The Complete Guide to Container Tracking Service Solutions

A crucial part of managing supply chain efficiently is being regularly updated about the movement of all your international shipments. It is the visibility over your containers that can equip you to make quick and sound decisions in case of any disruptions.

Today, several online container tracking tools make it possible to track your shipment in real-time by offering you the exact, live location of your container at any given point in time.

The best kind of systems are those which give you automatic updates every time your container completes an essential milestone in its journey. This way, while the system auto-notifies you about the real-time location of your container by tracking and tracing your shipment in real-time , your team can focus on more critical tasks at hand.

Typically, the system notifies you when there is a status change or a delay due to some disruption. Some of the crucial status changes are as follows:

• When the container gets loaded onto the vessel
• When the vessel carrying the container leaves the port of origin
• When the vessel arrives at the transhipment port
• When the container is loaded onto another vessel at the transhipment port, and that vessel departs from the port
• When the vessel carrying container reaches the port of destination
• When the designated consignee receives the container

Container location tracking is considered to be of immense importance due to the uncertainty surrounding the shipping industry. The shipper fills the container and sends it to the port with the expectation that it will be loaded onto the vessel and delivered to its destination. But the process involves several steps, and that creates the possibility of the container not reaching the destined place as per the schedule.

For instance, a container may be accidentally offloaded at the wrong port, and the carrier may only realise this after it has left the port. This could lead to a delay of several weeks or even months in getting the container to its intended destination. However, if the shipper has access to the real-time location of that container, he will be able to take the right steps to deal with such a situation.

Typically, to track and trace a container on an online container tracking system, you will need to enter either the booking number of your container or the Master Bill of Lading number or the container number.

As soon as you key in the number, the online container tracking system will instantly display the real-time location of the concerned container.

There are two key things you need to track a container, a tracking number which could be your container number or booking number or Bill of Lading number and access to an intelligent container tracking system.

Numbers that could be used for container tracking:

Tracking sea shipment by booking number:
A booking number is a value assigned to the reservation of space or a particular service. This number is used to identify and often trace the status of the shipment. In case of shipping, it is issued by a carrier or freight forwarder to the shipper.
It is usually found on the receipts or invoices, etc. generated after making a reservation. A shipper can use this number to track his shipments on online container tracking systems.

Sea cargo tracking with Bill of Lading number:
A Bill of Lading is a legally binding agreement issued by the carrier to the shipper. A Bill of Lading number is a unique number that appears on this document. It is given at the time the cargo is accepted for shipment by the carrier. Shipment tracking with BL number is a widely used method of tracking containers. Several tools available in the market today allow you to track shipments by BL number instantly.

Types of container tracking systems:

• GPS container tracking system:
  Most of the container tracking systems available in the market today use GPS location that is sent either via satellite or via cellular (typically GSM).
  Here's how GPS container tracking works: A GPS based tracking device is attached to the outside of the shipping container. The working of two of the most commonly used GPS based tracking devices is explained below:
  Magnetic devices:
  These devices are placed on the sides of the container, in between the structural ribs. The structural ribs are an ideal place to attach these devices as they cannot be fixed on top as containers are stacked on one another while in transit.
  Locking mechanisms:
  A locking mechanism that seals the container is yet another way of tracking the movement of shipments. These mechanisms are designed to include a tracking device. It's added usually by a first party, once the goods are stuffed in the container.
  Via accelerometer, the device is engineered to sense the movement of the ship or else switch on at regular intervals and get a GPS fix. The tool then sends a location update to the concerned party; it gets added to their backend system and then becomes available to the customer.
  Some of the benefits of GPS container tracking systems are as follows:
  • These systems are available off-the-shelf, and self-contained.
  • GPS container tracking systems offer an accurate location of the shipping container.
    
