Container Tracking Not Updating? A Practical Troubleshooting Checklist

An unchanged tracking screen does not, by itself, mean a container has stopped moving. It means the system you are viewing has no newer information to show. The useful next step is to establish whether you have the right reference, the right carrier and the right kind of event.

Use this checklist before asking your customer to wait or telling them a shipment is delayed.

1. Check which reference you received

A container number identifies equipment. A Bill of Lading reference identifies a shipment document. A booking reference identifies a booking. A forwarder's internal job number may work only in that forwarder's system.

Copy the reference from the booking confirmation or transport document. Remove accidental spaces and check characters that look similar, such as O and 0. If the document shows both a house and a master B/L, ask your forwarder which reference the ocean carrier accepts. Do not assume the house reference will work on the carrier's site.

For example, Maersk's tracking instructions let users search by B/L or container number without logging in. That is a useful independent check for a Maersk shipment; it does not establish the accepted reference format for another carrier.

2. Confirm the carrier on the booking

Container equipment can be leased or used in arrangements involving several shipping companies. Treat an automatically suggested carrier as a starting point and compare it with the booking document.

In Shipzy container tracking, look at the carrier identified in the result. If it does not match your paperwork, ask the booking forwarder to confirm the operating carrier and searchable reference. Repeatedly entering variations of the same number is unlikely to resolve a reference mismatch.

3. Separate an estimate from a completed movement

An ETA is an estimate. A planned departure is a schedule entry. Neither establishes that a vessel has departed or that your particular container was loaded.

DCSA's event classifier definitions distinguish actual (ACT), estimated (EST) and planned (PLN) events. When reading a timeline, check the event label as well as its timestamp.

Record the last confirmed movement separately from the next estimated milestone. This prevents an old plan from being repeated to a customer as a confirmed update.

4. Compare the same shipment on the carrier's website

If the carrier has a newer event than Shipzy, record both timestamps and the missing event. Shipzy may be displaying cached information, or the carrier's public site and API may have different data available.

If both show the same old information, contact the forwarder or carrier for confirmation. Neither screen can establish what happened after the last reported event. Avoid inventing a standard waiting period: publication timing depends on the carrier, location and event.

A useful support report contains the reference, carrier, page checked, time checked with timezone, and the specific event you expected. Share shipment references privately with your service provider.

5. Check whether the result is limited by coverage or plan

A plan restriction, an unsupported carrier and a temporary data error are different problems. Follow the explanation in the result. Check the current pricing and plan information before assuming that every carrier is available on a free account.

Upgrading can unlock a supported paid feature. It cannot create a movement event that the carrier has not supplied.

6. Send a useful update while you investigate

Tell the customer what is confirmed, what remains estimated, who is checking the gap and when you will update them again. A short, specific message is better than forwarding an ambiguous screenshot.

For a repeatable format, use our shipment status update templates. If you are evaluating another sailing, use ocean schedules to compare options and confirm space and cutoffs with the booking party.

When should you escalate?

Escalate when missing information affects a decision: dispatching a truck, reserving warehouse labour, contacting a destination agent or changing a customer commitment. Give the forwarder the decision deadline alongside the tracking question. That helps them prioritise the operational problem.