How do I know whether a container is ready for me to pick up at a shortsea terminal?

When you search by container number, the status will be displayed for any notification(s) of import documents for this container that have been submitted in the past two weeks. If more than one notification has been submitted in the past two weeks, these will all be displayed.  The date and time of each notification will be shown as well. You can take your own decision as to whether the most recent displayed notification fits with your assigned pick-up. 

If you see the message “Import document accepted by terminal”, the import documents are on file with the terminal. This is one of the requirements for being able to pick up a container. You can safely assume that, if the vessel arrived and was unloaded on schedule, it is now possible to pick up your container. If you see the message “Import document sent to terminal”, the import documents have not yet been accepted by the terminal. This means the container has not yet been released for pick-up by the terminal.

Please note: Notifying the import documents is one of the requirements for being able to pick up a container. Before a shipment can be picked up:

  • The container must first be unloaded (discharged);
  • Must be released by the shipping company; 
  • And must not be subject to a Customs blockade.

At the moment, the information above is not yet displayed in the service Import Status.  In the near future, however, Import Status will be expanded to include the discharge status and the inspection status. When that happens, this service will offer greater insight regarding the status.

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