Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Container Tracking
Track your Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container in real time. Paste your container number below, no login needed, for live status, route and a predicted ETA.
Track your Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) shipment
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
SCAC: MSCU
The world's largest container line by capacity, operating a 1,000+ ship fleet independently from Geneva.
Mediterranean Shipping Company began in 1970 when Gianluigi Aponte, a captain from a seafaring Italian family, bought a single ship called Patricia and ran a break-bulk service between the Mediterranean and East Africa. Aponte and his wife Rafaela built the business quietly over decades, moving the base to Geneva in 1978 and staying privately held under family ownership rather than going public. That long runway of reinvested profits is a big part of how MSC eventually overtook Maersk.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) at a glance
- Headquarters
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Founded
- 1970
- Fleet
- 1,000+ vessels, ~7.3M TEU
- Alliance
- Independent
- Main trade lanes
- Asia-Europe, Transpacific, Transatlantic, North-South (Africa, Latin America, Oceania)
- Official website
- www.msc.com
About Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
Mediterranean Shipping Company began in 1970 when Gianluigi Aponte, a captain from a seafaring Italian family, bought a single ship called Patricia and ran a break-bulk service between the Mediterranean and East Africa. Aponte and his wife Rafaela built the business quietly over decades, moving the base to Geneva in 1978 and staying privately held under family ownership rather than going public. That long runway of reinvested profits is a big part of how MSC eventually overtook Maersk.
In early 2022 MSC passed Maersk to become the largest container carrier in the world, and it has kept extending that lead. By 2025 the operated fleet crossed 1,000 vessels, a first for the industry, with capacity around 7.3 million TEU and roughly a 21 percent share of global container slots. MSC carries close to 30 million TEU a year and calls at more than 500 ports across every major east-west and north-south trade.
The company shares the family name with MSC Cruises but the container line is the core of the group. After the 2M vessel-sharing agreement with Maersk ended in February 2025, MSC built out its own standalone east-west network of dozens of loops rather than joining one of the new alliances, betting that its sheer scale lets it run competitive schedules alone.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container tracking FAQ
Is MSC the largest container shipping company in the world?
Yes. MSC overtook Maersk in early 2022 and has held the top spot since, with a fleet of over 1,000 vessels and capacity of roughly 7.3 million TEU, about 21 percent of global container capacity.
What alliance is MSC part of?
MSC now operates independently. It was a founding member of the 2M Alliance with Maersk, but that agreement ended in February 2025. Rather than join a new alliance, MSC launched its own standalone east-west network.
What does the SCAC code MSCU identify?
MSCU is the Standard Carrier Alpha Code assigned to Mediterranean Shipping Company. It appears as the prefix on MSC container numbers and on bills of lading, identifying MSC as the carrier.
How do I track a Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) shipment?
Enter your Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container number, Bill of Lading (BOL), or booking number into Panvaya's tracker. You'll get the live vessel route, milestone events, and a predictive ETA in real time, with no Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) account or login needed for a quick lookup.
What is Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)'s SCAC code?
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)'s SCAC code is MSCU. It identifies Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) on bills of lading and shipping documents. On Panvaya you don't need to enter it. Just paste your container, BOL, or booking number and we detect the carrier automatically.
Can I track Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) containers by Bill of Lading or booking number?
Yes. Panvaya supports Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) tracking by container number, Bill of Lading (BOL), and booking reference (BK). Any of the three returns the same real-time route, port calls, and ETA.
Is Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container tracking free on Panvaya?
Yes, you can track Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) shipments for free, with no login for a quick lookup. Sign in to unlock the full journey: detailed milestones, predictive ETAs, transhipment legs, and exception alerts.
Why isn't my Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container updating?
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) tracking reflects what the carrier and vessel feeds have reported, so there is often a lag between a real-world move and the update. Panvaya refreshes on a regular cycle; a shipment that looks stuck usually just means the next milestone (such as vessel departure or discharge) hasn't been filed yet.
How accurate is the ETA for Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) shipments?
Panvaya combines Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)'s schedule with live vessel position and historical performance to predict arrival, and refines the ETA as the journey progresses and conditions change. It is a continuously updated estimate, not a guarantee.