10 Best Container Tracking Software in 2024 (+5 Benefits)

Here are the top shipping container tracking solutions for logistics businesses in 2024: 

1. Shipthis

‍

Shipthis offers powerful freight forwarding software with a user-friendly interface and a host of container tracking and inventory management features.

Its top features for container tracking include:

Key Features

• Track shipments and containers via the Bill of Lading or Container Number. You can access GPS tracking, identify key events, and view shipment progress with timestamps.
• Provide shippers and consignees with live public cargo tracking links to eliminate the need for repetitive emails.
• Share access with customers to let them view all active shipments and receive real-time status updates with the container location. 
• Customize your shipment workflow based on shipment events and container life cycle. You can trigger automatic events and exceptions as the shipment moves through different stages in the supply chain. 

Pricing: Shipthis’ software costs $89/user per month. The best part? The plan includes Shipment and Freight Management, Customer Relationship Management, Tariff and Rate, Quotation, Freight Accounting, and Warehouse Management System modules. 

2. GoTrackby GoComet

GoTrack is a cloud-based container tracking solution by GoComet that offers real-time visibility of freight movement.

Its top features are:

Key Features

• Monitor all your shipments and containers on a single dashboard. 
• Track containers in real time and compare estimated vs. actual milestone events to assess carrier performance.
• Replace time-consuming manual tracking processes with live updates on container movement.
• Get alerts about shipments through geofencing (GPS tracker technology) to avoid demurrage, detention, or late charges.

Pricing: Available on request

3. Project44

‍

Project44 is a container tracking system that offers comprehensive ocean visibility to help you stay on course with your logistics operation.

Here’s what it offers for shipping container tracking:

Key Features

• Get container tracking functionality for over 700 ports, 5K vessels, and nearly all shipping lines.
• Track container movement using the Master Bill of Lading or Container Number.
• Identify potential delays or issues in advance to address them and ensure the safe transport of sea cargo.
• Reduce costs from missed transshipments, detention, and demurrage while improving on-time delivery for customers.
  

Pricing: Available on request

4. Vizion

‍

Vizion is a shipment tracking software offering real-time tracking updates for complete visibility.

Its top features include:

Key Features

• Use real-time tracking to monitor ocean and rail container movement with a single request.
• Leverage tracking data collection from multiple sources for complete visibility and on-time updates about every new event in the container journey.
• Gain advanced insight into the arrival times of your container vessels to optimize planning. 
• Integrate with existing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), TMS (Transportation Management System), or other platforms for seamless data flow.

Pricing: Available on request

5. Magaya

‍

Magaya’s container tracking solution works within its freight forwarding software. The solution brings sea cargo or ocean container tracking to your fingertips. 

Key Features

• Gain direct visibility of container shipments wherever they are in the world.
• Add multiple containers as a single shipment.
• Get shipment information updates on-demand with the click of a button. 
• Share container status updates with clients via a tracking app for mobile devices.
  

Pricing: Available on request

6. GoFreight

‍

GoFreight is a freight forwarding software with various functionalities like container tracking and inventory management.

Here are its top features for shipment tracking:

Key Features

• Track container shipments using bill of lading, Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), or container number.
• Access real-time status updates about container movement from ocean carriers, rail Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), and the container terminal.
• Get advanced notifications about logistics irregularities to address potential shipment delays.
• Provide cargo owners with a centralized dashboard to track multiple containers or all shipments.
  

Pricing: Available on request

7. Sinay

‍

Sinay offers multiple ways to monitor containers based on different container tracking technology. These include an API, a freemium tool, and a collaborative platform.  

Here are its main features:

Key Features

• Track containers via an API request or the container number.
• Access end-to-end flow tracking, visual mapping, and precise geolocation of sea cargo across multimodal trade routes. 
• Get status and ETA change alerts for every logistics operation to inform customers in case of delays.
• Gain insights into logistics performance and shipment trends with dynamic reports.

Pricing: Sinay’s tracking API offers a free starter plan. Paid plans start from €1.33 per shipment (billed monthly).

8. Terminal49

‍

Terminal49 is a container tracking software that offers detailed container data, visibility, and insights for better shipment journeys.

Its top features for container tracking include: 

Key Features

• Track shipments by Bill of Lading, booking, or container number.
• Monitor and manage containers that need attention from one screen.
• Send alerts to stakeholders to ensure containers move efficiently. 
• Gain insights to enhance future logistics operation performance. 

Pricing: Terminal49’s shipping container tracking software starts from $50/month for 20 containers.

9. MarineTraffic

‍

MarineTraffic is a container visibility solution that uses an Automatic Identification System (AIS) and machine learning to provide instant insights into shipment journeys. 