  
  
• Shorter range wireless container tracking system:
  In the case of shorter range wireless container tracking systems, the tracking system doesn't communicate to cellular or satellite directly. Thus, it involves a range of ways that could be used to trace and trace a container. This type of Internet of Things (IoT) system can be customised to meet the needs of an organisation.
  While these systems can be more complicated vas compared to a GPS based tracking system, they are more cost-effective. Yet another plus point of a shorter range wireless container tracking system is that its battery life is better than those of GPS-based systems.
  Some of the terms/acronyms associated with container tracking are as follows:
  • ETD (Estimated Time of Departure): It refers to the day the container is estimated to leave the Port of Loading (POL)
  • ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival): It refers to the day the container is estimated to arrive at the Port of Discharge (POD)
  • POL (Port of Loading): Refers to the port of origin where the container was first loaded
  • POD (Port of Destination): Refers to the port where the container is unloaded for delivery to the importer

More the visibility you have over your shipments, more scope you have to minimise risks and unpleasant surprises. Thus, how to track shipping containers online has become a commonly asked question. To track your containers instantly, in real-time using GoComet’s container tracking tool , you can follow the following steps:

1. First of all, you need to go to the GoComet container tracking tool page. It is a lite version of the GoComet container tracking software.
2. Once you open the page, you can enter either your booking number or Bill of Lading number or container number and the name of the carrier in the ‘track now’ field.
3. On entering the information, the container tracking system will immediately display the real-time location of your container. Besides, the containers that you search for will show at the bottom of the ‘track now’ field so that you don’t have to enter the details of your shipments every time you want to track your container.
4. By choosing the option to get notified, you can even get automated updates every time your shipment achieves an important journey milestone straight to your inbox and Whatsapp.

You can use the container tracking tool for sea shipment tracking by vessel name and track your international shipments with different shipping line companies on a single dashboard.

To keep pace with the rapidly changing global supply chain industry and have the edge over your competitors, real-time visibility over your shipments is a must. Till the time digital technology-based solutions emerged in the supply chain space, tracking shipments was a laborious process.

In order to keep track of all the shipments, logistics managers had to manually visit websites of shipping lines or make calls to their freight forwarders, key in the booking number for each container and check the status. To make matters worse, the intervals at which the data would get updated were not known which created scope for misleading information.

But present-day advancements in technology, have simplified the process and made it easier for companies to track sea shipments in real-time. The emergence of state-of-the-art container tracking systems can give timely, live updates on the different stages in the movement of your freight. These software enable you to deal with any rerouting or delays proactively.

With companies increasingly turning towards automated container tracking systems, the market has witnessed an explosion of such software. This has made it difficult for companies to separate the wheat from the chaff and choose the system that meets the requirements of their business.

We have done our due diligence and compiled a list of some of the well-known container tracking software available in the market today. While the list may not be exhaustive, it will help you get started with your research regarding the container tracking systems available.

Any intelligent container tracking system should be able to provide information such as the name of the port where your containers might be stored, live location of your containers, status and exact delivery times and more. Here are some of the container tracking systems that have helped several companies streamline their freight transportation processes and gain visibility over the movement of their freight:

