ContainerPulse Liner intelligence
Match the 4-letter prefix on any container to its operator in our liner registry of 200+ carriers.

Emirates Shipping Line

SCAC ESPU · Dubai, UAE · founded 2006 · Independent / non-aligned

Emirates Shipping Line (legal entity Emirates Shipping Line DMCEST) is a regional specialist headquartered in Dubai, UAE. Founded in 2006, the line has spent 20 years building out its container service network and today operates a fleet of 16 vessels under the SCAC code ESPU. Total operated capacity stands near 32,000 TEU, placing the carrier among the recognised operators on its core trade lanes. The company holds intermodal equipment under 3 registered ISO 6346 owner prefixes, which appear on every box it owns or long-term leases.

Emirates Shipping Line is most active on the following corridors: Middle East, India, Africa, China. The line operates on a standalone basis and does not share vessel slots with other ocean carriers under a formal global alliance. Direct customer contact is available via +971 4 305 8000 or the carrier's web portal at emiratesline.com.

Emirates Shipping Line container prefixes

Every intermodal container carries an ISO 6346 owner code — three letters identifying the owner, plus a single category letter (almost always U for freight containers). These four-letter prefixes are the fastest way to identify which carrier controls a given box. Emirates Shipping Line has the following registered prefixes recorded in the BIC database. If a container in your possession begins with any of these codes, the box is owned by or leased on long term to Emirates Shipping Line.

To track a container under one of these prefixes, contact the carrier directly using the bill-of-lading number or container number. Most ocean carriers expose a public tracking endpoint on their website that accepts either format. Emirates Shipping Line publishes its tracking page under the main emiratesline.com domain.

Emirates Shipping Line corridor coverage

Emirates Shipping Line concentrates its services on Middle East, India, Africa, China. Customers on these lanes typically see weekly or twice-weekly sailings depending on season and trade balance. For a current sailing schedule, contact the carrier directly or consult its weekly schedule publication.

How to track a Emirates Shipping Line container

Tracking a Emirates Shipping Line container starts with confirming the prefix. Look at the container's left-hand corner casting plate or the painted code on the door — the four-letter ISO 6346 owner code (e.g. ESPU) is followed by six numeric digits and a single check digit. If the prefix matches one in the list above, the box is on a Emirates Shipping Line bill of lading. Visit emiratesline.com, navigate to the carrier's tracking or "track and trace" portal, and paste the full container number. The portal will return current vessel position, the next scheduled port call, the estimated time of arrival (ETA) and the most recent equipment events such as gate-in, loaded, discharged and gate-out.

If the carrier portal does not return a result, the most likely causes are: the container has not yet been gate-in at the origin terminal, the bill of lading number is in a different format (check whether the system expects an MBL versus an HBL), or the box is moving on a partner alliance vessel rather than a Emirates Shipping Line hull. In the last case, the prefix still resolves to Emirates Shipping Line as equipment owner but the schedule data lives with the operating carrier. Emirates Shipping Line's customer service can normally cross-reference the booking and route you to the correct alliance partner. Reach the carrier on +971 4 305 8000 during European business hours.

Related ocean carriers

Operators most often compared with Emirates Shipping Line on overlapping trade lanes: