How To Track Your Ocean Freight Shipment

As a shipper, keeping a careful eye on your shipment’s progress is one of the best methods to reduce risks and unpleasant surprises when exporting your goods. Without a doubt, having real-time and end-to-end visibility over the whereabouts of your goods is critical to running a successful supply chain. If you are wondering how to track ocean freight shipment then here we provide you a complete detail.

Previously, logistics managers had to manually visit shipping line websites or phone their freight forwarders to manually enter the booking number for each container in order to maintain track of all shipments.

Furthermore, the duration at which these sites would update their data were unknown, which frequently resulted in erroneous information about the location of the container. Fast forward to today, and technology improvements have made the procedure a thousand times easier, allowing businesses to track marine cargo in real-time with ease.

When shipping internationally, there is often no continuous vision beyond the port. If you ship internationally frequently, you’re definitely aware of the difficulties in tracking maritime goods. Once your containers leave a port, it becomes more difficult to track them, and if one of them doesn’t arrive at its planned destination, you’re left with only a hazy understanding of where it went and how it got there. But the best International courier services in Dubai are here to help you.

What is Container Tracking?

Many online tools permit you to track your freight in real-time by offering you the exact coordinates of your shipping container at any given time. But, the container tracking systems that offer the most value to shippers are those that notify them of the diverse transformation in the status of a shipment.

These tracking systems offer the shipper vital information considering the diverse stages of the logistics and transportation procedures, comprising information on the status changes of the container.

The following must be considered status changes:

  • When the container arrives at the terminal and is in the process of being cleared by customs
  • When the container is on its path to the shipper to be picked up with the merchandise
  • When the container is on its way to the shipper to be picked up with the merchandise When the container is packed onto the vessel at the port
  • When the container-carrying vessel arrives at the transshipment port
  • When the container-carrying vessel departs from the transshipment port
  • When the container-carrying vessel departs
  • When the container-carrying vessel arrives at the destination port
  • When the freight is in the control of the consignee.

Container Tracking Systems

With the advent of advanced container tracking technologies of Ocean Freight Forwarding Companies Dubai, you can now get real-time data on the exact position of your cargo. Online tracking technologies abound on the market, allowing for real-time container tracking and proactive handling of any re-routing or delays.

However, while selecting a container tracking system, look for one that will automatically notify you of any changes in the status of your shipment. When your package reaches a milestone in the logistics and transportation process, a tracking system like this will provide you with immediate updates.

Basic Acronyms of Container Tracking 

When it comes to container tracking, there are various acronyms to be aware of, the majority of which are also utilized in the larger sea freight business. The following are the most essential acronyms you’ll come across in our container tracking system:

  • ETD (Estimated Time of Departure): This is the day that the container is expected to leave the Port of Loading.
  • ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival): utilized to show the calculated arrival date of the container at the Port of Discharge.
  • T/S (Transshipment): T/S is utilized to predict when a container with transshipments reaches the harbor of transit and is awaiting departure to its final destination.
  • POL (Port of Loading): This is the port of origin where the container was loaded for the first time.
  • POD (Port of Discharge) refers to the port of discharge when the container is unloaded and delivered to the consignee.

Containers Can Be Tracked Using These Numbers

To track a container, you’ll need a tracking number, which could be your container number, booking number, or Bill of Lading number, as well as access to a sophisticated container tracking system.

  • Track shipment by container number: The container number is an alphanumeric sequence that is assigned to all shipping containers. You can use this number to identify and track your container’s travel because it is unique to it. One of the most prevalent techniques of container tracking is shipment tracking by container number.
  • Using the booking number to track a shipment: The figure assigned to the reservation of space on the carrier is referred to as a booking number. This number can also be utilized to determine and track your shipment’s status. This number can be obtained from your carrier or freight forwarder. This number can also be seen on receipts, invoices, and other documents created once a reservation has been confirmed.
  • Tracking a shipment using the Bill of Lading number: The carrier issues a Bill of Lading to the shipper, which is a legally binding document. The Bill of Lading number is a unique number found on this document. It is provided when your cargo is accepted for shipment by the carrier. The BL number can be used to track shipments in most online container tracking systems.

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