Look up an MSC container number, bill of lading number or booking number on MSC's own tracker, which opens in a new tab. If Airlift booked the shipment, track it on this page by container number or Airlift house bill of lading number.
Airlift milestones for MSC bookingsUpdated daily from MSC's track-and-trace feed, matched on the MSC booking reference. Our operations team adds customs release, delivery and empty return.
MSC number formats: container, bill of lading and booking
Which number goes in which tracker
An NVOCC shipment has two bills of lading. The master bill is issued by MSC to Airlift and carries MSC's numbering. The house bill is issued by Airlift to the shipper; its number is on your Airlift booking confirmation.
The Airlift tracker finds the house bill and the container number. MSC's tracker finds its own master bill, its booking number and the container number. MSC's tracker has two tabs: Container/Bill of Lading Number and Booking Number.
Container numbers
A container number has eleven characters: a four-letter owner prefix ending in U, six serial digits and a check digit. It's printed on the container door and on the booking confirmation.
The prefix names whoever owns the container, which may be a leasing company rather than MSC, so one MSC shipment can move in containers with different prefixes. Copy the number from the container or the booking instead of guessing the prefix.
Bill of lading and booking numbers
MSC bills of lading have carried the prefix MEDU since 2018 (older documents carry MSCU); the advisory gives MEDUABC123456 as the shape. MSC says its carrier identification code stays MSCU, so a US AMS filing must quote the master bill exactly as MSC issued it, with its own prefix.
What the tracking statuses mean
Carriers, terminals and the Airlift timeline use different words for the same events. This table maps each one to where it shows on the Airlift tracker.
Status
What it means
On the Airlift timeline
Gate in
The loaded container has been received at the origin terminal (or an inland depot) and is waiting for its ship.
Gate In, ICD Gate In, Port Gate In
Loaded / on board
The container has been lifted onto the vessel. The on-board date is the date the bill of lading is issued against.
Load on (vessel)
Discharged
The container has been lifted off the vessel at a port, either at a transshipment hub or at the final port of discharge.
Discharge / Arrived at port
Available for pick-up
A terminal status, not a carrier one: the box has been discharged, the customs release and the carrier release are in, and any terminal holds are cleared, so a trucker can collect it. This tracker shows the customs release and the truck load; the terminal availability status is on the terminal system.
Customs Clearance, then Load On Truck
Empty return
The consignee has emptied the container and returned it to the depot the carrier named. It closes the detention period.
Empty return to Container Yard
Every milestone on the Airlift timeline, in journey order
Booking Requested. Airlift has received the booking; the request date is the first event on the timeline.
Container Picked up. The empty container has been collected from the carrier depot for stuffing at origin.
Gate In / ICD Gate In / Port Gate In. The loaded container has entered the inland container depot or the port terminal at origin. On this tracker the ICD and port gate-ins are shown as separate events when the box moves through both.
Load on (vessel), with voyage number. The container is on board the named ship. On a transshipment routing each leg has its own load event, so the vessel name can change along the way.
Discharge / Arrived at port. The container has been landed at a port: at a transshipment hub it is Discharge followed by the next Load on; at the port of discharge it is Arrived at port. Before the actual date is known the event reads Est. Arrival or Revised Est. Arrival.
Customs Clearance. The US entry has been released; recorded when the broker confirms release.
Load On Rail / Arrived at Rail ramp / Unloaded from Rail. Shown only when the final destination is inland and the carrier moves the box by rail from the port of discharge.
Load On Truck. The container has left the terminal or rail ramp on a truck for delivery.
Delivered / Est.Delivery. The container has reached the consignee (or the estimated date, before it does). Where the customer collects the box the event is Customer Pick up instead.
Empty return to Container Yard. The emptied container has been returned to the carrier depot. Demurrage and detention clocks are measured against the discharge and pick-up dates that precede this.
Estimated dates come from MSC's schedule at the last update and can change without notice. An event marked Est. or Revised Est. hasn't happened yet.
For an MSC container that was not booked through Airlift, use MSC's own tracker (linked at the top of this page), which accepts container number, bill of lading number or booking number. If the shipment was booked through Airlift USA, enter the container number or the Airlift house bill of lading number in the tracker above and press Track; the timeline shows every milestone Airlift holds for the box. The Airlift tracker resolves shipments booked through Airlift USA and the Airlift group offices on any carrier; it does not query MSC for a number Airlift never booked.
Send the container or bill of lading number, where the container is headed and what you need (an arrival notice, the customs entry, drayage or a quote for your next shipment), and our team will get back to you. Airlift USA is a licensed NVOCC (FMC OTI 016162); customs clearance is coordinated through our licensed broker network.
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