How do I track a package when it's in transit between countries?

(If there's a better sub or section where I might get a more helpful answer, moderators, please feel free to move this thread. Thanks!)

So, I have a package headed my way from the USA to the States, and I’ve been keeping an eye on the tracking number. It hit Los Angeles two days ago, but since then, the tracking page hasn't updated at all. I actually checked with someone over at the local post office, and they mentioned that once a shipment leaves the USA, the American tracking sites usually run out of updates because the item is officially in transit internationally.

Now, obviously, a package doesn't just fly straight from the USA to its final destination here; it likely stops somewhere else in Europe first—maybe even Germany. My main question is: how can I actually track a package during that "blackout" period when it isn't in the origin country or the destination country?

I tried to run a little experiment using a tracking number from an older package I received a few weeks back, which also traveled from the USA to the States. But regardless of which site I use—whether it's an American carrier, the local postal service, or an international aggregator—all I see is the data from when it was in the USA and when it arrived here. There is absolutely zero info regarding the journey in between. And there definitely had to be some movement, because there was a nine-day gap where nothing showed up, and there's no way a plane is just circling the ocean for nine days without landing!

Does anyone know of a way to get visibility on a shipment while it's mid-transit between countries? Thanks in advance!

I think it really boils down to which carrier they’re using.
If the sender has a contract with a company like FedEx, for instance—they’ve got their own proprietary scanners, and they get a scan at every single stop along the route. If a company doesn't have a massive footprint like that in the US, there aren't going to be any local scanners available to pick up that specific tracking data...
Every package needs its own unique barcode tied specifically to the carrier handling the shipment.
At least, that’s how I see it.😁
Maybe try asking your sender exactly which service they're using, then you can look into who that specific company partners with for deliveries over in Europe.

Thanks 😉

I just found out this was sent via USPS. So, should I reach out to them via email, provide my tracking number, and ask exactly where the package was headed after its last recorded location on the tracking site?