Knowing where your goods are allows you to plan receipt, notify your customers, and react in time if anything is delayed. Here are the ways to track them according to each mode of transport.
You need one of these details, which your freight forwarder provides:
- Container number: An 11 character code (four letters and seven numbers).
- Bill of Lading (B/L): The maritime transport document.
- Booking number: The space reservation on the vessel.
With these, you can check the status on the shipping line's portal. To view the ship's position, there are public tracking platforms using AIS signals, such as MarineTraffic or VesselFinder, which show the ship on the map almost in real time. Keep in mind that the vessel's position does not always indicate the documentary or customs status of your container. If you want to estimate how long it should take, check the ocean freight transit times.
Your reference is the air waybill (AWB or Air Waybill)an 11 digit number: the first three identify the airline. By entering it on the airline's website, you will see the shipment milestones: received, dispatched, in flight, arrival, and ready for pickup.
In ground transportation tracking depends on the carrier: it is normally done via vehicle GPS, route reports, and border crossing confirmations. Ask your agent to share milestone updates with you.
Typical statuses you will see
- Booked / at origin
- Departed from port or airport of origin
- In transit (or transshipment)
- Arrived at destination
- Under customs clearance
- Released and ready for delivery
What to do if the status does not update
Sometimes tracking gets "frozen" due to a transshipment, a holiday, or a system delay. First, contact your freight forwarder: they have access to operational information that the public portal does not show. If several days pass without movement, ask for formal confirmation of the status and, if the cargo does not appear, follow the steps on what to do if your cargo is lost.
English 
Spanish