Track a shipment
Track Your Shipment — And Understand What the Tracking Actually Means
Container tracking tells you where a vessel is. It does not tell you when you will have your goods. This page explains both, and tells you who to call.
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Ask us first
The fastest way to find your cargo
If we are handling your shipment, the quickest and most accurate answer comes from your coordinator. Carrier tracking pages show vessel movements, not clearance status, biosecurity holds or transport bookings — and those are usually what the question is really about.
Email your coordinator or call 1300 972 040 with your reference, container number or bill of lading number, and you will get the full picture: where the cargo is, what stage clearance is at, and when delivery is scheduled.
Self-service tracking
What you can check yourself, and where
| What you have | Where to check it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Container number | The shipping line’s own tracking page | Vessel, current location, discharge status and terminal availability. |
| Bill of lading number | The shipping line’s tracking page | Booking status, vessel schedule and container list. |
| Air waybill number | The airline’s cargo tracking page | Flight status, uplift and arrival, and whether the cargo has been broken down. |
| Vessel name and voyage | Carrier schedule pages or vessel-tracking services | Current position and estimated arrival at the next port. |
| Our job reference | Us | Everything above, plus customs status, biosecurity status and transport booking. |
Why the ETA keeps moving
- Berth availability. A vessel can arrive on time and still wait for a berth, particularly at congested terminals.
- Blank sailings and roll-overs. Carriers cancel sailings or roll cargo when capacity is tight; this is a commercial decision, not an error.
- Transhipment. Cargo changing vessels at a hub port adds a connection risk that does not show clearly on tracking.
- Terminal availability. A container can be discharged but not yet available for collection.
- Customs and biosecurity. Clearance status is invisible in carrier tracking, and it is frequently the actual constraint.
- Weather and industrial action. Both affect Australian ports periodically and neither is predictable far ahead.
Milestones
The milestones we report, and why a tracking number is not enough
Carrier tracking tells you where a container is. It does not tell you whether your shipment is on track, because most of the risk sits in events the carrier never records.
| Milestone | What it confirms | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo received at origin | Supplier met the receival cut-off | The most common cause of a missed sailing |
| Container loaded and sealed | Cargo is packed, VGM declared | Fixes the shipment; changes after this are expensive |
| Vessel departed | Actual, not scheduled, departure | Your transit clock starts here |
| Transhipment connected | The onward leg was actually caught | A missed connection can add a week silently |
| Arrival confirmed | Berthing and discharge date | Sets the delivery window and the free-time clock |
| Entry lodged | Customs declaration submitted | Pre-arrival lodgement is what keeps you inside free time |
| Cleared | Customs and biosecurity released the cargo | Nothing moves before this |
| Transport booked | Slot and truck confirmed | Confirms the delivery date is real |
| Delivered and empty returned | Job complete, detention clock stopped | Closes your cost exposure |
Exceptions, reported before you ask
A rolled sailing, a biosecurity hold or a congested terminal is normal in this industry. Being told about it late is not. When a milestone moves you hear it from your coordinator with the options and the cost of each.
Reporting for finance as well as operations
Operations needs status. Finance needs landed cost. We report both, in a format you can reconcile, rather than expecting you to reverse-engineer charges from an invoice. See landed cost.
Who to call
Every file has a named coordinator. You will not explain your shipment to a different operator each time. Contact the team or read more about how we manage shipments end to end.
Read next
While your shipment is in transit
Related guides and services covering the questions importers and exporters usually ask next.
- Freight planning — why ETAs move, and how much buffer to allow
- Avoiding demurrage and detention — what to do before the vessel berths
- Customs clearance — what happens between arrival and release
- Container shipping — free time, unloading and returning the empty
Our approach
You should not have to chase us
We work on the principle that you hear about a delay from us before you hear about it from your customer. On every shipment we handle you will receive confirmation at booking, notification of departure, an arrival advice with the clearance position, and a delivery booking confirmation — plus a call if anything changes materially.
If you are currently chasing your freight provider for updates, that is a service problem rather than a freight problem. It is also fixable.
FAQ
Tracking questions
My container has arrived but I cannot collect it. Why?
Common reasons are that it has not yet been discharged or made available by the terminal, clearance is not yet finalised, a biosecurity direction is outstanding, or a transport slot has not been reached. We will tell you which and what happens next.
What is the difference between ETA and availability?
ETA is when the vessel is expected to arrive. Availability is when the container can actually be collected from the terminal, which is usually one to several days later depending on discharge and terminal processes.
Can you tell me exactly which day my goods will be delivered?
Once the cargo is cleared and a transport slot is booked, yes. Before that, we will give you a window and narrow it as the vessel gets closer.
My cargo was rolled to the next vessel. What can I do?
Roll-overs happen when carriers oversell capacity. We push for priority on the next available sailing and, where the delay is unacceptable, look at alternative carriers or a partial air freight shipment for critical stock.
Do you provide reporting for multiple shipments?
Yes. For clients with ongoing volume we provide consolidated shipment reporting with purchase order status and revised ETAs. See supply chain management.