Container Prefixes

A container prefix is the first four letters of a shipping container number. It is used to identify the container owner or the company associated with the container. For example, in the container number MSCU1234567, “MSCU” is the container prefix.

You can find a container prefix by looking at the first four letters of a container number. You can browse or search the full list of prefixes on this page and click through to see tracking details for that specific code.

Yes. Container prefixes follow the ISO 6346 standard, which is managed by the International Container Bureau (BIC). Every owner code is registered with BIC before it can be used, so prefixes are unique worldwide and can't be duplicated between carriers.

Yes, this is common. Large carriers often operate several prefixes at once, sometimes due to leased container fleets, mergers, or regional subsidiaries. Maersk, for instance, uses multiple codes including MAEU, MRKU, MSKU, and MCAU, all of which map back to the same carrier.

The prefix is just the four-letter portion at the start. The container number is the complete 11-character code (prefix + serial number + check digit) required to track or identify a specific container.

In many cases, yes. The first four letters of a container number can help identify the company associated with the container. However, a container prefix does not always indicate the shipping line currently transporting the container, as containers can be leased, transferred, or operated by different companies.

Some commonly used container prefixes include MSCU for MSC, MAEU and MRKU for Maersk, HLBU and HLXU for Hapag-Lloyd, CMAU for CMA CGM, ONEU and NYKU for ONE, YMLU for Yang Ming, and ZIMU for ZIM Line. The ShipsGo Container Prefixes directory contains a broader list of container prefixes.