Container Prefix Guide
VECU

Container prefix operated by COSCO Shipping Lines

Shanghai, China · Founded 1961 · 500+ vessels · 3.2M TEU

3 free shipments · No card required

What This Prefix Tells You

Every VECU container moves under COSCO's global network

The first four characters of any container number identify its owner. VECU containers belong to COSCO Shipping Lines (COSCO) — China's largest container shipping company and one of the world's top four carriers. These containers operate primarily on Asia–Europe, Transpacific, Intra-Asia, Middle East. When you're tracking a VECU container, you're tracking cargo that moves through COSCO's fleet of 500+ vessels.

Owner

COSCO Shipping Lines

Headquarters

Shanghai, China

Fleet Size

500+ vessels

Capacity

3.2M TEU

Founded

1961

Main Routes

Asia–Europe, Transpacific, Intra-Asia, Middle East

Alliance

Ocean Alliance

Website

lines.coscoshipping.com

The Tracking Problem

COSCO's portal tells you what happened. Not what's happening.

COSCO updates their tracking system when milestones are logged — often hours or days after they occur. If your VECU container is slow-steaming, anchored outside port, or stuck in a customs queue, the portal won't tell you until it's logged.

COSCO Portal

"In Transit" for days
ETA that hasn't changed
Status logged 3+ days ago
No explanation for delays

CargoPilot

Live vessel position via satellite
Real speed and heading now
Port congestion at destination
AI-revised ETA with delay reasoning

Example VECU Container Numbers

VECU container numbers follow the ISO 6346 standard: four owner-code letters followed by six digits and a check digit.

Common Questions

About the VECU prefix

What carrier uses the VECU container prefix?

The VECU container prefix is the ISO 6346 owner code for COSCO Shipping Lines (COSCO), headquartered in Shanghai, China. COSCO Shipping Lines is China's largest container shipping company and one of the world's top four carriers. Founded in 1961, operating a fleet of 500+ vessels.

What do VECU container numbers look like?

VECU container numbers follow the ISO 6346 standard: four letters (VECU) followed by six digits and a check digit — for example VECU1234567 or VECU9876543. The fourth letter is always U (freight containers), J (detachable equipment), or Z (trailers).

What trade routes do VECU containers operate on?

VECU containers are operated by COSCO Shipping Lines (COSCO) primarily on Asia–Europe, Transpacific, Intra-Asia, Middle East. The carrier is part of the Ocean Alliance.

Track your VECU containers the right way.

Stop checking COSCO's portal for status codes. CargoPilot watches the actual vessel and tells you what's changed — and what it means.

Start tracking — Free

3 free shipments · No credit card · 30 seconds