Trade and customs
What a bill of lading actually is
A receipt, a contract and, sometimes, the thing that controls who gets the cargo. Three jobs in one document.
Read this →From the team behind Tracktainer
What we learn from tracking containers all day.
We track containers across 170+ shipping lines every day, and a person checks the data by hand when it does not add up. These are the notes from that work: charges nobody warned you about, statuses that mislead, paperwork that does not match the cargo.
Container, bill of lading or booking · 3 free credits
Worth your time
1 / 4
Trade and customs
Container sizes: what actually fits
Internal dimensions, payload limits and the door opening. Three numbers that decide whether your cargo fits.
Read this →Trade and customs
What a freight forwarder actually does
Not a carrier, not a broker. Understanding the difference tells you who to call when something goes wrong.
Read this →Trade and customs
Customs clearance, step by step
What actually happens between the vessel arriving and your goods being legally allowed to move.
Read this →More from the desk
Trade and customs
Container types beyond the standard box
Reefer, open top, flat rack, tank. When the cargo does not fit a general purpose container, these are the options.
Trade and customs
FOB or CIF: which one should be on your contract
The two most used terms in ocean trade, and the one thing people consistently get wrong about both.
Tracking know-how
How long ocean freight actually takes
The sailing time is the part people quote. The rest of the calendar is where the surprises live.
Trade and customs
The packing list is not paperwork, it is your evidence
The document nobody reads until something is missing, and then it decides whether you get paid.
Tracking know-how
Port codes: reading UN/LOCODE at a glance
Five characters that name every port in the world, and the ambiguity they quietly remove.
Trade and customs
Switch bills of lading: legitimate, useful, and easy to misuse
A second set of originals replacing the first. Common in triangular trade and a genuine risk if handled loosely.
Shipping lines
Arkas Line tracking: strong in the Mediterranean
A regional specialist with dense Mediterranean and Black Sea coverage, and publishing that reflects a shorter trade.
Shipping lines
PIL, Wan Hai and X-Press Feeders: the second tier that moves real volume
Smaller than the top ten and dominant on specific trades. What each one publishes and where the gaps are.
Shipping lines
Sealand and Matson: regional brands with different publishing habits
One sits inside a global group, the other runs its own transpacific niche. The tracking experience reflects both structures.
Trade and customs
Read the booking confirmation properly, it takes two minutes
Six fields decide most of what can go wrong later. Checking them at booking is the cheapest intervention available.
Tracking know-how
Your container was rolled. What now?
Rolled cargo is common, rarely announced, and usually discovered late. Here is how to spot it and what to ask.
Trade and customs
Shipping marks: the labels that keep consolidated cargo apart
Simple, old fashioned, and still the thing that stops your pallets leaving with someone else’s.
Check a container before you finish reading.
Paste a container number, bill of lading or booking reference. We detect the carrier across 170+ shipping lines. Three tracking credits are free, no card needed.
Looking for the tool itself? Container tracking on tracktainer.com