I have been involved in three transactions involving tracked packages that were frozen for at least three weeks in some sorting station. I used the "where's my package?" feature on the post office website to file a trace request. This is more complicated than just providing a tracking number; it requires a lot of boxes be filled. It appears designed to track only valuables, but I have been sending elongated coins so I use the "coins" checkbox.

All three cases have resulted in quick action. The post office has pulled the package out of its morass (don't ask me how), scanned it, and gotten it back into the stream of commerce within a day.

My most recent experience was a complaint/inquiry filed on Friday and an email response received yesterday with "please be patient" and several paragraphs about COVID, staffing, and the usual excuses. But it concluded with a report that the Cleveland sort center has scanned and sent the parcel on its way to my customer in a nearby suburb. The email was from the postmaster at the recipient post office (the suburb). The tracking record was updated to show the inquiry and the latest movement.

This recent package had been mailed December 8 from Detroit to Cleveland (walking distance). I would recommend filing an inquiry quicker than I did.