Tracking · Maersk
Maersk tracking: how to track a container by its number
· 4 min read · Flettia team
If your container number starts with MAEU, MRKU, MSKU, MRSU, MNBU, PONU, SUDU, it belongs to Maersk. That number is all you need to know where it is going, when it arrives and which moves it has made, without opening the carrier's portal. This guide sums up what is specific to Maersk: its prefixes, how it publishes its data and what to look for on the timeline.
Who Maersk is and which prefixes it uses
Maersk is one of the most used carriers on Latin American trade lanes, and its boxes carry several prefixes because the group absorbed fleets from other brands. Sealand and Hamburg Süd are Maersk brands: a SUDU (Hamburg Süd) container is looked up in Maersk's system and shows Maersk as the operator.
Maersk container prefixes: MAEU, MRKU, MSKU, MRSU, MNBU, PONU, SUDU. The four letters are the owner code registered with the BIC; that is why the tracker infers the carrier without you choosing it.
Maersk container tracking in three steps
- Go to tracker.flettia.com and type the full number: four letters and seven digits. If the check digit doesn't add up, it warns you before searching.
- The tracker recognises the Maersk prefix and queries its data.
- You see the route on the map, the current status, the estimated or actual arrival date at the final port and the timeline with normalised milestones: loaded on board, departure, arrival, discharge and gate out.
How Maersk publishes its data
- Maersk publishes every event with date and time, its own event identifier and the equipment's ISO code (size and type), so the timeline is complete: loaded on board, departure, arrival, discharge and gate out, with vessel and voyage on every ocean leg.
- When the estimated date of an arrival changes, Maersk keeps both the original and the new date. The tracker shows the latest one published; if the ETA at the final port moved, it was the carrier that moved it.
- Voyages with transshipment (for example via Algeciras or Cartagena) show as two departures and two arrivals, each with its own vessel.
What to watch
Two dates matter more than the rest: discharge at the destination port, where free days usually start counting, and gate out, which confirms the container is on a truck. Seeing them the day they happen lets you schedule pickup before demurrage runs. Exact free time depends on your contract with the carrier and on the port.
Estimated dates are published by the carrier and can change with the vessel schedule. The tracker shows the latest one published; it does not promise it will hold.
Frequently asked questions
My container is Hamburg Süd or Sealand. Do I track it as Maersk?
Yes. Type the number as is (for example SUDU…) and the tracker looks it up in Maersk's system, where the data lives.
Why does one Maersk container start with MRKU and another with MSKU?
They are different prefixes of the same owner. Maersk operates several BIC codes because of its fleet history; all of them are recognised.
Can I track with the BL or booking number?
Not today. The tracker searches by container number; the BL lists the container numbers in the “Container No.” field.
Track your Maersk container now
Your first search is free, no sign-up. Type the number and we tell you where it is going: route on a map, status, arrival date and every move.