Tracking says delivered, but the container is still at the terminal

This one causes real arguments with customers, because delivered sounds unambiguous and is not.

What delivered means

Depending on the carrier, delivered can mean the cargo was released to the merchant, the container passed the terminal gate, or it reached the final address. Only the third matches what your customer thinks it means.

Some carriers publish a release event and label it delivery. The cargo is cleared and collectable, and it may still be sitting in the stack.

Merchant versus carrier haulage

Under carrier haulage the line arranges the inland leg and can report on it. Under merchant haulage you arrange it, and the carrier's visibility ends at the gate. Most confusing statuses come from expecting carrier haulage detail on a merchant haulage move.

See it on your own shipment

Paste a container number, bill of lading or booking reference. We detect the carrier across 170+ shipping lines, and when the data does not line up, a person checks it.

How to check properly

For anything after gate out, ask your haulier, not the carrier. If the container has not been gated out yet, the terminal's own portal will tell you whether it is available, on hold, or waiting on customs. That is a different system from the carrier's and it is the one that matters at this stage.

Questions people ask

Who has the accurate status after gate out?

Your haulier and the terminal. The carrier has handed over responsibility and often stops publishing.

Why is there no delivery event at all sometimes?

Because under merchant haulage the carrier has no visibility of what happens after the gate.