Shipment tracking is the practice of recording where a shipment is and what is happening to it, and supply chain visibility is what you gain when that information reaches the people who have to plan. For an importer buying from China the two ideas matter because a consignment passes through several hands, including a factory, a forwarder, a shipping line, two ports, Customs and an inland carrier, and each holds only a piece of the story. This guide explains what can be tracked and by which identifiers, which Indian platforms help, how early information changes decisions such as customs filing and truck booking, where tracking falls short, and how to ask your forwarder for useful updates.
For a view of sensors and devices, see IoT and real-time cargo tracking. For software choices, see our buyer's guide to supply chain visibility platforms.
What Can Be Tracked and By Which Identifier
| What you follow | Identifier | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| A sea container | The container number | Where the box is and which event it last passed, as reported by the carrier or forwarder | Anything about the condition of the goods inside |
| A vessel | Its AIS signal | Position, course and speed of the ship | Which containers are aboard, unless a booking links them |
| An air shipment | The air waybill number | Flight and handling milestones | The state of the cargo on the ground |
| An import clearance | The bill of entry | Whether Customs has assessed it, whether duty is paid and whether the out-of-charge order has issued | Where the box is physically |
| A truck leg | The vehicle and trip record | Progress from the port or depot to your door | The state of the goods on arrival |
The Bureau International des Containers explains the container number. It has an owner prefix of three capital letters, an equipment category identifier of one letter (U for freight containers, J for detachable freight container-related equipment and Z for trailers and chassis), a serial number of six numerals chosen by the owner or operator, and a check digit that provides a means of validating the recording and transmission accuracy of the owner code and serial number. If a tracking page does not recognise a number, check each character before you assume the shipment is lost.
The International Maritime Organization says automatic identification system transponders are designed to be capable of providing position, identification and other information about a ship to other ships and to coastal authorities automatically. Under SOLAS regulation V/19 they are required on ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards on international voyages, cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards not on international voyages and all passenger ships, and the requirement was fully effective by 31 December 2004. The information includes the ship's identity, type, position, course, speed and navigational status.
In air cargo, IATA describes ONE Record as a standard for data sharing that creates a single record view of the shipment, with a data model, a web API specification and a security specification, and says the electronic air waybill is now used for more than two out of three shipments.
India's Logistics Data Platforms
A PIB backgrounder of 16 August 2025 describes digital initiatives under the National Logistics Policy, including two that it says are now fully operational:
- The Logistics Data Bank, an app that traces export-import containers. It had tracked the movement of more than 75 million containers as of October 2024 and recorded an average of over 45 lakh unique container searches per month.
- The Unified Logistics Interface Platform, which brings together data from various logistics-related ministries and departments on a single interface. It recorded 100 crore API transactions in March 2025 and, according to the backgrounder, also enables shipment estimates of arrival that help manufacturers manage inventories better.
Our guide to the National Logistics Policy explains how these platforms fit into the wider plan.
How Tracking Improves Decisions
Customs filing starts earlier. An estimated arrival date lets your broker present the bill of entry before the vessel reaches port. Section 46(3) of the Customs Act, 1962 allows presentation up to thirty days before the expected arrival. The National Time Release Study 2025 defines advance filing as filing before the goods arrive at the port and late filing as filing after arrival. In the study's sample of bills of entry filed from 1 to 7 January 2025, 91% of seaport bills were filed in advance, and the average release time was 71 hours 23 minutes for those bills against 158 hours 59 minutes for bills filed late.
Inland moves can be booked to the real date. The same study found that the time from out-of-charge to gate-out averaged 27 hours 26 minutes at seaports and 84 hours 50 minutes at inland container depots. Knowing the arrival date can help you plan the truck or train slot, although the study also names importer behaviour and coordination gaps among the likely reasons for waiting. Our guide to demurrage and detention charges shows what waiting can cost.
