Tracking your international shipment

International shipments from the USA are usually tracked on sea freight carriers' websites.

See which sea freight carrier is in your international shipping on your shipping documents. For the tracking, use your CARRIER'S BOOKING NUMBER. Do not confuse CARRIER'S BOOKING NUMBER with our Customer Reference Number.

Below are the web links to the most commonly used freight carriers' websites to track your shipment:

• CaroTrans Int’l Inc
• Conterm/Vanguard/DCL
• ECU
• Troy Container Line, Ltd
• Tracing in U.S. domestic deliveries (pickup or line haul to CFS) should be available by LTL BOL or PRO# on LTL carriers' websites.

Suppose none of the carriers listed above are used for your international shipping. In that case, you may contact us to find out how to track your shipment, or we'll request that your carrier track it manually.

After you have paid our invoice and received your ocean freight express release Bill of Lading (BOL), all you have to do is wait for an Arrival Notice. You should expect it in a few days before the ETA (Estimated day of Arrival) for your shipment.

The Arrival Notice in your international shipping will usually be emailed to your consignee (and the notify party, if any).

That's why your email for contacts in the destination on your ocean BOL must be valid. Pay extra attention to the notification in your email inbox. Check the junk mail folder. Do not miss the email. As soon as you receive it, begin working on your import recovery without delays.

SHIPMENTS WITH TRANS-SHIPPING: If a Port of Discharge on your Bill of Lading differs from the Place of Delivery, the ETA may NOT be to the final destination. It is to the Port of Discharge, where your load will be handled for further transshipping to the final destination (Place of Delivery).

In other words, when tracing your shipment on the carrier's website, always pay attention to the TRANSSHIPMENT ETA unless the Port of Discharge is your final destination. The TRANSHIPMENT ETA is when your shipment arrives. Do not confuse the ETA and the TRANSHIPMENT ETA.

Please remember that the sea freight carrier's destination agent may not receive any particular information about your shipment until a few days before your goods arrive. However, if you wish, you may contact the agent in advance. If the agent hasn't yet received information about your shipment, email or fax them a copy of your BOL. Reconfirm your contact information, and wait for an Arrival Notice.

IF, FOR ANY REASON, YOU DID NOT RECEIVE AN ARRIVAL NOTICE AS EXPECTED, DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT THE OCEAN FREIGHT CARRIER'S DESTINATION AGENT! Email or fax them a copy of your BOL. Reconfirm your contact information, and get on the document. Start working on your import recovery without delay.  Otherwise, storage charges, Customs penalties, and other significant expenses may occur due to a delay in your import recovery.

Why You Can't Track LCL Shipments by Container Number

When shipping LCL cargo from the USA, many customers mistakenly try to track their shipments using the container information on the Bill of Lading. However, LCL shipments cannot be tracked this way. Here is why and how to track them properly.

The Nature of LCL

With FCL, a load from one shipper occupies an entire container. For LCL, multiple shippers share space in the same "shipping box". Since the container number tracks the entire shared load (not just your load), and cargo may be reloaded during transit, this number won't give you specific updates about your shipment.

To track your LCL load, you must use:

• Your Booking or House Bill of Lading (HBL) Number – Issued by your freight forwarder or consolidator.
• The sea freight carrier's (cargo consolidator) website – Each LCL operator has its own online platform where you can input your Booking or HBL number for real-time updates.
• Destination Agent’s Reference: Once the goods arrive at their final destination, your consignee will receive an arrival notice with delivery details.

Why This System Works Better

• Precision: The HBL tracks only your portion of the cargo, not the entire container.
• Efficiency: Consolidators provide updates at each stage (ETA to a Port of Discharge, a seaport for transshipment, and ETA to a Place of Delivery by On Carrier, your final destination).
• Transparency: Avoid confusion by relying on the correct reference.

Understanding how LCL tracking works can help you avoid frustration and monitor your shipment accurately. Trust your consolidator’s system for seamless logistics.

For more information, you may follow this web link.