How To Monitor And Track International Shipments?

You want to have peace of mind when it comes to your investments and purchases. For that reason, it’s good to know at what stage of transit your international shipments are on their journey from seller to buyer.

This article will outline the methods and processes involved in package tracking, as well as how to monitor and track international shipments.

What Is Shipment Tracking?

Shipment tracking is the ability to oversee the progress of your shipment from its dispatch point to its final delivery. In recent years, this has become a common and expected service among courier companies in the form of real time tracking.

How Does The Process Work?

1: The seller will accept an order and purchase international package delivery with a logistics company.

2: The order is then packaged and handed off to a partner of the courier service and assigned a unique shipping tracking number which can be tracked on the courier’s freight tracking systems.

3: On the courier’s website, the buyer and seller can use the ‘track my shipment’option, which will update with every stage of delivery on the courier’s freight tracking systems until it reaches its destination.

What Are The Stages To Track International Shipments?

Every package, whether it’s cargo container sized or a small letter, can be tracked if that option is available with the courier. From dispatch to delivery, package tracking will keep you updated on where your goods are on their journey. In turn, this will be updated in real time through your courier’s tracking systems online.

1: Item Dispatched – Your goods have left their point of origin and are now on their way to ports and customs.

2: Port Dispatch – Having been processed by customs and allowed to go on their journey, your items are now on a cargo ship and on route.

3: Port Arrival – Having made the journey across the sea, your items will be processed through the customs of this country and will be moved on to another form of transport, such as land or rail freight.

4: Sorting Base – Usually, most incoming packages need to be sorted somewhere before they can be delivered by the courier company.

5: Item Delivered – Your item has arrived at its destination.

How Is It Done?

There are many ways you can avail yourself of package tracking. The available services vary from courier to courier, from basic freight tracking options to more expensive real-time updates.

1: Mobile Apps – Most couriers have an app where you can input your unique tracking number to get updates on the status of your order through its shipment tracking feature.

2: Email & SMS – Text and email updates for package tracking are available if you pick that option when you purchase your package. Sometimes the courier will automatically do this to let you know when your package will arrive so you can be home to sign for it.

3: Bill of Lading Number – For larger shipments such as container sized packages, you’ll be provided with a Bill of Lading number. It acts as a contract of carriage between the courier and shipper and specifies the type, quantity, and destination of the goods.

4: Vessel Tracking – Another way to view where your goods are in transit is to locate the vessel carrying them. Using your Bill of Lading, you can search for the name of the vessel on websites such as Marine Traffic to see where your goods are on their journey.

How Is Tracking Done?

There are many freight tracking systems in use today that help courier and carrier companies to keep track of the thousands of packages they transit every day.

To maintain quality freight services, several tracking techniques are being implemented today.

1: GPS (Global Positioning System) – is commonly used in freight tracking systems, including air freight tracking to monitor the location of your cargo in real time by connecting with satellites. With GPS, you can track your parcels from your phone, tablet, or computer. All of which is particularly useful for businesses who rely on timely delivery of goods.

2: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) – This technology identifies objects through the medium of radio waves in the form of an electronic tag. When the tag is read by an RFID reading device, it transmits data back to the reader.

This method can help identify inventory much quicker than scanning a barcode or manually inputting container or package information into a computer and is done almost automatically. This saves time when loading/unloading and going through customs, helping to streamline the process when you’re tracking shipments.

4: AIS (Automatic Identification System) – The AIS is primarily used to track vessels so the shipping industry as a whole can operate safely and efficiently.

Any ships over a certain size must carry one such system so that their position, course, and speed are viewable to other local ships as well as any nearby port authorities. This further streamlines all processes involved with shipping and helps to manage the influx of ships into any one area.

Proposed Techniques For Future

Work is being done to bring in proposed architecture to streamline the process of dealing with wheeled cargo, especially in RoRo (Roll on- Roll Off) terminals.

A recent report has shown that there has historically been a scarcity in studies related to tracking systems in RoRo and a new design has recently been proposed to combat the issue.

This tracking architecture will focus on identifying the precise time a vehicle entered a terminal by using QR codes and magnetic identification.

An increase in tracking shipment accuracy will give greater power to port authorities to monitor and manage vehicles. Additionally, it will reduce traffic flow and check-in times, further streamlining the whole process of getting goods from A to B.

Monitor And Track International Shipment With Confidence

Monitoring and tracking your international shipments have become straightforward processes in the past few years with technological advances. Using cargo track and trace available from a courier through the tracking shipment mediums they provide have never been easier and nowadays you have the option to see where your goods are in real time.

In the future, the freight tracking systems and monitoring processes will only become more streamlined, meaning shipments will be easier to manage and faster to deliver.