• GoComet Container Tracking Software
  GoComet’s container tracking software allows you to track all your international shipments in real-time on a single dashboard. The module is engineered to auto-capture every movement of your freight, assess your carrier performance and automatically notify you each time your shipment achieves an important journey milestone.
  The system has the edge over other platforms as it offers extensive, actionable insights based on historical data. The software helps you enhance customer experience by allowing you to share the tracking data with your customers, making way for unprecedented transparency.
• Kuebix container tracking solution
  Kuebix’s International Container Management technology enables you to save time and money via increased visibility over the movement of your ocean freight. You can track and trace shipments in real-time, get up to date arrival information and much more with this software.
• Project44
  You can experience global multimodal visibility with project44’s predictive tracking platform. The platform makes it possible to gain actionable insights on the location of your orders, how they are being shipped and other real-time shipment tracking metrics. The system provides live updates in case of any disruption and thus, helps you proactively plan and collaborate with stakeholders. Project44's system also provides accurate ETAs along with detailed container status updates.
• Infor Nexus
  Infor Nexus has come up with a single networking system that offers live track & trace feature with mapping visualisation and location-driven ETAs for the ocean, truckload, and air modes. The system makes available all the information regarding your shipment on a single dashboard including data on multiple carriers, multi-piece shipment tracking details, alerts and notifications on delivery delays, shipment returns, tracking etc.
• FourKites
  FourKites container tracking solution is equipped with AI and machine learning algorithms, that provide end-to-end live shipment visibility across various modes of transportation. In case of any delays/emergencies, the system sends out proactive alerts to logistics managers and documents detailed predictive analytics for analysing and improving performance.
• Ocean Insights
  Ocean Insights enables you to build efficient risk mitigation strategies with the help of their container tracking software. You can track and monitor all of your shipments in real-time on a unified dashboard using the software.
  Their container track and trace solution promises to offer comprehensive data from 55+ shipping lines, 700 seaports, and 5k+ vessels. The system has smart filter options which allow you to quickly and easily identify shipments that require immediate attention. The system also gives auto alerts and notifications on delays, discharge, rollovers or lengthy wait times, on-the-go.
• Cogoport
  Cogoport offers convenient, live container tracking and facilitates better customer relationships via increased transparency. The system continually displays detailed shipment information like addresses and carrier details, comprehensive tracking history such as location, time and status of the shipment, and original as well as up-to-date ETA of the shipment, etc.
  The system also allows you to track packages that are shipped using applications other than Cogoport, enabling you to monitor all your shipments, from a single dashboard.
• Alpega
  Alpega offers a cloud-based solution that enables real-time container visibility. Alpega’s Reusable Package Management Software assists in the transportation process, right from scheduling a shipment to tracking arrivals to automated fee settlements.
  The software helps you gain full visibility over your shipping containers at all times. The solution equips you to monitor the movement of your containers closely. Identification technologies such as barcode or RFID distinguish every container clearly, making them easily locatable and their movements traceable.
  Lastly, invest in what your business needs!
  Once you do your research and closely study everything that a container tracking software has to offer, understand your business needs and make the right decisions.

Before you go ahead and invest in a container tracking system, there are several key questions that you must ask to make sure that you are making the right choice. While a sound system can help you drive process efficiency and build agility in your operations, a system that doesn’t work efficiently can adversely affect your business.

Moreover, with a wide variety of options to choose from in the market, finding software that best suits your company’s needs can be quite a daunting task.

Here are some questions that you must consider when investing in a container tracking software:

• Is the container tracking software meeting your organisation’s needs?
  A container tracking system may offer a wide range of options, but all these options will be useful only as long as they meet your business’ requirements. Instead of making a rushed decision, it will be worthwhile to sit down with your team and note down the must-have features in the container tracking software you’re planning to invest in. You can then make a list of features that may not be crucial to your business but are only useful to have.
  Once you have this list ready, you can then go ahead and consider the options available in the market.
• Is the container tracking software easy to use?
  A system that has a fancy user interface but is challenging to understand and use may do more harm than good. The system you choose should have a simple user interface with functionality at its core. The software shouldn’t require your team to undergo intense training just to learn how to use it. You must bear in mind that one of the critical reasons behind investing in that system is saving time, and it shouldn’t end up doing otherwise.
• How scalable is the container tracking software?
  The online container tracking system you choose must be scalable. The system should be such that it can be easily scaled up to meet the changing needs of your company.
  The present-day cloud-based solutions are a fine example of scalable systems. These systems can be easily upgraded and customised to suit the needs of your company. They offer a great deal of flexibility, and additional features can be added when required.
• Can the container tracking solution be accessed from multiple devices?
  The solution you choose must be compatible with different devices. Right from a smartphone to the systems in your company, the software should be such that concerned people can easily access tracking data.
  Moreover, some solutions give you the option to share tracking data with your customers. This makes way for increased and unprecedented deal transparency while strengthening business ties. Thus, make sure to check for such essential features at the time of purchase.
• Will the software be able to give timely updates about the movement of your containers?
  Before you finalise the system, make sure that it gives exact real-time updates on the movement of your shipments on a single dashboard. Apart from real-time location updates, choose a system that can automatically notify you every time the status of your container changes.
  This will save your team the trouble of constantly checking the system to track and trace your containers.
• Does your system provide actionable insights?
  An intelligent container tracking software records multiple data points and offers instant actionable insight via  automatic data analysis. For example, by analysing historical data, your software should be able to tell you the best routes for a particular region, most reliable carrier, etc.
• How easy is it to integrate the container tracking software with your existing systems?
  The software you choose should be such that it can be seamlessly integrated with your existing systems. This aspect of the software is crucial as only a system that can be combined with your in-house systems well can genuinely help you enhance productivity and profitability without being a barrier in itself.
• What is the real cost of the system and how good is the customer support?
  Be mindful of systems that come at a price that seems to be too good to be true. While some systems may be cheap at the time of purchase, they may require heavy maintenance later on and end up costing you more than other systems. Thus, don’t forget to identify the correct cost of the system.
  Secondly, consider the level of customer support your vendor is willing to offer. At times help from a real-person becomes necessary as there are limitations on the support a machine can provide. So make sure that the vendor from whom you plan on purchasing your software will be able to offer you prompt service.
  Research well, choose wisely!
  Before you invest in software, seek a demo and evaluate your options well. Remember that the loopholes of a system will last you for the lifetime of the product; thus, research well and choose wisely.

