A useful shipment update answers four questions: what happened, what is expected next, what the customer needs to do and when you will contact them again. A tracking link helps, but it does not replace that explanation.
These templates are starting points for an operations team. Replace every bracketed field and verify the facts against the carrier, terminal or handling agent before sending. The examples describe a workflow; they are not messages that Shipzy sends automatically.
Template 1: Confirmed departure
Use this when you have confirmation of the relevant departure and your container's connection to that movement. Do not send it just because a planned departure time has passed.
Subject: Shipment update: [customer reference] — departed [origin]
Hello [name],
The latest confirmed update for [customer reference] is [movement] at [location], recorded on [date and time, timezone].
The next expected milestone is [milestone]. The carrier currently estimates [date and time, timezone]. This remains an estimate.
Action needed: [Specific action and deadline, or “No action needed from you at this stage.”]
We will check again by [date and time] and contact you earlier if a change affects the delivery plan.
[Name / operations contact]
Keep the customer reference consistent across the subject line, your internal job and subsequent updates. If several containers have different milestones, separate them rather than describing the whole booking as departed.
Template 2: ETA changed
A date change matters because somebody may have planned around the old date. State the old and new estimate, then identify the decision that needs attention.
Subject: ETA update: [customer reference] — revised arrival estimate
Hello [name],
The carrier's arrival estimate for [destination] changed from [previous ETA] to [revised ETA]. Both times are in [timezone].
The last confirmed movement is [event, location and timestamp]. [Confirmed reason for the change, or “We have asked the carrier to confirm the reason.”]
Delivery planning: [What this means for the current transport or warehouse plan; identify anything still unconfirmed.]
Next action: [Person/team] will [action] by [time]. Please let us know if your receiving deadline has changed.
Our next update will be by [date and time].
[Name / operations contact]
Do not fill an unexplained gap with “port congestion” or “weather” unless the source confirms it. A clear statement that you are checking the reason is more useful than a plausible explanation that later turns out to be wrong.
Template 3: Arrival planning and collection readiness
Vessel arrival, container discharge and permission to collect are separate checkpoints. This message helps the team establish what remains open without treating an arrival estimate as a pickup appointment.
Subject: Arrival planning: [customer reference] — checks before collection
Hello [name],
Current arrival status: [confirmed event or latest estimate, location and timestamp].
Before collection, we are confirming:
- Container availability: [confirmed / pending; responsible contact].
- Release requirements: [confirmed / pending; responsible contact].
- Collection appointment and receiving slot: [confirmed / pending].
- Applicable collection and equipment-return deadlines: [confirmed source / awaiting confirmation].
Action needed from you: [Document, approval or receiving detail] by [deadline].
We will confirm the collection plan once the outstanding checks are complete. Next update: [date and time].
[Name / operations contact]
Use the current shipment terms and the relevant service provider's confirmation for deadlines. A generic tracking event is not a calculation of charges or proof that all release requirements are complete.
Make the routine manageable
Assign one person to own each shipment update. Keep a short record of the latest confirmed event, current estimate, open action and next promised update time. A colleague should be able to take over without reconstructing the shipment from an email chain.
Shipzy tracking can help you check available carrier events. Saving a shipment gives you a place to return to it; available limits and features are explained on the pricing page. Review any automated alert before turning it into a customer commitment.
If the timeline appears stale, work through the tracking troubleshooting checklist. For the technical distinction behind the labels, DCSA defines actual, planned and estimated event classifiers.
Before sending an update, check the shipment timeline and separate confirmed movements from estimates.
Check the latest events →