Voyage number
A voyage number is the unique identifier assigned by an ocean carrier to a specific journey of a specific vessel. It combines vessel ID with a sequential or coded voyage segment.
The format is typically the vessel's name (or an abbreviation) followed by a voyage code: a number, sometimes with a direction letter (W for westbound, E for eastbound, N for northbound, S for southbound). One voyage may call at many ports between origin and destination.
The voyage number is the central join key across documents: BOL, container manifest, customs filing, vessel tracking, schedule announcements. Every system that needs to refer to 'this specific journey of this specific vessel' uses the voyage number to do so.
Voyage numbers reset periodically — many carriers restart the sequence at the start of each year, which means a 'voyage 042W' from this year and one from two years ago are different events. Capturing the year alongside the voyage number prevents confusion in historical data.
Related terms
- ETA / ETD (estimated time of arrival / departure)ETA and ETD are estimated transit times: ETA is when cargo is expected to arrive at a destination; ETD is when it is expected to leave an origin. Both are estimates, revised continuously as the journey progresses.
- Booking numberA booking number is the unique reference assigned by an ocean carrier or freight forwarder when space is reserved on a vessel for a shipment. It is the earliest persistent identifier for the shipment, predating the BOL.
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