Free tool · Shipping
Check a container number
Type the container number from your booking or bill of lading. See whether it’s valid, who owns the container, and where to track it.
1 The container number
About the check
- The check digit follows ISO 6346: each letter has a value (A = 10, skipping 11, 22 and 33), each character is multiplied by 2 to the power of its position, and the total is taken modulo 11, with 10 counted as 0.
- A valid check digit shows the number is well formed, not that the container is yours or where it is.
- Owner codes show who owns the container. Many containers are leased, so use the shipping line on your bill of lading to track.
More free tools for importers
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- When to order plannerWork back from the date you need stock, around Golden Week and Chinese New Year.
- Plan my importFour short steps give one plan: landed cost, UK rules and documents, the order-by date and supplier checks.
- Landed-cost calculatorDuty, anti-dumping duty and import VAT for your product, from live UK Trade Tariff rates.
- Quote comparerPut up to four supplier quotes side by side and see which is really the cheapest to land.
- Supplier checkDecode the code on a Chinese business licence and run the warning signs before you pay.
Questions about container numbers
How do I check a container number is valid?
A container number has four letters (a three-letter owner code and a category letter, usually U) and seven digits. The last digit is a check digit worked out from the other ten characters under ISO 6346, so a mistyped number usually fails the check.
How do I track a container from China?
Use the shipping line’s own tracking page with the container number or the bill of lading number. The owner code often shows the line, but many containers are leased, so the line named on your bill of lading is the one to use.