3. Best tools and applications to track container activity

Many tools exist on the market to track and monitor container movement and activity. Depending on company size as well as shipment volume, choosing the best suited solution can be a difficult task.

Using Container Tracking APIs provides many advantages: thanks to the flexibility of APIs, only the most relevant data can be retrieved and integrated. You can gain visibility on specific shipments, create alerts based on container status, late or early arrivals, etc.

Rest APIs are specially designed to be integrated seamlessly into any system, regardless of the infrastructure.

How to choose the best API for container tracking?

Deciding on which API to choose for ocean freight activity monitoring can be a difficult choice based on the various solutions available on the market.

The first step to assess a solution is to study the nature of the information delivered by the API as well as the quality of the delivered data. For instance, making sure that the API can provide tracking for different container types, allows alert configuration, ETA data both real-time and predictive, container status, etc.

Container Tracking APIs such as the one distributed by Sinay also offer a comprehensive pricing plan that allows to trial the service for free completely autonomously before moving on to a paid plan based on volume of shipments.

Considering the quality of the documentation as well as customer support is also key.

Online Container Tracking Platforms

Other tools such as online platforms do not require any technical integration or configuration and will let you get started simply by creating an account.

While online platforms are accessible to all, they are also trusted by industry giants to manage ocean freight expeditions overseas. For example, the Safecube platform has been trusted by leaders to track container shipments from door to door and optimize turnaround time.

The Safecube platform provides features such as the creation of a watch list for any shipment or container and provides data such as status, movement, ETA and much more. The platform can even be connected to IoT devices attached to the container to provide additional data such as container opening, closing, temperature.

By adopting an efficient container tracking tools, using APIs or IoT solutions and leveraging real-time data, ocean freight managers can take proactive measures and streamline their shipping processes. This innovative approach helps to reduce demurrage detention and improve overall maritime supply chain efficiency.