Three container records, and why
The catalog holds three things all called "container", and confusing them is the commonest catalog mistake.
| Record | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Container type | A specification — a class of box | 40HC |
| Physical container | A specific box, by number | MSCU1234567 |
| Container | That box on a particular movement | MSCU1234567, sealed, loaded, at this warehouse |
The type is reused across every box of that class; the physical container is reused every time that box comes back; the container record is one-per-movement and carries what was true on that job.
Container types
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Code | 20GP, 40HC, 40RF. Required. |
| Size | Nominal size. |
| Description | What it is. |
| Inside length / width / height | Internal dimensions, with a length unit. |
| Door width / height | Door aperture. |
| Capacity | Cubic capacity, with a capacity unit. |
Internal dimensions and door aperture are not trivia — they are what determine whether a piece of cargo actually fits. Fill them in for every type you use, and take them from the carrier's specification rather than from memory.
Physical containers
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Container number | The ISO number. |
| Container type | Which class it is. |
| Weight and weight unit | Tare weight. |
| Volume and volume unit | Capacity. |
| Own | Whether it is your equipment or leased/carrier-supplied. |
The own flag is worth maintaining accurately: your own equipment is an asset to be tracked and returned, while a carrier's box carries demurrage and detention risk on a clock.
Containers on a movement
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Seal number | The seal applied. |
| Physical container | Which box. |
| Master bill of lading | The B/L it moves under. |
| Gross weight / Net weight | In kilograms. |
| Warehouse and Storage date | Where it sits and from when. |
| Commodity | What is inside. |
Gross and net weight are both asked for because both are used: gross for the carrier and the road leg, net for customs and for the customer.
Master bills of lading
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Number | The MBL number. |
| Voyage | The sailing it travels on. |
| Agent | The agent involved. |
| Consignee | Consignee at master level. |
| Cargo description | What is on the bill. |
Master-level parties are the carrier's counterparties, not your customer. House-level parties live on the shipment — see Master shipments, containers and voyages.
Vessels
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | The ship's name. Required. |
| IMO | IMO number. Required. |
| SCAC | Standard carrier alpha code. Required. |
| Capacity | TEU capacity. |
| Year built | Build year. |
All three identifiers are required because ships are renamed and re-flagged, and the IMO number never changes. Where a vessel's name has changed, correct the name on the existing record — do not create a second vessel with the same IMO.
Voyages
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Voyage number | The sailing reference. |
| Vessel | Which ship. Required. |
| Shipping line | The carrier. |
| ETD | Estimated time of departure. |
| ETA | Estimated time of arrival. |
| ATD | Actual time of departure. |
| ATA | Actual time of arrival. |
| Status | Its state. |
The voyage list can be filtered by whether an ATA has been recorded — pending sailings versus completed ones. That makes the actual arrival time more than a data field: recording ATA is what closes a voyage out of the live list. A voyage that arrived weeks ago but has no ATA sits in the pending list forever and makes the list useless.
Keep estimates and actuals both. The estimate is what you told the customer; the actual is what happened; the gap between them is the only honest measure of carrier performance you will ever have.
Last updated 13 September 2026