Delays are seen earlier. Carrier advisories show that schedules can change. Maersk's Asia Pacific market update of 7 October 2026 said customers may see adjustments to sailing schedules on some East-West trades around China's Golden Week, said that port operations affected by seasonal weather were recovering and that schedules could take time to normalise, so later sailings might still vary in timing. On changes to its network it encourages customers to review updated sailing schedules and check for changes to planned departure and arrival dates, so that they can adjust delivery plans.
Stock planning improves. An arrival estimate that changes as the voyage proceeds feeds the reorder point for the goods in transit. See how to manage overseas inventory replenishment.
The Limits of Tracking
- A tracking event is a report, not a guarantee. The data depends on when and how each party records the event, so an event can be recorded late or corrected afterwards.
- An estimate is not an arrival. Treat the estimated time of arrival as a range and update the plan as it moves.
- Position is not condition. A box can be on schedule and still be damaged or tampered with. Seals, photographs and sensors cover that gap.
- Different parties use different formats. One forwarder's milestone may be another's sub-event, so agree the list of milestones in writing.
- Tracking does not replace control. Seeing a delay helps only if someone can decide what to do about it.
Milestones to Ask Your Forwarder to Report
- Booking confirmed and cargo ready.
- Container gated in at the origin port.
- Loaded on the vessel and vessel departed.
- Transhipment, if any, with the new vessel and date.
- Arrival, discharge and the time the container is available.
- Bill of entry filed, assessed, duty paid and out-of-charge granted.
- Gate-out from the port, depot or container freight station.
- Delivered, and the empty container returned.
A Made-Up Example
A container is booked to arrive on day 10 and a truck is booked for the same day at 40 per day of waiting (made-up units). A schedule change moves the arrival to day 13.
| Situation | What happens | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| No tracking update | The truck arrives on day 10 and waits three days | 3 times 40, which is 120 |
| Tracking update on day 8 | The truck is rebooked for day 13 for a change fee of 20 | 20 |
The update saves 100 in this example. The saving comes from knowing early, not from the tracking tool itself.
Questions to Ask a Provider
- Which identifiers will you track, and from which sources?
- How often is each milestone updated, and who confirms it?
- Can you send alerts when an estimated arrival moves by more than a set number of days?
- Will you give me the bill of entry status as well as the container status?
- Can I see the data in a portal or through an interface, and who else can see it?
- What happens to my data when the contract ends?
Track Your Cargo With RR Brothers and Logistics
RR Brothers and Logistics arranges sea freight and air freight from China and handles customs clearance in India. Tell us which milestones matter to you and we will discuss how to build them into the plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recording where a shipment is and what is happening to it, using identifiers such as the container number, the air waybill number or the bill of entry, so that people can plan around the information.
According to the Bureau International des Containers, an owner prefix of three letters, an equipment category letter, a six-digit serial number and a check digit that provides a means of validating the accuracy with which the owner code and serial number were recorded and transmitted.
An app under India's National Logistics Policy that traces export-import containers. A PIB backgrounder says it had tracked more than 75 million containers as of October 2024.
No. AIS shows a ship's identity, type, position, course, speed and navigational status. It does not say which containers are aboard unless your booking links the container to the vessel.
An estimated arrival date lets the broker file the bill of entry in advance. The National Time Release Study 2025 (bills filed 1 to 7 January 2025) recorded 71 hours 23 minutes for advance bills at seaports against 158 hours 59 minutes for late bills.
The number may have a typing error, the carrier may not yet have recorded the event, or the system may not link your booking to the container. Check every character, including the check digit, and ask your forwarder.
Sources
- Bureau International des Containers: Container identification number
- IMO: AIS transponders
- IATA: ONE Record
- PIB: Logistics, India's growth engine (backgrounder, 16 August 2025)
- CBIC: National Time Release Study 2025 (released 20 June 2025)
- CBIC: Customs Act, 1962 (Section 46)
- Maersk: Asia Pacific market update, October 2026 (7 October 2026)
This article is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules, rates and procedures change; confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or a licensed customs professional before you ship. Regulatory references were checked against the official sources listed above on 26 October 2026.
Image credits: header photo by GB The Green Brand on Unsplash; photo by Luke Chesser on Unsplash. Used under the Unsplash License.
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