Earlier container tracking was a laborious and time-consuming task that required people to visit sites of each carrier or make phone calls to their freight forwarders to trace and track every single shipment.

Thus, keeping track of the whereabouts of a shipment was quite inconvenient. But thanks to the emergence of technology in this field, online container tracking on a single dashboard is possible today.

There are several container tracking tools available in the market today. Paid container tracking software naturally offer more features such as advanced data-analytics coupled with instant actionable insights and more. Investing in one of these paid container tracking software can be certainly fruitful if you have a substantial number of shipments per month.

For instance, GoComet’s container tracking software will give you real-time tracking updates, notify you each time there’s a delay. Still, most importantly, it will track the performance of the carriers you work with, the routes you use, etc. and help you identify the best lanes, service providers and more. This kind of data analysis will go a long way in optimising your business.

Besides, the software will allow you to share tracking data with your customers as well, making way for unprecedented transparency and improved customer service.

However, there are other online container tracking tools such as the GoComet lite container tracking tool that enable instant, real-time tracking for free.

If you want to track your container online using an instant container tracking tool, typically you will have to visit the container tracking tool page, key in your relevant container number or Master Bill of Lading number or else your booking number. Once you enter the number, the tracking tool will display the real-time location of your shipment.

What’s more? You can even get automatic updates on the movement of your shipments, especially every time the status of your shipment changes. In brief, you can track and trace containers effortlessly with the help of the container tracking systems available today.

In today’s time and age, if a company has a large number of shipments per month, then the company in all likelihood invests in a container tracking software. The ROI is exceptionally high for companies with hundreds and thousands of shipments every month.

Here’s how a container tracking system offers value to companies that have an import-export oriented business:

In a typical scenario, for a company with hundreds of shipments per month, the supply chain team will have to visit several sites manually and struggle to keep a record of each shipment. To make matters worse, these sites may not be updated at all times and thus, end up being misleading.

However, container tracking software is a real game-changer in this sense. Once the required shipping details are entered, the system continues to automatically track the containers till they reach the customers. Every time an important milestone is achieved, the team members get notified automatically.

Besides, the user interface is designed in a way that the person tracking the containers can see the status of all his shipments on a single dashboard simultaneously. An added advantage is how the software also records multiple data points throughout the journey of your container.

With the help of the data recorded, the supply chain management team can make informed decisions based on the performance of various carriers. This in return, helps drive efficiency and significant cost-savings.

If you understand the shipping container number, you can tell quite a lot about the container by merely looking at the number. A container number is the most critical and complex marking on the door of the container. It is an alpha-numeric sequence consisting of four letters and seven numbers used to identify containers internationally.

