Package Tracking

TimberCloud automatically tracks every shipment you book in-app. Once a label is created, tracking updates flow in on their own — you can monitor all shipments internally, share status with customers, and let delivery confirmation advance your orders for you.

Note: Booking shipments and tracking them requires Carrier Services, which is included on the Build, Production, and Enterprise plans, and available on Commerce via the Carrier & Freight Services add-on ($99/mo). See Subscriptions & Plans and Booking & Labels.

How Tracking Works

When you book a shipment, TimberCloud records the carrier's tracking number and then watches it for you through an integrated tracking network. You don't connect FedEx, UPS, or USPS accounts, and you don't paste in tracking numbers by hand — everything is handled centrally.

• Automatic updates — Status syncs from the carrier network with no action on your part.
• Customer-facing tracking — Shoppers see live status on their order pages and in emails.
• Internal dashboard — One place to watch every active shipment.
• Auto order completion — When all of an order's packages are delivered, the order moves to Delivered automatically.

Tracking Status Flow

LABEL CREATED → PICKED UP → IN TRANSIT → OUT FOR DELIVERY → DELIVERED

Status Definitions

Exception Types

Internal Tracking

Order View

Open any shipped order to see its tracking details:

Shipments Dashboard

Watch every active shipment in one place:

1. Go to Orders → Shipments.
2. Filter by status, carrier, or date.
3. Click any shipment to open its details.

Quick Filters

Customer Tracking

Your customers don't need a TimberCloud account to follow a shipment — tracking is built into the order experience on your embeddable storefront and your hosted website.

Where Customers Track

1. Email link — A tracking link is included in the shipping confirmation email.
2. Order page — Logged-in customers see live tracking on the order in their account; tracking on order pages auto-refreshes about every 60 seconds.
3. Carrier website — The tracking number links directly to the carrier's own tracking page.

What Customers See

• Current status and location
• Estimated delivery date
• Delivery confirmation
• Proof of delivery (when the carrier provides it)

Tracking appears in both Direct Order and Quote-Based selling modes once a shipment has been booked.

Email Notifications

TimberCloud sends tracking emails at key milestones:

To control which notifications go out:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications.
2. Enable or disable shipping notifications.
3. Customize the email templates as needed.

Notifications can be delivered in-app, by email, and by SMS, with per-event toggles. See Order Notifications for the full setup.

How Updates Arrive

You don't have to refresh anything — tracking keeps itself current using two mechanisms:

Automatic Polling

TimberCloud polls the integrated tracking network (the Parcels App network) about every 15 minutes. Each cycle checks the active, not-yet-delivered shipments — oldest first — and applies any new status. Packages that have already reached a final state (delivered, expired, or exception) are skipped, so updates stay timely without re-checking finished shipments.

Webhook Backup

In addition to polling, the tracking network can push status changes to TimberCloud via a webhook the moment a carrier scan happens. The webhook and the 15-minute poll work together: the webhook delivers fast updates, and the poll guarantees nothing is missed if a webhook is delayed.

Note: You don't configure any of this. There are no per-carrier integrations or API keys to manage — tracking for every carrier runs through the same network.

Delivery Confirmation

Proof of Delivery

When the carrier provides it, you can view proof of delivery:

• Signature image (if signed for)
• Delivery photo (when the carrier captures one)
• Delivery timestamp
• Recipient name

View Proof of Delivery

1. Open the order.
2. Go to Shipment Details.
3. Click View Proof of Delivery.

Tracking Multiple Packages

For multi-package shipments, TimberCloud rolls every package up under the order while still letting you drill into each one.

Overall Status

The order's overall shipment status reflects all packages together — it isn't marked complete until every package is delivered.

Package-Level View

Expand the shipment to see each package on its own:

Tracking History

Each shipment keeps a full timeline of scans:

Dec 9, 2:15 PM  - Delivered, Front Door
Dec 9, 8:30 AM  - Out for Delivery
Dec 9, 6:00 AM  - Arrived at Local Facility
Dec 8, 11:45 PM - Departed Regional Hub
Dec 8, 4:30 PM  - Arrived at Regional Hub
Dec 7, 9:00 AM  - Picked Up
Dec 6, 3:00 PM  - Label Created

Order Status Sync

Tracking keeps your order status accurate without manual updates:

Important: When all of an order's tracking numbers show as delivered, TimberCloud automatically advances the order to Delivered, records the actual delivery date, and notifies real-time views — no manual step required. (On an order with several packages, the order stays "Shipped"/"In Transit" until the last package is delivered.)

When an order is delivered:

• The order is marked Delivered and the delivery date is recorded.
• Proof of delivery (when available) is attached to the order.
• The customer is notified.

Handling Exceptions

Address Issues

1. The customer is notified of the problem.
2. Update the address if needed.
3. Contact the carrier for redelivery.
4. Monitor the shipment until it resolves.

Delivery Attempts

1. The customer is notified of the attempt.
2. Choose how to proceed: hold at a location, reschedule, or redirect.
3. Update the order with the new expected delivery date.

Damaged or Lost Packages

1. Document the issue.
2. File a claim with the carrier.
3. Process a refund or replacement.
4. Track the claim through to resolution.

Best Practices

1. Monitor exceptions — Check the Exceptions filter daily.
2. Communicate proactively — Let customers know about delays before they ask.
3. Keep records — Hold onto proof of delivery for disputes.
4. Track lead times — Compare estimated vs. actual delivery to spot patterns.
5. Review carrier performance — Use trends to inform future rate shopping.

Troubleshooting

Tracking Not Updating

• Allow up to 24 hours for the carrier's first scan after pickup.
• Confirm the shipment was actually booked (a label exists for the order).
• Remember updates sync about every 15 minutes — a brand-new status may take a cycle to appear.
• Check the carrier's tracking page directly using the tracking number.

Wrong Status Shown

• Refresh the page for the latest synced data.
• Compare against the carrier's tracking page.
• Allow a sync cycle for the system to catch up.
• Contact support if the discrepancy persists.

Customer Can't Track

• Verify the shipping confirmation email was sent (check the customer's spam folder).
• Confirm the order has a booked shipment with a tracking number.
• Provide the direct carrier tracking link as a fallback.
• Resend the tracking email from the order.

Next Steps

• Booking & Labels — Book shipments and print labels
• Rate Shopping — Compare live carrier rates
• Shipping Configuration — Packaging, markup, and notification settings
• Platform Charges — How booked shipments are billed to your card