policy is to attempt delivery and schedule the next one. If two redelivery attempts fail, TCS holds the package either for disposal or return-to-sender.
When other couriers handle delivery, there are usually two different policies. The first is to hold for a brief period and wait for pickup. The second is to attempt multiple redeliveries, which doubles as the holding period.
If nobody picks up a package or gets a redelivery, the package often goes back to the sender.
What to do if you haven't received your TCS package
The first step in dealing with a lost package comes before transit. If you feel that the value of a package warrants insurance, TCS quotes a price based on the value.
If a package has insurance, and TCS loses the order, they reimburse the market value used as the basis for the insurance quote.
Always check your tracking status for any changes and wait a couple of business days for an update. If you do not notice any movement, contact the sender first for help.
TCS tracking FAQs
Since people will have more than three questions, TCS has a comprehensive list of valuable answers to important queries.
Is TCS delivery fast?
Yes, most deliveries complete within 1-5 days. Since TCS turns over many international orders to other couriers, deliveries to some remote locations can take as long as a few weeks.
Can I track a TCS package by address?
No, the tracking tools available only accept the reference number. To track by address, you would have to be talking to support and give the address to help with confirmation.
Usually, contacting the sender works better than support. The sender should have the reference number handy and quickly resend the number.
How do I know if my TCS package is stuck in customs?
Customs should send you a notification saying that they held your package for some reason. However, many customs departments do not work under pressure to be courteous and efficient.
You may have to monitor your tracking statuses and spot that the package has not moved out of customs. Sometimes, you have to find that the order gets to a country and never continues forward to a hub.
Upon finding that a customs department has your package, you can take one of three actions: Contact customs, the sender, or support.
Sometimes customs needs you to pay an extra fee or duty, and the only option is to deal with that department directly.
You may suspect that the customs department has not released your package, but you are not sure. If you have questions, contacting the sender should yield the fastest result.
Are there faster ways for TCS tracking?
Follow your TCS package from the store to your door and download the Circuit Package Tracker app for free now.
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