Let’s look at what these four letters and seven numbers represent in a shipping container number:

To better understand the digits, let’s consider the number MAEU1234569.

Owner code

The first three letters of a container number identify the owner/operator; in this case, the owner code is MAE. It is a unique code registered with the Bureau International des Containers et du Transport Intermodal (BIC)/International Container Bureau to avoid duplicates. To identify the owner code, you can run a search here.

Product group code or equipment category identifier: U, J, or Z

The fourth letter, that is the letter that follows the owner code is used to identify the type of container. Letter U denotes for freight containers, and letter J represents detachable freight container equipment while the letter Z stands for trailers and chassis.

Registration number or serial number: next six digits

The six digits that follow the alphabets denote the owner or operator's unique identification number for a specific container, in the example given about it is 123456.

Check digit: Last number

The last digit in the container number is called the check number. It is this number that determines whether the entire container number is valid or not. In brief, the check number is used to confirm that the rest of the numbers were appropriately recorded.

Shipping containers are the most integral part of the global shipping industry. They play a significant role in keeping the world’s goods moving. Moving freight in containers ensures that the goods reach their destination safely irrespective of how long the journey takes. Depending on the type of containers, they are transported using different types of container ships.

Similarly, depending on the nature of the goods to be transported or the specific purposes you would want the containers to serve, the type, materials, structure, dimensions, etc. of the containers also vary. Today a wide range of containers are available to meet the needs of a variety of cargo and ensure that right from perishable goods to particular goods that need to be shipped under specific conditions can be transported successfully.

Following is a list of some of the most commonly used shipping containers:

Dry storage container

Tanks

Flat rack container

Open top container

Open side storage container

Double doors/Tunnel container

Refrigerated ISO containers

Insulated or thermal containers

Swap bodies

Cargo storage roll container

Car carriers

Half-height containers

Intermediate bulk shift containers

Special purpose containers

Drums

If you run an import-export oriented business, you are sure to come across the term Bill of Lading or its abbreviations – BL/BOL or B/L – during your work.

For those who are new to the business and still trying to understand the terms commonly used in the shipping industry, Bill of Lading is a crucial and legally binding document that carries details about a shipment. For instance, it includes information about the type of goods, the quantity, destination of the goods along with more details of the shipper, consignee, carrier being used, etc.

The main objective of a Bill of Lading is to minimise the scope for any risks due to gaps in communication between the stakeholders involved in the end-to-end shipping process.

The terms 'Bill of Lading' consists of two keywords, 'Bill' and 'Lading.' Let's look at what these words mean.

In this case, a 'bill' implies a statement; it could be printed, hand-written or in today's world in digital format. This statement contains the details regarding the cost of the items that are to be delivered or a service that's being offered.

On the other hand, the word 'lading' refers to the act of putting or loading goods on an aircraft/ship/truck or any different modes of transport to be carried from one place to another.

Definition of Bill of Lading:
A Bill of Lading can be defined as, "A document that's issued by a carrier or an agent of the carrier, to the shipper (consignor) as a contract of carriage of goods. It also acts as a receipt for cargo accepted for transportation by the carrier and must be delivered to the designated destination."‍

What is the purpose of a Bill of Lading?
A Bill of Lading serves three primary purposes which are as follows:

1. It is evidence of a contract of carriage.
   It's a misunderstanding that Bill of Lading is a contract of carriage between the carrier and shipper. A contract gets established already between these two parties when the shipper makes a booking with the carrier to transport goods from point X to destination.
   The Bill of Lading is thus evidence of the contract of carriage that the carrier and shipper have already entered into in order to ship the cargo according to the sales contract between the seller (the shipper) and buyer (consignee).
2. Receipt of goods
   Bill of Lading is issued by the carrier or by their agent to the shipper as proof that they have received the goods from the shipper in sound condition. It is an acknowledgement of having received the goods as handed over by the shipper.
3. Document of title to the goods
   Here the word title is of prime importance. This implies that goods can be transferred to the person who holds the Bill of Lading. It qualifies the holder of the B/L to claim the goods or transfer it further to someone else.