Here’s how it helps with container tracking: 

Key Features

• Access data from over 160 import and export cargo carriers for accurate, predictive ETAs.
• Get advance shipment delay notifications to re-route shipments or adjust schedules.
• Receive real-time arrival and departure updates, including anchorage, destination port, and berth information. 
• Share shipment or container tracking information with customers and stakeholders.
  

Pricing: MarineTraffic has a free starter plan. Its paid plans start from $720/year for up to 100 shipments. 

10. Netsuite Container Tracking by Oracle

‍

NetSuite’s container tracking software solution is a part of its warehouse management system that aids inventory management.

Its top features for container shipment tracking include:

Key Features

• Track container status across its journey from supplier to destination.
• Consolidate container data to make it accessible and save time on administrative processes.
• Review and receive a container’s entire contents upon its arrival at a destination port in a single step.
• Apply landed costs, like brokerage fees, to inbound shipments and spread it across all items or specific allocated items.  

Pricing: Available on request

Now that you know the top container tracking solutions, let’s see how they can impact your business.

Shipment container tracking software offers these advantages for freight management: 

1. Extensive coverage: Gain reliable container status information based on GPS tracking that offers details about movement anywhere in the world.
    
2. Real-time container tracking: Asset tracking service providers offer live updates that you can share with relevant parties via email, SMS, or other communication channels. This helps a freight forwarder or logistic professional address changes in crucial shipment milestones.
   
   
3. Issue resolution: Stay ahead of deviations in pre-defined conditions, like temperature settings or shipment routes, with triggered system notifications. These alerts help you tackle issues before they heavily impact your operations and lead to demurrage, detention fees, or other penalties due to delays.
   
   
4. Data analytics: Compare actual vs planned shipment movement milestones to evaluate carrier performance. You can also use data-driven predictive analyses to enable cost-effective decision-making.
   
   
5. Data security: Strict data security measures, such as encryption, access controls, and authentication, protect sensitive information from unauthorized access. 

But how do you know if a solution is the right fit for your business?

Read on to explore what to look for in an asset tracking tool. 

Consider these factors when selecting the right container tracking software solution for your business:

1. Real-time updates: Look for a GPS container tracking system that offers instant updates on container movement and complete visibility. This lets you track containers anywhere in the world.
2. Customization: Ideally, choose customizable software that’s highly scalable and can track containers across different modes of transport. Switching systems as your organization grows can cost time and money.
   
   
3. User-friendly interface: User-friendliness is important to ensure the software helps your employees do their jobs better. It should also integrate well with your existing tech stack.
   
   
4. Customer support: Software packages that offer proactive or dedicated customer support will help you resolve issues as soon as possible. This helps avoid inconveniencing clients and stakeholders due to software troubles.

Have more questions about tracking software?

Let’s answer them.

Here are answers to some burning questions you may have about container tracking tools:

1. How Does Tracking Software Enhance Customer Satisfaction?

Container trackers offer up-to-date information on container location. They also provide advanced alerts about delays and predictive delivery estimates to help a freight forwarder avoid disruptions.

The best part?

This ensures customers aren’t left in the dark about their shipments, especially when sea cargo faces hurdles with port authorities. Since companies can often share updates with customers, it enhances trust and improves customer satisfaction.  

2. What Are the Drawbacks of Manual Container Tracking?

Shipment tracking software solutions automate several processes to simplify container tracking. 

However, manually tracking these containers involves several complications, like:

1. You must visit each shipping line or carrier’s website to check the container status. This leads to time-consuming efforts when tracking multiple containers. The outcome? You’re likely to have frustrated customers who may seek out other freight forwarders. 
   
   
2. Most carrier websites don’t offer real-time shipment tracking. So, despite your best efforts, you won’t be able to provide customers with the latest updates about container location. This could lead to poor customer experiences.
   
   
3. Manual tracking means you won’t have access to predictive analysis and data insights that help you address supply chain disruptions. This can result in shipping delays that incur additional costs like demurrage and detention charges. 

Besides offering updates about shipment location, shipping container tracking software helps streamline logistics operations and address supply chain disruptions. 

However, your average container tracking system won't offer all the benefits we mentioned above. Instead, you need powerful tracking software that’s compatible with your current logistics system and offers versatile freight management features. 

So, why not try Shipthis?

Shipthis’ robust freight forwarding software offers everything you need — from tracking the shipping container to ensuring the cargo is delivered safely from the destination port. Plus, the software includes other critical solutions like freight accounting, warehouse management, and customer relationship management.

‍Book a demo today to see how Shipthis can streamline freight operations and shipping container tracking!