When you're waiting for a delivery, the first instinct is often to enter your order number into a tracking site. But instead of seeing your package's journey, you're met with an error or no results. Why does this happen? The answer lies in the difference between order numbers and tracking numbers—and understanding how your package actually travels.

Sometimes you may see a message that says "The carrier did not find the package information." This can happen because:

The carrier has not yet accepted your package.

The carrier has not yet scanned and entered your package tracking information into its system.

Your tracking number is incorrect or invalid.

Your tracking number has expired and been removed from the carrier's system.

Order Number vs. Tracking Number

Order Number: Used by the seller or online store to identify your purchase within their system. It helps customer service locate your order, but it's not linked to the actual logistics provider.

Tracking Number: Generated once your order has been processed, packed, and handed off to a shipping carrier. This number is used by logistics networks to monitor the package's movement across various transport methods.

When an Order Number Works (and When It Doesn't)

If you're checking the seller's website (like Amazon, eBay, or a merchant's store), entering your order number might bring up tracking information if they've integrated it. However, on third-party tracking platforms or official courier websites (like FedEx, USPS, or DHL), only the tracking number works.

How Your Package Moves Through the Transport Network

Once shipped, your package may pass through several transportation stages:

Road Transport: Most packages begin and end their journey on trucks or vans, especially for local and regional deliveries.

Rail Transport: In some regions, particularly for long-distance domestic shipments, freight trains are used to move bulk cargo.

Air Transport: For urgent or international shipments, your package may travel by airplane, especially in express delivery services.

Shipping: If your package is coming from overseas and isn't urgent, it may be on a cargo ship. This is slower but economical for large volumes.

If your order hasn't reached the shipping stage yet, or the tracking number hasn't been generated, you'll likely see no tracking information.

What You Can Do

Check your order confirmation email or dashboard for a tracking number.

Contact the seller or platform's customer service if you don't see one after a few days.

If you already have a tracking number, use it directly on a universal tracking site or the courier's official site.

Double-check that you didn't confuse the order number with the tracking number—they often look different.

If you encounter a message that the carrier did not find the package information, verify the tracking number with the seller to ensure it's correct and valid.

Not being able to track your package by your order number is completely normal. Just remember: the order number tracks your purchase, while the tracking number follows your package's journey—whether by truck, train, plane, or ship. Knowing this difference saves you time and frustration.