Can You Track A Fedex Package Without A Tracking Number?
A tracking number is the most important piece of information when it comes to tracking your Fedex package. Without the tracking number it may seem impossible to track a package… but is it really?
Tracking a package with no tracking number is not a seemingly logical or practical thing to do, but there are some ways you can work around this problem.
Use A Fedex Account
If you create a free Fedex account then you will be able to associate your address with the shipments that are destined for your address. Fedex will essentially know who you are and they will know your address, creating an association between your login and the address. This means you will be able to login to the Fedex account and see packages that are headed your way without having to know the tracking number!
The Fedex account is a free and useful tool you can use to find out about shipments that are headed to you even if your are missing a tracking number because Fedex will look up the shipment based on your address.
The official tool for doing this is known as Fedex Delivery Manager.
Check The Shipper’s Site
While not having a tracking number means you can’t look up the shipments progress on Fedex.com, but if you go into the shipper’s website then they will likely provide you with some form of tracking. The item’s seller (the shipper) might not offer you a clean way to get to a Fedex tracking number but they may use a third-party tracking service that will get you the same information.
Services like Narvar, ParcelLab, and Route.com will track your product on their sites, working directly with the merchant, as opposed to sending you directly to Fedex, UPS, or USPS. These sites can sometimes seem to hide the tracking number, even if there is one behind the scenes. So if you are missing the tracking number you can login to your Route.com account or open the Route app and see if your package shows up there.
There is a similar setup when you buy something from a Shopify-based website. An online merchant that uses Shopify’s checkout will give you a delivery schedule and package tracking using Shopify’s system without needing to have the tracking number.
Track By Door Tag Number
If you are using Fedex in the United States you will be able to track a package using its “DT” or door tag number. This will be a string that looks like “DT123456789012” which is to say the letters “DT” followed by 12 numbers.
You will get a door tag number if you missed a package delivery and a door tag was left at your front door. The DT will work just as well as the tracking number and can be used on Fedex.com, just like any tracking number.
Track With A Reference Number
Another tracking number alternative is known as a reference number. This is a unique identifier that is associated with the shipment when it is paid for. If you created the shipment you will have access to a reference number
Track With An Account Number
If you know the account number that was used to create a shipment then you can use that to find tracking numbers and parcels associated with that account. You can find up to 30 shipments using an account number, meaning it’s not an ideal way to tracking lots of items, but it’s a good start, particularly if you don’t ship much!
FedEx Office Order Number
Similar to the reference number, if you created an order at a Fedex location then you will receive a receipt with an order number. You can use this to track your package, but you’ll likely need to call Fedex or email [email protected] in order to use this as it’s not a normal tracking identifier.
Transportation Control Number (TCN)
If you are tracking a government shipment you can use a TCN, or Transportation Control Number, instead of a standard tracking number. A TCN will look like, “N552428361Y555XXX” and works just like a tracking number, but make sure you remove the preceding “TCN” before entering it into the Fedex tracking tool.
Other Ways To Tracking
And that’s not it, there are other ways to tracking your shipment. These are less common, but they still work.
- Multiple-Piece Shipment (MPS): This is technically a type of tracking number that’s associated with multiple items that are grouped as a single shipment
- Bill of Lading (BOL): This is like a tracking number but it’s used for freight shipments, usually less-than-truckload (LTL) type shipments
So there you have it — you might have thought you were out of luck when you realized you had no tracking number, but there are many ways you can find your package without one.