It's essential to note that the Bill of Lading document offers legal protection to the sending and receiving parties against losses and false claims. This is because the information being carried in the document is mutually agreed upon by the parties involved and thus, can act as a lawful statement in case any dispute arises.

What information does a Bill Of Lading include?
A Bill of Lading carries detailed information about the shipper (consignor) of goods, importer (consignee), carrier (transporter) being used and the cargo that's being transported.

Following is a list of details you will find in the document:

• Bill of Lading number
• The name and complete, accurate official address of the shipper and the consignee
• Details of the carrier/shipping line
• Details of the freight forwarder
• Name of the vessel used for transport
• The pick-up date
• Details of the cargo. For instance, the number of units, weight, and dimensions, nature of the goods, etc.
• In case the cargo is hazardous in nature, the Bill of Lading needs to be tagged accordingly and have the required certifications/permissions to allows its transport.
• Information about the packaging material used for the shipment such as drums, pallets, crates, etc.
• Any other specific instructions such as precautions to be taken while handling the goods and the like for the carrier

Types of Bills of Lading
Following is a list of different types of Bill of Lading categorised based on the carrier, transportation, payment and consignee type.

Based on the Carrier

House Bill of Lading
A House Bill of Lading is issued by the freight forwarder or NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) operator. In the case of this document, the shipper or consignor is the actual sender of goods, and the importer or consignee implies the actual receiver of goods. Similar to all other Bills of Lading, this document carries all the details mentioned earlier.

Master Bill of Lading
Also known as the Ocean or Carrier Bill of Lading, the shipping line or carrier issues the Master Bill of Lading.
In the Master Bill of Lading, details pertaining to the cargo and carrier must be identical to that mentioned in the House Bill of Lading. However, there's one significant difference in case of Master Bill of Lading, i.e. in this document, the 'consignor' refers to the freight forwarder or NVOCC of the seller whereas the 'consignee' means the freight forwarder or NVOCC of the actual buyer.
But it can get a little more complicated.
The shipper has the scope to decide whether he wants to move the shipments directly using a Master BL; the trade terms determine that the shipper and consignee agree upon.
As a result, details on the Master Bill of Lading are dependent on whether or not the freight forwarder has introduced a House Bill of Lading for the shipment.
If a Master Bill of Lading is directly being used for the shipment, then the consignor is the actual shipper and the consignee, the actual receiver. However, in the case where a House Bill of Lading is not introduced, the consignor in the Master Bill of Lading will change to a freight forwarder/NVOCC or agent as explained above.
Details on the Master BL therefore, depend on whether the freight forwarder has introduced a House BL for the shipment or not. If the shipment is being executed directly using a Master BL, the “consignor” is the actual shipper, and the “consignee” is the actual receiver. But if a House BL has also been introduced, the “consignor” in the Master BL changes to the agent/freight forwarder/NVOCC as mentioned above.‍

Based on Transportation

• For domestic shipments: Inland Bill of Lading
• For overseas/international shipments: Ocean Bill of Lading
• When the goods being transported are moved across two or more modes of transportation: Multimodal Bill of Lading
• When goods are moved by the carrier across several destinations while using one or more than one modes of transportation: Through Bill of Lading

Based on Payment and Consignee

Bearer Bill of Lading
A Bearer Bill of Lading promises to deliver the goods to the person holding the document. The name of the consignee may appear as 'bearer' in this document. It is a negotiable instrument and thus, allows a third party to accept the goods once they arrive.

Claused Bill of Lading
This is a type of Bill of Lading that contains clauses specifying the quality defects or quantity shortcomings in the cargo that's to be shipped. The carrier/shipping line outlines the damages and other discrepancies in the freight in this Bill of Lading. This allows the consignee to refuse to accept the cargo and enable the consignee's bank to reject the release of payment.‍

Straight Bill of Lading
When the customer has made the complete payment for the shipment in advance, he gets the right to receive the consignment directly. It is known as a non-negotiable instrument as it makes it mandatory for the consignee to accept the delivery. The consignee cannot renounce his right to receive the goods to some other person.

