The short version
A container on a sea shipment usually goes through the same stages: collected empty, packed, delivered full to the export terminal, loaded, carried by sea (sometimes changing vessel on the way), discharged at destination, collected by truck or rail, and returned empty. Carriers name these events differently, but the order is nearly always the same.
At origin (export)
- Empty released / empty out. The empty container has left the depot to be packed at the shipper's premises.
- Gate in (full) / received at terminal. The packed container has entered the export terminal and is waiting for its vessel. The terminal's cut-off times now apply, and under SOLAS the container cannot be loaded until the shipper has declared its verified gross mass (VGM).
- Loaded on vessel. The container has been lifted on board.
- Vessel departed. The ship has left the port of loading; this is the actual time of departure (ATD).
At sea
- Transshipment: discharged, then loaded. On many routes the container changes ship at a hub port. You will see a discharge and a new loading at that port, often with a different vessel name.
- Vessel arrived / departed (intermediate ports). Port calls on the way. Some carriers show every call, others only the hub ports.
At destination (import)
- Vessel arrived. The ship has reached the port of discharge (ATA). It may still wait at anchor before it berths.
- Discharged. The container has been lifted off the ship into the terminal yard. Free time at the terminal usually starts around discharge, depending on the carrier's tariff.
- Available / released. The container can be collected: customs has cleared it, the carrier has released it (original bill of lading surrendered, or a telex release or sea waybill), charges are paid and no terminal hold remains. Not every carrier or terminal publishes this event.
- Gate out (full) / out for delivery. The container has left the terminal by truck or rail. Demurrage stops here; detention keeps running until the empty is back.
- Empty returned. The empty container is back at the carrier's depot. The shipment is complete and detention stops.
Statuses that need action
- Customs hold or inspection. Customs wants documents or an examination. Talk to your customs broker straight away.
- Not loaded / rolled. The container stayed behind and has been moved to a later vessel. See rolled-over containers.
- Waiting at a transshipment port. A long gap between discharge and the next loading at a hub usually means a missed connection.
- Discharged, but no gate out for days. Free time is running. Check the release (documents, customs, charges) and the truck booking. See demurrage vs detention.
- Number not found. Often a typo or a number the carrier has not registered yet. Check the container number's check digit with the container number validator.
Why statuses sometimes look out of order
Carriers, terminals and rail operators record events in different systems and at different times, so an event can appear late, be corrected, or be missing. A vessel may also arrive before its berth is free, so "arrived" and "discharged" can be days apart. When the order looks wrong, check the vessel itself: where it is and whether it has berthed.
ShipTastic puts these events on one timeline next to the vessel's live position, for every container you track. See ocean tracking and ETA, ETD and ATA explained.
Container tracking by carrier: Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, COSCO, ONE, Evergreen, HMM, Yang Ming and ZIM.