The lorry has gone. The house is empty. Everything you own is on its way to another country, and the last thing anyone told you was “it’s on the water”.
For most people this is the hardest stretch of an international move. Packing day is busy and delivery day is exciting, but the weeks in between are quiet, and quiet is easy to mistake for a problem. This guide explains what is actually happening during those weeks, what can and cannot be tracked, and what you should be told without having to chase anyone for it.
Quick answer: A sea move has six milestones: collected, loaded and sealed, vessel sailed, arrived at port, cleared customs, and delivery booked. You should hear from your removal company at each one, and whenever the estimated arrival date changes. Container tracking can show where a vessel is, but it cannot tell you what a delay means for your delivery. A person has to do that.
Why does the middle of a move feel so silent?
Because, for long stretches, very little changes. A container sailing from the UK to Australia spends weeks at sea. Its status on a tracking screen can read the same for days at a time, then jump when the vessel calls at a port.
Silence becomes a real problem when nobody explained that in advance, or when something does change and you only find out by asking. People who describe a bad move often say the same two things: “no one told me what was happening” and “I didn’t know who to contact”. Neither is about the ship. Both are about communication.
What are the milestones of a sea move, and what can you be told at each?
| Milestone | What you can be told | Typical gap before the next one |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Collected | Your belongings have left your home, with a signed inventory of every item | A few days to two weeks, longer for a shared container |
| 2. Loaded and sealed | The container number and seal number; for a shared container, the date it was loaded | Days |
| 3. Vessel sailed | The vessel name, the sailing date, and an estimated date of arrival | Two to eight weeks, depending on destination |
| 4. Arrived at port | The actual arrival date, and that your documents have been presented to customs | A few days to two weeks |
| 5. Cleared customs | That your belongings are released, or that customs wants an inspection or a document | Days |
| 6. Delivery booked | The delivery date, agreed with you | The day itself |
Our guide to gives realistic ranges for each stage by destination.
Two terms are worth knowing. A Bill of Lading is the shipping line’s receipt and contract for the container; its number is one of the references used for tracking. Groupage is a shared container, where your belongings travel alongside other households’ and you pay for the space you use.
Can I track my container myself?
Often, yes. Once a container is loaded on a vessel, the shipping line’s website will usually show its position against the container number or Bill of Lading number. Our service gives you access to this.
It is useful, and it has limits that are worth understanding before you start refreshing the page.
- It tracks the container, not your delivery. The screen shows where the box is. It does not show customs status at the destination, whether an inspection has been called, or when a delivery crew is available.
- Shared containers start later than you expect. With groupage, your belongings wait at a depot until the container is full. There is nothing to track until it is loaded, which can be days or weeks after collection.
- Transhipment creates gaps. Many routes involve a change of vessel at a hub port. This is called transhipment. The container can sit at the hub for several days and the screen may show nothing new.
- Estimated dates move. An estimated arrival is the shipping line’s forecast. Vessels are rescheduled, ports get congested, and occasionally a container is “rolled”, which means it is moved to a later sailing because the vessel was full. None of this is unusual. All of it should be explained to you when it happens.
So tracking answers “where is the container?” The question you actually care about is “when will my belongings be in my new home, and has anything changed?” That one needs a person who knows your move.
Want To Know Who Will Keep You Updated?
Talk to a move manager about your route. They will tell you the milestones for your destination, how long each usually takes, and how you will hear from them at each one.
What does a good update look like?
A good update is specific, comes before you have to ask, and tells you what happens next. For example: “Your container sailed yesterday on the vessel we expected. Estimated arrival is the 14th. I’ll be in touch when it reaches port, or sooner if that date changes.”
A good update can also be: “No change this week. The vessel is on schedule.” That may feel like nothing to report, but it is the message that stops a quiet fortnight from becoming a worrying one.
And when the news is not what you hoped: “The container has been moved to the next sailing, which adds about a week. Here is the new estimated arrival and what it means for delivery.” You should never learn about a delay from a tracking screen.
What should I ask a removal company before I book?
These five questions tell you most of what you need to know about how you will be treated during the quiet weeks.
- Who is my contact once my belongings have left? A named person, or a general inbox?
- Will that person already know my move? Or will I be explaining it again each time I call?
- At which points will you contact me without being asked?
- How will I hear if the estimated arrival changes?
- Who handles things in my new country, and how do they and my UK contact work together?
If the answers are vague before you have paid anything, they will not get clearer afterwards. Our guide to covers the other checks worth making.
How does Gerson Moving Services keep you informed?
Your move starts with a survey by a removal specialist. From the quote onwards, a dedicated move manager is your primary contact throughout. They receive the full survey file, so they know what is being moved, where it is going and what matters most to you, and they stay with your move until delivery.
Other people are involved at particular stages: the packing crew on collection day, and an in-country partner who handles customs clearance and delivery at your destination. Your move manager is the consistent thread between them. They hold the file, they get the updates from the shipping line and the destination partner, and they are the person who rings you at each milestone and the person you ring when you have a question. sets this out in full.
We will also be honest about what we cannot know. Nobody can guarantee a vessel’s arrival date on the day you book. What we can do is give you a realistic range, tell you the moment it changes, and plan delivery around when you can actually be there. If your belongings arrive before you do, covers the options.
Gerson Moving Services is a member of the British Association of Removers, is IAM accredited and holds FIDI FAIM, the international quality standard for removal companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often will I get an update during an international move?
You should hear at each milestone: collection, loading, sailing, port arrival, customs clearance and delivery booking, plus any time the estimated arrival changes. On long sea routes, ask for a brief check-in during the quiet weeks as well, even if the message is simply that everything is on schedule.
Can I track a shared container?
Yes, once it has been loaded and has sailed. Before that, your belongings are held at a depot while the container is filled, and there is no vessel to track. Your move manager can tell you the planned loading date and confirm when it has happened.
Why has my estimated arrival date changed?
Estimated arrival dates are forecasts from the shipping line. They change when a vessel is rescheduled, when a port is congested, when a container changes ship at a hub port, or when it is moved to a later sailing. Changes of a few days are common. You should be told about any change and what it means for your delivery.
My tracking hasn't updated for a week. Is something wrong?
Usually not. Tracking updates when the container reaches a recorded point, such as a port call. At sea, or while waiting at a hub port, the status can stay the same for days. If you are concerned, ask your move manager, who can check directly with the shipping line.
Does tracking show when my belongings have cleared customs?
No. Carrier tracking shows the container’s journey to the port. Customs clearance is handled by the destination partner, and that update comes from your move manager. If customs asks for an inspection or a document, you should hear the same day. Our guide to picks up from there.
Related Topics
Talk to the person who would manage your move
If you are comparing removal companies, ask each of them the five questions above. Then ask us. A move manager will tell you the milestones for your route, how long each usually takes, and exactly how you will hear from them along the way.
