Sinotrans Container Lines
Sinotrans Container Lines (legal entity Sinotrans Container Lines Co., Ltd.) is a regional specialist headquartered in Shanghai, China. Founded in 1992, the line has spent 34 years building out its container service network and today operates a fleet of 33 vessels under the SCAC code SNLT. Total operated capacity stands near 70,000 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.
Sinotrans Container Lines is most active on the following corridors: Intra-Asia, China coastal. 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 +86 21 5306 0000 or the carrier's web portal at sinolines.com.
Sinotrans Container Lines 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. Sinotrans Container Lines 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 Sinotrans Container Lines.
SNLUSCLUSNTU
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. Sinotrans Container Lines publishes its tracking page under the main sinolines.com domain.
Sinotrans Container Lines corridor coverage
Sinotrans Container Lines concentrates its services on Intra-Asia, China coastal. 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 Sinotrans Container Lines container
Tracking a Sinotrans Container Lines 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. SNLU) 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 Sinotrans Container Lines bill of lading. Visit sinolines.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 Sinotrans Container Lines hull. In the last case, the prefix still resolves to Sinotrans Container Lines as equipment owner but the schedule data lives with the operating carrier. Sinotrans Container Lines's customer service can normally cross-reference the booking and route you to the correct alliance partner. Reach the carrier on +86 21 5306 0000 during European business hours.
Related ocean carriers
Operators most often compared with Sinotrans Container Lines on overlapping trade lanes:
- COSCO Shipping — Shanghai, China, founded 1961. SCAC COSU.
- China United Lines — Shanghai, China, founded 2018. SCAC CULU.
- Shanghai Jin Jiang Shipping — Shanghai, China, founded 1996. SCAC JJSC.
- Antong Holdings — Quanzhou, China, founded 2001. SCAC ANTU.
- Ningbo Ocean Shipping — Ningbo, China, founded 1987. SCAC NBOC.
- Sinotrans Container Service — Beijing, China, founded 2002. SCAC SCSC.