Clean Bill of Lading
The carrier issues clean Bill of Lading after it completes the inspection of the goods. The document declares that there was no damage done to the cargo during transport and that the shipment was received in sound condition, in the right quantity and was correctly packaged.

Order Bill of Lading
Order Bill of Lading is a negotiable instrument unlike the Straight Bill of Lading. This implies that the consignee named in the document can renounce their right to receive the goods to a third party.

Other notable types of Bill of Lading document:

Seaway bill

A Seaway bill is also known as the Express Release Bill of Lading or Straight Bill of Lading, and it's important to note that technically it is not a Bill of Lading. It performs the functions of a Bill of Lading to some extent as it acts as a receipt of the goods and a contract of carriage. However, it is NOT a document of title.
A Seaway bill is used only when the shipper and the owner of goods trust each other.‍

Received for Shipment Bill of Lading

The carrier issues the Received for Shipment Bill of Lading in order to confirm that a container was received at the port to load goods. The document does not suggest in any way that the goods have been loaded onboard the ship. Once that is done, the Received for Shipment Bill of Lading gets replaced with Shipped on Board Bill of Lading.

Shipped on Board Bill of Lading

The Shipped on Board Bill of Lading is a document that indicates an acceptance from the carrier. It acts as proof that the carrier has received the goods and loaded them onto the ship. The document is released post the sailing of the vessel.

Switch Bill of Lading

A Switch Bill of Lading is used in case of triangular shipments that is a single transaction that involves three different parties from three other locations.
This document is used when an importer purchases goods from a middleman instead of purchasing it directly from a manufacturer.

As discussed earlier, the Bill of Lading is a legal document and hence can be used in litigation. Just the fact that it’s a legally binding contract illustrates how important it is for parties involved in shipping goods to understand the document. As noted previously, a Bill of Lading serves three primary purposes:

1. Evidence of Contract of Carriage
2. Receipt of Goods and
3. Document of Title

Importance of a Bill of Lading:
The importance of a Bill of Lading can be explained from the point of view of a shipper, consignee and the shipping line company/carrier.
In case of the title exporter, the Bill of Lading is crucial for the following reasons:

1. A bill of lading is proof that the goods have been loaded onboard the ship successfully
2. It allows the exporter to send shipment advice to his consignee which is an alert given by the exporter to the consignee before the arrival of the goods at the designated destination and also carries the details of the shipment.
3. It is the Bill of Lading that allows the exporter to hold the shipping company responsible in case any damage is caused to the cargo due to the negligence of the crew.
4. Incentives such as duty drawback can be claimed with the help of the bill of lading.
5. If the incoterm being used is CIF, then a Bill of Lading enables the shipper to pay the exact amount of freight to the shipping line company.

Here’s why a Bill of Lading is essential to an importer:

1. As a Bill of Lading is a document of title to goods, and it allows the importer to claim possession of goods from his customs.
2. If the incoterm used for a particular shipment is FOB, then the bill of lading enables the importer to pay the right freight amount.

Here’s why Bill fo Lading is vital to title shipping company:

1. The document helps the shipping company to collect the freight from the shipper or the consignee.
2. Interest of the shipping company is protected against false claims in light of situations where either the exporter or importer may damage of goods prior to loading them on to the carrier.

As a shipper, you need to be familiar with a variety of words that are regularly used in the shipping industry. These words are industry-specific, and having a clear understanding of such terms can go a long way in ensuring ease while carrying out business.

The terms gate in and gate out are two such vital terms associated with shipping containers.

Following is the meaning of the term gate in:
The term refers to the action when a shipping container enters a controlled area such as a port or an inland terminal. The process of gating in a container is considered to be completed when the concerned operator of the controlled area becomes in charge of the container legally.
A container needs to gate in at the container yard before the Container Yard (CY) cut-off, while a Less than Container Load (LCL) shipment needs to gate in at the Container Freight Station (CFS) before the Container Freight Station (CFS) cut-off.

