“Received by local delivery company” — but who has it?
This status usually means your AliExpress parcel has entered a local or regional last-mile handoff stage. But it does not always mean your neighborhood post office physically has the package yet.
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The useful answer
Check Cainiao for a carrier name or a Latest Tracking Number. If your local courier says the AliExpress number is invalid, the parcel may still be between networks, or the final carrier may use a different tracking number once the physical handoff is completed.
01 / Meaning
The parcel is entering the delivery network — not necessarily your street.
Cainiao uses “local delivery company” around the last-mile side of the journey, but tracking histories show that the label can appear before or around customs and local sorting events depending on the route.
What this status can mean
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A last-mile carrier has been assigned or received shipment data.The physical parcel and electronic tracking data do not always move at exactly the same time.
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The local carrier may use another tracking number.Cainiao sometimes displays a separate “Latest Tracking Number” after the handoff.
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“Local” can be local to the current logistics stage.Do not assume the parcel is at your nearest post office unless the later scans clearly place it there.
Most common confusion
“USPS / Evri / Canada Post says invalid” does not automatically mean the parcel is lost.
The courier may not have received the physical parcel yet, may not recognize the Cainiao number, or may be waiting for a secondary tracking ID to become active.
The next carrier-specific scan is more useful than the progress bar
02 / Handoff map
Where the “local delivery company” scan fits.
The exact order varies by route, but this is the practical handoff you are trying to identify.
International parcel flow
China network → destination network → your door
Highlighted: carrier handoff stage.
Origin sortingprocessed
Export + line-hauldeparted
Destination regionarrived
Local delivery companyhandoff
Local sortingcarrier scan
Out for deliveryfinal mile
Important: Cainiao tracking examples show “Received by local delivery company” followed by events such as import customs, local sorting or out-for-delivery. The exact sequence depends on the shipment and destination.
03 / Carrier detective
What does your tracking show?
Pick the closest situation. The tool gives you the next useful move instead of making you refresh five tracking sites with the same number.
Choose your situation
Use the latest Cainiao event, not only the AliExpress progress graphic.
Carrier not identified
Start with Cainiao’s detailed view.
Open the full tracking history and look for a carrier name, carrier contact, or “Latest Tracking Number.” Those details are more useful than guessing the courier from your country alone.
Check the latest event’s carrier note.
Look near the top of Cainiao for a newer tracking number.
If neither appears, wait for the next physical handoff scan.
04 / Find the last-mile carrier
Three places to look before calling anyone.
The final carrier can change by route, shipping tier and even individual parcel, so identify it from your shipment data rather than assuming.
Check 01
Cainiao “Latest Tracking Number”
Some Cainiao records show both the original parcel number and a newer number used later in the route. Copy that newer number into the named carrier’s official tracker.
BEST CLUE WHEN AVAILABLE
Check 02
The carrier note beside the scan
Open the detailed event rather than only the status title. Cainiao can show the carrier or local delivery service beside later events.
USE THE OFFICIAL CARRIER SITE NEXT
Check 03
Your order email / SMS
Some last-mile partners send their own message once the parcel enters their system. That message may include a different local tracking number.
CHECK SPAM / PROMOTIONS TOO
05 / Decoder
What the next scan means.
These updates tell you whether the handoff is still electronic, physically moving, or finally with the delivery route.
Status
Practical meaning
Action
Received by local delivery company
A last-mile/local-network handoff is being recorded.
Identify carrier
Awaiting transit to final delivery office
The parcel is moving within the destination delivery network.
Monitor
Arrived at local delivery center
A much stronger sign the parcel is physically inside the local distribution stage.
Close to delivery
Out for delivery
The final courier route has started.
Delivery day
Delivery attempt unsuccessful
The carrier tried to deliver but could not complete it.
Contact carrier
06 / Two common outcomes
What normally happens next.
The local number activates
A new carrier scan appears, the secondary tracking number starts working, and the parcel moves through local sorting toward out-for-delivery.
Next move: use the official local carrier tracker from this point onward.
The handoff remains quiet
The local carrier still cannot find the parcel and Cainiao shows no newer physical scan. This can mean the shipment is still between networks.
Next move: keep evidence of the timeline, contact the seller if the delay becomes prolonged, and watch the AliExpress order protection/delivery deadline.
07 / FAQ
The questions that keep coming up.
Why does my local post office say my AliExpress tracking number does not exist?
The Cainiao/AliExpress number may not be the final local tracking number, or the destination carrier may not have completed the physical intake scan yet. Look for a newer tracking number or carrier name in the detailed Cainiao record.
Does “Received by local delivery company” mean it is already in my city?
Not necessarily. Treat it as a logistics handoff status unless later tracking explicitly shows a local delivery center, destination sorting center or other location-specific scan.
Will AliExpress give me the name of the local courier?
Sometimes the detailed Cainiao page exposes a carrier name or secondary tracking number, but not every shipment does so immediately.
Should I call USPS, Evri, Canada Post or another national carrier immediately?
Only after your tracking record points to that carrier or its tracking number works there. The final delivery partner can vary by route and shipping method.
What if the status stays there for a long time?
Save screenshots and contact the seller through AliExpress for a logistics check. Also keep an eye on the order’s delivery/buyer-protection deadline so you do not miss the platform’s official non-delivery process if the parcel never arrives.
Another AliExpress tracking problem?
If your parcel is still at the origin-country customs stage, use our export-customs guide instead.
This guide uses Cainiao’s live tracking/help examples plus real community cases. Carrier handoff behavior varies by route, shipping service and destination.