How to Track Your Vehicle Shipment from the UK

The bill of lading (B/L) number is your primary tracking reference throughout the shipment. Issued once your vehicle is loaded and the vessel departs, this number can be entered directly into the shipping line's own tracking portal — whether that's Maersk, MSC, Grimaldi, or another carrier — to see the vessel's current position, scheduled port calls, and estimated arrival date.

Most major shipping lines provide free container or vehicle tracking tools on their websites, updated as the vessel reports its position at sea and as cargo is loaded or discharged at each port. For RORO shipments specifically, tracking may show the vessel's voyage number rather than individual container movements, since vehicles are grouped by deck rather than tracked as separate units.

Independent vessel tracking websites and apps, using AIS (Automatic Identification System) data, let you see a ship's live position, speed and heading on a map. These are useful for a rough estimate of arrival, though the shipping line's own estimated time of arrival (ETA) remains the more reliable figure for planning your customs clearance and port collection.

Around 7–10 days before the estimated arrival date, confirm with your destination clearing agent that all documentation is ready so customs clearance can begin as soon as (or in some ports, before) the vessel berths. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of demurrage charges accumulating while paperwork catches up after arrival.

Vessel schedules can shift due to weather, port congestion, or rerouting, and these changes are usually reflected in the tracking portal within a day or two. If your vessel is significantly delayed, contact your shipping agent directly rather than relying solely on the online tracker, as they can often provide more specific reasons and revised timelines based on direct contact with the carrier.

Once the vessel has berthed and your vehicle is discharged, the tracking status typically updates to reflect this, but it can take a further 24–72 hours before the vehicle is available for collection while terminal processes and customs clearance are completed. Our guide on collecting your car from port covers exactly what happens next.