Whereas the meaning of the term gate out is as follows:
Gate out is the action opposite of gate in. Gate-out is when a shipping container is moved out of a controlled area such as a port or an inland terminal. Gate out is considered to be completed only after the possession of the container is transferred from the operator of the controlled area to the entity who is in charge of picking up the container.

You can easily track a cargo shipment in real-time using an online container tracing tool. Today, free as well as paid tools are available in the market. These tools offer the following options:

• Track sea shipment by container number
• Shipment tracking with BL number
• Shipping container tracking with booking number
• Sea shipment tracking by vessel name and one of the numbers as mentioned above

Supply chain visibility could mean different things to different parties involved in the supply chain, however, an integral part of visibility that cannot be overlooked is having access to accurate information on the movement of your international shipments. Fundamentally, having supply chain visibility would imply having the ability to effortlessly track and trace every single element that forms your supply chain network. Undoubtedly, this level of sophistication is challenging to achieve. However, modern-day digital solutions have made it possible to gain an unprecedented level of visibility over shipments.

Why is supply chain visibility important?

With end-to-end visibility over the functioning of your supply chain network, every time something goes wrong, you’re well equipped to identify and resolve the issue at the earliest. It allows you to address unforeseen problems quickly and offers flexibility.

Given how complex supply chains can be, the major challenge is being able to access all the relevant information at one place. Above all, the information should be available in such a way that every concerned party involved in the chain can easily access the same set of data.

It is here that the modern-day shipping container tracking solutions step in. These systems make it possible for you to track all your shipments in real-time on a single dashboard. These software automatically notify you every time your freight achieves a milestone in its journey and even alert you regarding possible delays.

Here's how GoComet's container tracking system can help you achieve unprecedented transparency and visibility over the movement of your containers and boost operations:

Saves valuable time:

As a GoComet's container tracking module makes automatic sea shipment tracking possible on a unified dashboard, your team doesn’t have to go through the laborious and time-consuming process of visiting the websites of each carrier and track every shipment individually. Needless to say, the time saved can be put to better use.

Boosts operational efficiency:

As the software will equip you with the ability to monitor the movement of your shipments in real-time, you will be able to make better, data-driven business decisions.

The system will help you drive efficiency with better strategic planning, gain increased control over your network and thus, boost your profitability.

Additional lead-time gains:

With the help of the shipping container tracking system, you can optimise the entire journey of your shipment from start to end. By analysing waiting time for every stage of a shipment, the cost involved, quality of the service provided, etc. you can closely monitor the commitments made by your forwarder as well as the carrier, assess their performance and make wise decisions accordingly.

Eliminates additional costs:

As the system helps you stay updated continuously about the whereabouts of your goods, you are better equipped to make alternative arrangements in light of any disruptions.
Besides, by keeping your customers informed about these changes, you can help them be equally proactively in handling exceptional situations. Such timely updates can also ensure that you don’t incur demurrage or detention charges or any other extra operational costs like fees for lost or compromised shipment.

Improved customer relations:

one of the most useful features of GoComet's container tracking system is that it allows you to share the tracking data for all shipments with your respective customers as well. This eliminates the scope for any miscommunication and keeps your customers informed about the status of the shipments at all times.
Moreover, with such visibility, you can efficiently address any queries that your customers may raise.

Instant actionable insights:

Once you automate the tracking process with GoComet's digital container tracking solution, the system will record several data points for you. Going a step further, the software will also analyse these numbers and offer quick, actionable insights at your convenience.
As the time taken for every shipment, delays and more gets documented precisely, you will be able to quickly identify who is your best service provider and make informed decisions based on this information.

Investing right is the key!

At this point, the value offered by real-time container tracking systems is indisputable. The real challenge today lies in finding a solution that best suits the requirements of your business and helps you drive profitability.

If you would like to learn more about how GoComet’s shipment tracking system can help you gain end-to-end supply chain visibility by automating tracking and leverage predictive analytics to drive cost savings, schedule a demo here.