Master Bill of Lading
A master B/L is issued by the ocean carrier or its agent and is usually the reference most directly connected to the carrier's shipment data.
Bill of Lading guide
Master vs house Bill of Lading tracking.
The document used for customer or consolidation work is not always the reference recognized by the ocean carrier's tracking system.
Reviewed July 12, 2026
Bill of Lading tracking
Start the Bill of Lading tracking request here.
Enter the Bill of Lading number, choose the shipping line, and create a workspace to review its container journeys.
B/L tracking availableShipping line requiredChild container selectorCarrier milestones only
House Bill of Lading
A house B/L is commonly issued by a forwarder or NVOCC. It may map to a master B/L, but a carrier source may not recognize the house reference on its own.
Which reference to enter
Use the carrier-recognized B/L and select the corresponding shipping line. If the reference is rejected, verify whether it is a house B/L and obtain the master or carrier reference.
Preserve customer context separately
Keep the customer or house reference in CargoScope's customer-reference field while using the recognized carrier B/L for tracking.
Truthful ETA and milestone policy
CargoScope shows confirmed milestones from the available carrier and terminal sources. If the carrier has not provided an ETA, the shipment stays in a waiting state; CargoScope does not turn historical averages or an AI guess into a customer-facing arrival date.
How CargoScope organizes the B/L
The Bill of Lading remains the parent shipment while discovered containers appear in a compact selector. Operators can search by the parent reference or a child container and still land on the appropriate shipment journey.
FAQ
What teams ask first.
Is Bill of Lading tracking available in CargoScope?
Yes. B/L tracking is available on eligible plans and requires the shipping line.
Will every B/L return the same data depth?
No. Coverage and milestone depth vary by carrier, lane, terminal, and source. CargoScope shows what the source provides and keeps missing data explicit.
Can I review separate containers under one B/L?
Yes. When containers are discovered, CargoScope keeps them under the B/L and provides a selector for each container journey.
Keep exploring
Related CargoScope pages
Track a Bill of Lading with CargoScope.
Enter the B/L number, choose the shipping line, and keep its child container journeys together.