For years, a lot of shippers, importers and freight forwarders opened SeaRates whenever they wanted to check on a container. Now that DP World has discontinued SeaRates, you need a new way to do that.

The good news: tracking a container doesn't depend on any one website. All you need is your container number and a tool that can read the shipping line's data. This guide shows you how to get set up again in a few minutes.

Step 1: Find Your Container Number

A container number is the most reliable way to track a shipment. It's an 11-character code made of 4 letters followed by 7 digits, for example MSCU1234567. The first three letters identify the owner, usually the shipping line.

You'll find it:

On your Bill of Lading or sea waybill
In the booking confirmation from your freight forwarder
On the arrival notice sent before the container reaches port
Painted on the container doors and sides

If you saved shipments in SeaRates, gather the container numbers from your own documents or emails, since you may no longer be able to export them from SeaRates.

You can also track with a booking ID from the shipping line.

Step 2: Choose How You Want to Track

Option A: The Container Tracking App (all carriers in one place)

The Container Tracking App for iPhone and iPad works the way most people used SeaRates: one search box for every shipping line.

Download the app from the App Store. It's free to download.
Enter your container number or booking ID and tap Search.
Let the app detect the carrier. You don't need to know whether it's Maersk, MSC or someone else.
See your results: live location on a map, port of loading and discharge, an AI-estimated ETA, upcoming port stops and transhipments, and every event since gate-in.

Add all your containers to the app and you can check them from one list, whichever shipping lines they're on.

Option B: The shipping line's website

Every carrier has its own tracking page. This is fine for the odd lookup, but you have to know the carrier and check each site separately. Our carrier guides explain container prefixes and how tracking works for each one:

See all supported carriers.

Step 3: Check Back for Updates

Container status changes as the shipping line records new events: gate-in, loading, departure, transhipment, arrival and discharge. Check your containers regularly, especially around departure and arrival dates, so you can spot delays early and plan for pick-up.

What If My Search Comes Back Empty?

Check the number. Make sure you have all 11 characters, with the letter O and the number 0 in the right places.
Wait a little. New bookings sometimes don't show events until the container is gated in at the origin terminal.
Try the booking ID if the container number hasn't been assigned or published yet.

Tracking Containers at Scale

If you tracked many containers through SeaRates' API or integrations, a mobile app may not be enough. Our container tracking API gives you the same data inside your own systems. Read our SeaRates API migration checklist for help planning the switch.

For an overview of everything we offer former SeaRates users, see our SeaRates alternative page.

SeaRates is a trademark of its respective owner. ContainerTracking.ai is an independent service and is not affiliated with SeaRates or DP World.