MSC Container Tracking

The SCAC code for MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) is MSCU. SCAC (Standard Carrier Alpha Code) is a unique two-to-four letter code used to identify transportation companies in North America. MSC uses "MSCU" as their standard identifier for shipping documentation, EDI transactions, and customs filings.

Beacon tracks comprehensive MSC shipment data including all major container milestones: Gate in Full, Loaded at POL (Port of Loading), Departure from POL, Arrival at POD (Port of Discharge), Discharged at POD, and Gate out Full. The platform provides real-time estimated arrival and departure times for MSC containers, complete transshipment tracking through intermediate ports, detailed vessel information for MSC ships carrying your containers, and port-to-port visibility for MSC shipping routes with milestone status updates throughout the MSC shipping journey. Beacon consolidates all MSC container tracking data into a single dashboard, eliminating the need to check MSC's individual tracking portals or manage multiple spreadsheets for MSC shipment monitoring.

As of March 2025, MSC operates about 900 cargo vessels with an intake capacity of 5,505,417 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), making it a historic milestone as MSC became the first global container carrier to operate a fleet of 900 vessels, with this achievement marked by the delivery of the LNG-powered MSC GERMANY in April 2025. MSC's current fleet includes 609 owned vessels and 291 chartered ships, with operations spanning across its controlled carriers including Medlog, Log-In Logistica, and WEC Lines. The company has experienced remarkable year-over-year growth, with MSC's fleet consisting of 783 cellular ships representing 5.6 million TEUs by the end of 2023, representing an impressive growth of 22%, growing to 801 ships as of January 2024, and reaching 900 ships by April 2025. MSC's overall fleet expansion accounted for 47.4% of the total fleet growth in 2023, demonstrating their aggressive expansion strategy. MSC is the world's largest container shipping company by both fleet size and cargo capacity, controlling 20% of global container capacity as of July 2024, and maintains a substantial lead of nearly one million TEU slots over its closest competitor, Maersk. This represents extraordinary growth from a company that started with a single ship in 1970 to becoming the world's largest container shipping fleet in just over 50 years.

MSC currently operates the world's most extensive shipping network with over 215 trade routes calling at more than 500 ports globally, supported by a fleet of 900+ vessels. Their 2025 network structure encompasses five major East/West trades with 34 service loops, including Asia-North Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Asia-North America (both East and West Coast), and Transatlantic routes. The company's route evolution reflects remarkable expansion from its humble beginnings in 1970 when founder Gianluigi Aponte started with a single ship operating between the Mediterranean and Somalia. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, MSC focused on regional expansion within Europe and Africa, establishing dominance in Mediterranean shipping. By 1977, services extended to Northern Europe, Africa, and the Indian Ocean, with headquarters relocating to Geneva in 1978 for better global market access. The 1980s and 1990s marked MSC's transformation into a global player as they launched transcontinental services across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, connecting Europe with North and South America, and extending to Australia. A significant strategic shift occurred in 2015 when MSC formed the 2M Alliance with Maersk covering Asia-Europe, trans-Pacific, and trans-Atlantic trades, but this partnership ended in January 2025. MSC now operates independently with their standalone network offering customers flexible routing options via both Suez Canal and Cape of Good Hope, while forming new partnerships like their cooperation with the Premier Alliance for Asia-Europe trades, demonstrating their evolution from a small Mediterranean operator to the world's largest container shipping company.

MSC shipping company is privately owned by the Aponte family. The company was founded in 1970 by Captain Gianluigi Aponte, who remains the Group Chairman and founder. His son, Diego Aponte, serves as Group President and was appointed president and CEO in October 2014, taking over operational leadership from his father. MSC is completely independent and wholly owned by the Aponte family, making it one of the world's largest privately-held shipping companies. Despite being a global operation with over 200,000 employees across 155 countries, MSC has remained family-controlled throughout its 50+ year history. In December 2020, Søren Toft became MSC's Chief Executive Officer, making him the first person outside the Aponte family to hold the CEO position, though he reports directly to Diego Aponte and the family maintains full ownership control.

MSC Oscar and its sister ships MSC Zoe and MSC Oliver have a maximum capacity of 19,224 TEU. At the time of construction, it was the largest container ship in the world although it has since been surpassed. 

MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company. Despite the name referencing the Mediterranean, MSC has grown far beyond its regional origins to become the world's largest container shipping company. The company was founded in 1970 by Captain Gianluigi Aponte and originally operated routes between the Mediterranean and Somalia. Today, MSC operates over 900 vessels across more than 215 trade routes globally, calling at over 500 ports worldwide. While headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC maintains its Mediterranean Shipping Company name as a tribute to its founding roots in Naples, Italy, and its initial focus on Mediterranean trade routes.