How do I track a freight shipment?

Which number do I track with?

LTL carriers key almost everything to their own PRO number; many also accept a BOL, PO or pickup number. If one reference finds nothing, that does not mean the shipment does not exist: try the carrier's preferred reference, or give the broker or carrier every identifier you have. Where each number lives, and whether a BOL number works, is on PRO vs BOL vs PO numbers.

How LTL tracking works

LTL freight moves through a network: pickup, the origin terminal, one or more linehaul moves, sometimes a transfer, the destination terminal and a delivery route. Tracking shows scans at those points, such as picked up, arrived at terminal, departed, out for delivery and delivered. It is usually the last scan, not a moving dot, so a status can be accurate and several hours old. What each status means is on freight tracking statuses; how the network moves freight is on how LTL freight moves.

How truckload tracking works

Truckload freight usually stays on one truck from pickup to delivery, so tracking is more about location. It can come from:

• The carrier's ELD or telematics — location from the truck's own systems where it is shared.
• A tracking app or link — the driver accepts a request and the phone reports location.
• Status updates — arrived at pickup, loaded, departed, position and ETA, arrived at delivery, empty.
• Check calls — still used when another method is unavailable or incomplete.

When does tracking begin?

Tracking is tied to the carrier and driver assigned to the load, so it normally starts once a truck is booked and, for app-based tracking, once the driver accepts the request. Some carriers provide their own tracking; some loads still rely on check calls. Before pickup there may be nothing to show yet.

Why is my freight tracking not updating?

• No new scan yet — common for LTL between terminals.
• Tracking was not accepted or has ended — common with app-based truckload tracking.
• Device, battery or coverage gap — the freight can still be moving.
• The driver or carrier changed — the old link no longer reports.
• The load is waiting — at a facility, terminal or appointment.
• Wrong reference — searching a PO where the carrier wants its PRO.
• Not yet in the carrier's system — a pickup request and a tracking record do not always merge at once.

A missing update is not proof the truck has stopped. It means the position needs confirming another way: ask the broker or carrier for the last confirmed location, time and ETA.

Tracking is not the same as dispatching

A map shows where a truck was. It does not decide whether the driver has legal hours left, whether the receiver will take an early arrival, whether the weather is safe, whether an appointment can move or whether the plan should change. Those need people and judgment, and an ETA has to respect federal hours-of-service limits.

What should a shipper expect?

Good tracking answers three questions: where is it (the current or most recent position), is it on schedule (the ETA against the appointment) and what changed (a delay, stop, breakdown, appointment change or other exception). The third is where communication matters most. Statuses such as "in transit" and "out for delivery" are strong signals, not promises; if timing is critical, confirm the actual appointment and ETA. See freight tracking statuses.

What if the shipment is late or the carrier goes quiet?

Ask where it was last confirmed, what the revised ETA is, whether the receiver can still accept it and whether an appointment is about to be missed. Keep the tracking history, carrier and driver contacts, references, last confirmed location and time, and the pickup paperwork. See late freight and when the carrier stops answering.

What should I keep after delivery?

The BOL, the tracking and reference numbers, the delivery date and time, the signed POD and any damage or shortage records. A "delivered" status is not a substitute for the signed delivery record when you need one: see how to get proof of delivery.