Efficient vessel tracking is essential to maintaining smooth shipping operations. Shipping companies rely on a variety of key data points to monitor and manage vessels, and among the most important are the vessel name and voyage number. These identifiers not only help streamline logistics and improve operational visibility but also play a critical role in regulatory compliance and communication across the supply chain.

Read on to explore how they work together to ensure accurate shipment tracking, operational efficiency, and regulatory adherence while highlighting their role in providing container visibility and optimizing global trade management.

Understanding Key Vessel Data Points

In maritime logistics, precise vessel identification is crucial for efficient operations and safety. At Vizion, we provide essential data points to improve supply chain visibility:

• Vessel Name: The registered name of the ship, used for identification in maritime databases and documentation.
• Voyage Number: A unique identifier assigned to a specific journey of a vessel, aiding in tracking and scheduling.
• Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI): A nine-digit number assigned to a vessel's communication equipment, facilitating real-time tracking and communication.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO) Number: A permanent seven-digit identifier assigned to seagoing vessels, ensuring consistent tracking across databases.
• Vessel Heading and Speed: Heading indicates the direction of the vessel's movement, while speed, measured in knots, provides insights into its movement and estimated arrival times.
• Latitude and Longitude: GPS-based coordinates that determine the vessel's exact location, enabling real-time tracking.

To give you a better idea of how this data looks in practice, here’s an example snapshot of what is shown in our container tracking UI:

Comprehending these identifiers is vital for tracking, safety, communication, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.

Structure of a Voyage Number

Unlike vessel names and IMO numbers, voyage numbers are not universally standardized but follow common industry formats. Each voyage number is a unique identifier assigned to a specific trip, allowing shipping lines and logistics providers to track individual journeys efficiently.

While the exact format may differ between shipping companies, voyage numbers typically include the following components:

1. Prefix

The voyage number often begins with a prefix, which may represent:

• The shipping line, such as MAE for Maersk
• The vessel name, or an internal code assigned by the carrier

2. Voyage Code

The second part of the voyage number consists of alphanumeric characters that define the specific trip. This may include:

• A sequential number indicating the number of voyages undertaken by the vessel within a specific period (e.g., 579 for the 579th voyage in 2024).
• A directional code signifying the voyage’s route, such as E for eastbound or W for westbound.
• Additional modifiers that may indicate the port of departure or special voyage designations.

Example of a Voyage Number Format

A voyage number such as MAE579E can be broken down as follows:

• MAE → Maersk shipping company
• 579 → 579th voyage in 2024
• E → Eastbound direction

By understanding voyage number structures, businesses can accurately track shipments, coordinate logistics, and ensure precise documentation in global trade. This level of detail prevents errors, reduces delays, and streamlines maritime operations.

Importance in Shipping Operations

Voyage numbers are essential in maritime logistics, ensuring accurate container tracking, regulatory compliance, and efficient port operations. They distinguish individual voyages, reducing errors in documentation and communication.

• Shipment Tracking: Voyage numbers help logistics providers and cargo owners monitor shipments precisely, avoiding misidentification.
• Regulatory Compliance: Customs authorities and port officials use voyage numbers to verify shipping details, ensuring smooth clearance and compliance with trade regulations.
• Port and Logistics Efficiency: Terminals and freight operators rely on voyage data for scheduling, unloading, and resource allocation, minimizing congestion and delays.
• Supply Chain Coordination: Carriers, forwarders, and consignees use voyage numbers to ensure clear communication and seamless cargo movement.

Conclusion

Understanding and utilizing vessel names and voyage numbers is critical for ensuring efficient, accurate, and smooth operations in global shipping. These identifiers help streamline logistics, facilitate communication, and ensure compliance with international trade regulations.

For businesses looking to enhance their logistics operations, Vizion provides powerful tools to improve visibility and decision-making across the supply chain.

• Real-Time Container Tracking: Gain access to the most complete, standardized, and detailed container tracking events via API or user interface with real-time container tracking data.
• TradeView: Monitor the live flow of any company's shipments 30 to 90 days before arrival to destination and analyze trends across 10 years of historical supplier, product, and logistics movement data. With 900 million shipment records, 140+ attributes per shipment, coverage spanning 190 countries, and comprehensive HS code data, TradeView empowers data-driven decisions that optimize global trade management.
• Logistics Performance Hub: Access a comprehensive suite of global logistics datasets, including Port Performance, Port Activity, and Port Pairs, to analyze shipping trends, port throughput, container dwell times, and real-time port activity, enabling smarter decision making about containerized freight movements.