Import Shipment Tracking — How to Check Sea Freight Status

How do you track an import sea shipment?

An import sea shipment passes through several trackable points on its way from origin to your hands: booking → vessel departure (ETD) → ocean transit → arrival (ETA) → discharge and into the warehouse → customs release → container pickup and inland delivery. Each stage has its own documents and statuses, and the most important identifier is the bill of lading number (B/L No.) together with the booking number — with it, you can look up where the shipment currently sits in the carrier's or forwarder's system.

Many people think "tracking" just means watching where the vessel is at sea, but what really matters to an importer is three moments in time: when the vessel arrives (ETA), when customs releases the cargo, and when it can actually be delivered. The carrier's website shows you the schedule and arrival, but the part covering "customs progress, whether it's inspected, and when it's released" usually has to come straight from your customs broker or forwarder — and that's exactly the stage where cargo most often gets held up and most needs someone watching it.

What this page can do for you: first, understand the milestones of an import shipment and the reference numbers you'll need. Our live online tracking tool is still in development and not yet available — but Jumping Freight clients don't actually need to keep checking on their own. Send us the B/L number on LINE, and from arrival through inspection to release, our team pushes the updates to you, so the moment your cargo moves, you know — no constant chasing.