Track international shipment progress and you’ll quickly realize it’s rarely a simple task — especially when your parcel is crossing borders between the USA and Europe.
Here’s a quick answer to get you started:
How to track an international shipment:
For shipments handled by Doma Shipping, you can track your parcel directly at the Doma Shipping Tracking Portal.
The challenge is that international parcels rarely travel with just one carrier. A package leaving Chicago might pass through a sorting facility, get handed to an airline, clear customs in Poland, and then transfer to a local postal carrier — each with its own tracking system and status terminology.
Status messages like “Departure from outward office of exchange” or “Electronic data received” can be confusing or even alarming if you don’t know what they mean.
And if your package seems stuck? The clock is ticking on dispute deadlines — typically 45–60 days depending on the platform.
This guide breaks it all down clearly, so you always know where your shipment is and what to do next.
The first step to successfully track international shipment progress is identifying your tracking number. This isn’t just a random string of characters; it is a sophisticated code designed to communicate vital information to logistics systems across the globe.
Most international tracking numbers follow standards set by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) or specific carrier protocols. Typically, these numbers range from 8 to 40 characters. For instance, many international postal shipments use a 13-character format: two letters at the beginning (indicating the service type), nine digits, and two letters at the end (indicating the country of origin, such as “US” for the United States).
Different carriers have distinct “fingerprints” in their tracking formats:
At Doma Shipping, we provide specific tracking details on your shipping declaration form. Whether you are shipping from our locations in Chicago, Melrose Park, or Algonquin, your documentation will clearly display the code needed to monitor your shipment’s journey to Poland or other European destinations.
When you ship with us, we aim to make the process as transparent as possible. Because we have over 30 years of experience in international logistics, we understand that “visibility” is the most important part of the shipping experience.
You can access our dedicated Doma Shipping Tracking Portal to see exactly where your items are. Our system is designed to handle the complexities of multi-carrier handoffs. When a package leaves one of our Illinois hubs—like Mount Prospect or Palos Hills—it may move through several transit points before reaching its final European address. Our portal integrates these movements into a single, easy-to-read history.
Modern logistics relies heavily on automation. High-quality tracking platforms now use intelligent recognition to identify which carrier is currently handling a parcel. With a 99.9% tracking accuracy rate in the industry’s best systems, these tools can auto-identify over 80% of global carriers.
Our internal systems utilize real-time synchronization. This means that as soon as a pallet is scanned at a sorting facility or a container is loaded onto a ship, the data is updated. This carrier-agnostic approach ensures that even if your package moves from a truck to an ocean vessel, you don’t lose sight of it.
It can be frustrating to track international shipment status only to see the same message for several days. There are several logical reasons for these “stalls”:
International tracking terminology can feel like a foreign language. Understanding these milestones helps set realistic expectations for delivery.
This is often the first status you will see. It simply means the sender has generated a shipping label and notified the carrier that a package is ready for pickup. It does not necessarily mean the package has left the warehouse yet. If this status remains unchanged for more than two weeks, it is usually time to contact the sender to ensure the item was actually handed over to the logistics provider.
This status indicates the parcel is at the export facility in the USA (the “outward office”) and is being prepared for its journey overseas. It has passed initial security scans and is waiting for a spot on a plane or ship.
Your package is now in the hands of the air carrier. This is a major milestone, but “sent” doesn’t always mean it has landed. It may be in a transit hub waiting for a connecting flight to Europe.
When you see “Arrival at inward office of exchange,” celebrate! Your package has landed in the destination country (e.g., Poland). It is now at the central sorting facility where it will be handed over to local customs officials.
This indicates that customs officers are reviewing the documentation and contents of the shipment. Most packages pass through quickly, but this is the stage where any required duties or taxes are assessed.
Navigating customs is the most complex part of international shipping. At Doma Shipping, we leverage our three decades of expertise to handle these hurdles for you. Whether you are shipping personal belongings or commercial goods, we ensure all regulatory compliance measures are met for USA-to-Poland logistics.
| Stage | Process Description | Action Required |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation | Review of invoices and declarations | Provided by sender at drop-off |
| Security Scan | X-ray and physical inspection if needed | Handled by customs officials |
| Duty Assessment | Calculation of import taxes/VAT | Based on item value and category |
| Release | Hand-off to local delivery network | Automated after clearance |
If you need more detailed information on a specific parcel’s journey through the Polish system, you can visit our page on Sledzenie paczki for localized insights.
Tracking a small parcel is different from tracking a 40-foot container or a vehicle.
For urgent shipments sent via air, we use an Air Waybill (AWB) number. These are tracked through airline-specific systems that provide granular data on flight numbers and arrival times at European airports.
When shipping containers (Full Container Load or Less than Container Load), we track the container number itself. This allows us to monitor the specific vessel’s location across the ocean.
This is common. It usually means the package is in a secure export queue. While it typically completes within 2–10 days, if the status doesn’t change for more than three weeks, there may be a documentation issue or a return-to-sender trigger. In such cases, we recommend contacting our support team at one of our locations, such as Niles or Park Ridge, for assistance.
Yes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC, the risk of catching viruses from shipped packages is extremely low. Coronaviruses and other similar pathogens do not survive long on surfaces like cardboard or plastic during the long transit times associated with international shipping.
If you dropped off a package at our Schiller Park or Bensenville locations and misplaced your paperwork, don’t worry. You can usually find the number in:
The ability to track international shipment progress provides peace of mind in a complex global world. By understanding the formats, decoding the statuses, and knowing where to look, you can stay informed from the moment your package leaves Illinois until it reaches its doorstep in Europe.
Doma Shipping & Travel has spent 30 years perfecting the art of international logistics. From our hubs in Chicago and suburbs like Schaumburg and Roselle, we ensure your packages, vehicles, and containers are handled with professional care.
Start tracking your international shipment today and experience the reliability of a seasoned logistics partner.
