ESL Cargo Tracking Scraper

What does ESL Cargo Tracking Scraper do?

ESL Cargo Tracking Scraper automates Emirates Shipping Line container tracking, bill of lading tracking, and vessel schedule lookup. Submit container or B/L references to retrieve shipment routes, ports, vessels, ETA and ETB dates, and complete container movement history. You can also search by ESL vessel code to collect current position, service, voyage, and upcoming port schedule data.

The Actor turns Emirates Shipping Line tracking data into structured JSON that can be downloaded as CSV or Excel, accessed through an API, scheduled for recurring checks, or connected to logistics dashboards and notification workflows.

The Actor supports two complementary Emirates Shipping Line tracking workflows:

• 📦 ESL container tracking — retrieve shipment and container movement details
• 📄 Bill of lading tracking — search cargo using an ESL B/L reference
• 🚢 ESL vessel tracking — look up vessel information using a vessel code
• 🗺️ Route monitoring — collect origin, discharge, and final-port information
• 🕒 ETA and ETB tracking — retrieve carrier-provided schedule dates
• 📍 Container movement history — collect gate, loading, discharge, and other milestones
• 🔌 Emirates Shipping Line tracking API — automate lookups through Apify

Shipment and vessel lookups can be submitted together in the same run. Successful records are stored in the default Apify dataset.

Why scrape Emirates Shipping Line shipment data?

Manual carrier searches do not scale when a team manages many shipments or vessels. ESL tracking automation helps freight forwarders, importers, exporters, shipping agencies, and supply chain platforms:

• Track multiple ESL containers and bills of lading in one run
• Monitor origin, destination, discharge port, and intended vessel
• Send shipment updates to internal dashboards or customer portals
• Schedule recurring checks for ETA or movement changes
• Export ESL tracking data for reporting and analytics
• Combine shipment tracking and vessel schedule data in one workflow

What data can you extract from Emirates Shipping Line?

Shipment tracking fields

Data field	Description
tracking_number	Container or B/L reference submitted by the user
blNo	Bill of lading number
bookNo	Booking number
originPortDesc	Shipment origin port
dischargePortDesc	Discharge port
finalPortDesc	Final destination port
eta, etb, inlandEta	Carrier-provided arrival and berthing dates
intendedVessel	Intended vessel and voyage information
movementList	Containers and their movement activity history
containerActivity	Movement description, code, port, vessel, voyage, and activity date

Vessel lookup fields

Vessel results can include the submitted vessel_code, vessel name, voyage, service, current location, current-port ETA/ETD, and next-port schedule details. Available fields depend on the vessel record returned by ESL.

Ready-to-Run Examples

Get started in seconds — open the example in the Apify Console and click Run:

• Track ESL Containers by Container Number — enter a container number and get its route, ETA/ETB, intended vessel, and complete container movement history.

How to track ESL shipments step by step

1. Open the Actor in Apify Console.
2. Add container or bill of lading references under Tracking Numbers.
3. Optionally add ESL vessel codes under Vessel Codes.
4. Click Start.
5. Preview the records in the Output tab or export the dataset.

Example input

{
  "trackingNumbers": [
    "DFSU6932654"
  ],
  "vesselCodes": [
    "ASE"
  ]
}

ESL tracking input parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
trackingNumbers	Array of strings	Conditional	Container or B/L references, one per line
vesselCodes	Array of strings	Conditional	ESL vessel codes, one per line

Provide at least one shipment reference or one vessel code. If both arrays contain values, the Actor processes both lookup types.

ESL Cargo Tracking Scraper output example

A shipment lookup produces a record similar to this shortened example:

{
  "tracking_number": "DFSU6932654",
  "blNo": "EXAMPLE-BL",
  "bookNo": "EXAMPLE-BOOKING",
  "originPortDesc": "ORIGIN PORT",
  "finalPortDesc": "FINAL PORT",
  "eta": "28-Apr-2026",
  "intendedVessel": "VESSEL 001A",
  "movementList": [
    {
      "containerNo": "DFSU6932654",
      "containerActivity": [
        {
          "movementDesc": "IMPORT LADEN DISCHARGED FROM VESSEL",
          "portName": "DISCHARGE PORT",
          "vessel": "VESSEL NAME",
          "voyage": "001A",
          "activityDate": "28-Apr-2026"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

A vessel lookup uses vessel_code as its identifying field and returns the vessel record supplied by ESL. Unknown references and codes are skipped and do not create a tracking-result charge event.

Integrations and ESL tracking API

Run Emirates Shipping Line cargo tracking as part of a larger workflow using Apify platform features:

• API access from Python, JavaScript, cURL, or another HTTP client
• Schedules for hourly, daily, or custom recurring tracking
• Webhooks for success, failure, and completion notifications
• Integrations with Google Sheets, Slack, Zapier, Make, and other tools
• Dataset exports in JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, HTML, or RSS

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to scrape Emirates Shipping Line?

The Actor retrieves shipment and vessel information using references supplied by the user. Only access data you are authorized to use, and ensure your use complies with applicable laws and carrier terms. This Actor is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Emirates Shipping Line.

Can I track multiple shipments at once?

Yes. Populate trackingNumbers, vesselCodes, or both. The Actor processes the combined task list in parallel batches.

What types of tracking numbers are supported?

The shipment lookup accepts container and bill of lading references. Vessel lookup accepts ESL vessel codes.

What if a tracking number is not found?

The reference may be invalid, newly issued, unavailable in the carrier system, or temporarily affected by an upstream outage. Check its formatting and retry later.

How do I get support or report issues?

Open the Issues tab on the Actor page and provide the run ID and non-sensitive logs. Never include your Apify token or confidential shipping documents.