Faxing after business hours

I just finished a job application and want to get it in as soon as possible. Can I fax it in at night, or will it not go through?


Great question! A fax machine is usually on a dedicated phone line at a business, and, just as they’re not likely to unplug their phones, most companies aren’t going to turn off their fax machines at night. This means that your fax will probably go through just fine at night (and if it doesn’t, you’ll know on your end because the fax transmission will fail).

That said, there is something to be said for timing. If you send in your application at night, that means that it’s going to be in the middle or at the bottom of a stack of faxes by morning. If it gets mixed in with too much spam or a pile of junk faxes, it might accidentally get thrown out. With something really important (like a resume, application, or sensitive information), I’d recommend sending it in the early morning the following day.

There’s nothing wrong with faxing outside of business hours, but in this case it might not maximize your advantages as much as you think.

Do you have a question about faxing? Send me your fax question.