What to do the day before expected delivery

Packages are delivered whether or not you are home to receive them, but a little preparation the day before reduces the chance of complications. Here is what I do.

Confirm delivery expectations

Check the tracking the night before and confirm the package is still showing an estimated delivery for tomorrow. If tracking shows an exception or delay, adjust your expectations accordingly. A package that shows "Out for Delivery" in the morning is confirmed for that day — one that shows "In Transit" with tomorrow's date has a reasonable but not certain chance of arriving on schedule.

Make sure someone can receive it

Most packages are left without requiring a signature. If your mailbox is secure, the package usually goes there. If you live in an apartment with a front door buzzer system, the carrier typically leaves it at the door if no one answers, or holds it for pickup at a carrier facility if they cannot access the building.

If you specifically need to intercept the package before other household members see it, being home during the likely delivery window (typically 10am to 4pm for USPS, earlier or later for FedEx/UPS depending on route) handles that. USPS Informed Delivery notifications usually come between 7am and 9am on the morning of delivery, which gives you a confirmed heads-up before leaving the house.

What not to do

Do not request a signature requirement if one was not originally on the package — adding one mid-transit is complex and may delay delivery. Do not contact the vendor for status updates the day before delivery; they have no visibility into carrier operations at that stage. Just track the carrier directly and wait for the morning-of notification.

One actionable step the day before delivery is confirming your address is correctly marked as a residence rather than a business in the carrier's system. Residential vs business delivery designations affect delivery timing and whether a signature requirement is applied. USPS specifically handles residential versus business address routing differently in their final-mile sequencing, and correcting a miscategorized address through Informed Delivery preferences can prevent a missed first attempt.