ZIM
ZIM (legal entity ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.) is a global mainline operator headquartered in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1945, the line has spent 81 years building out its container service network and today operates a fleet of 137 vessels under the SCAC code ZIMU. Total operated capacity stands near 770,000 TEU, placing the carrier among the recognised operators on its core trade lanes.
ZIM is most active on the following corridors: Transpacific, Transatlantic, Asia-Mediterranean, Intra-Mediterranean. 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 +972 4 865 2111 or the carrier's web portal at zim.com.
ZIM sample transit times
Indicative point-to-point transit times for services on which ZIM appears in rotation. Actual ETAs vary with vessel rotation, port congestion, weather and trans-shipment patterns. We update these figures every quarter against published carrier schedules.
| Origin | Destination | Transit | Frequency | Corridor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotterdam, Netherlands | New York, USA | 11 days | Multiple weekly | Transatlantic |
| Felixstowe, UK | Halifax, Canada | 7 days | Weekly | Transatlantic |
How to track a ZIM container
Tracking a ZIM 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 is followed by six numeric digits and a single check digit. Blue Water Facts no longer publishes a per-carrier owner-prefix list (see /accuracy/ for why); confirm the operator via the carrier's own tracking portal or your bill of lading. Visit zim.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 ZIM hull. In the last case, the schedule data lives with the operating carrier, not the equipment owner. ZIM's customer service can normally cross-reference the booking and route you to the correct alliance partner. Reach the carrier on +972 4 865 2111 during European business hours.