Tracking number - wikipedia Tracking number Tracking numbers are numbers given to packages when they are shipped. Tracking numbers are useful for knowing the location of time sensitive deliveries. In the United States, some of the companies and organizations that use tracking numbers are UPS, FedEx, and the United States Postal Service. Most Postal Services use the international S10 ( UPU standard ), including the United States Postal Service and most European Postal Services. Contents 1 Formats 2 See also 3 References 4 External links Formats FedEx Ground and Express tracking numbers can be between 12 and 14 digits. Prior to January 2013, Ground tracking numbers were up to 15 digits and Express numbers were up to 12 digits. A UPS tracking number, for domestic packages within the United States, will usually start with `` 1Z '' followed by a 6 character shipper number ( numbers and letters ), a 2 digit service level indicator, and finally 8 digits identifying the package, for a total of 18 characters. DHL Express supports the carrier - independent ISO standard 15459 - 1 for the identification of single packages. Such identifiers consist of upper - case characters and numerals, and they can be up to 35 digits long. Companies that already use this standard do not require an additional identifier to track their pieces when shipping with DHL Express. In addition, DHL Express uses numeric identifiers of exactly ten digits to track transport orders ( i.e. an order to transport a shipment consisting of one or more pieces from A to B). Customers can use both codes for tracking purposes. See also FedEx S10 ( UPU standard ) United Parcel Service United States Postal Service References Jump up ^ `` Tracking Information ''. UPS. Retrieved 31 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` FedEx Tracking ''. Retrieved 31 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` USPS Tracking ''. Jump up ^ USPS ( date unknown ). Track & Confirm label ID numbers. United States Postal Service. Retrieved from http://www.uspstrack.org/2015/08/usps-tracking-number-format.html Jump up ^ http://fedex.p.delivery.net/m/p/fdx/bcc/home.asp Jump up ^ https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso-iec:15459:-1:ed-3:v1:en Jump up ^ http://de.slideshare.net/martintreder16/license-plate-the-iso-standard-for-transport-package-identifiers External links Usps Tracking Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tracking_number&oldid=827154159 '' Categories : Freight transport Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 23 February 2018, at 02 : 15. About Wikipedia

Question: how long is a tracking number for ups
Answer: 18 characters