What to do if your shipment is delayed

If your shipment is running late, start by checking its current status and estimated arrival in the portal — most delays show up on the shipment timeline before anyone has to ask. Delays are common in international freight and usually come from a handful of predictable causes. If the status is unclear, the delay affects a deadline, or you see charges building up, contact Prime Freight and we'll chase it down for you.

International shipments pass through many hands, and a hold-up at any stage pushes back your estimated time of arrival (ETA). The most common causes are:

• Port congestion. When a port is backed up, vessels wait for a berth and containers take longer to unload and release. See Port congestion explained.

• Rolled cargo. When a vessel or aircraft is full, some cargo gets bumped to the next available sailing or flight. See Rolled cargo explained.

• Customs holds. Your goods can be held for a document review, a duty question, or a physical exam before they're released. See Customs holds and delays.

• Weather and schedule changes. Storms, blank sailings (a cancelled voyage), and carrier schedule revisions all shift dates.

• Documentation gaps. A missing or mismatched commercial invoice, packing list, or other paperwork can stall a shipment until it's corrected.

• Waiting for pickup. After a container is available at the port, it still has to be collected. If it sits too long, demurrage and detention charges start.

Your first stop is always the portal — it reflects the latest information we have.

1. Open Track your shipments and select the shipment you're asking about.

2. Look at the timeline to see which milestone the cargo has reached and which is next.

3. Check the current estimated time of departure (ETD) and ETA — these update as the carrier reports progress, so a shifted date is often the delay itself.

4. For containerized cargo, review any demurrage and detention information so you can act before charges accrue.

If you want to keep an eye on a lane without checking manually, you can set up route alerts and use Analytics and Market Intelligence to watch port congestion on your route.

Check the portal first — but reach out to your Prime Freight contact whenever:

• The status is unclear or hasn't moved when you expected it to.

• The delay puts a deadline at risk (a customer commitment, an Amazon FBA appointment, a seasonal on-shelf date).

• You see a customs hold, a rolled-cargo notice, or charges starting to build.

• You simply want us to investigate and give you a straight answer on timing.

Include your shipment or booking reference so we can pull it up quickly. We can contact the carrier, the terminal, or the customs broker on your behalf and tell you what's realistic.

We monitor your shipments as they move and work the exceptions behind the scenes — pushing carriers on rolled cargo, arranging pickup to avoid demurrage, and working with customs brokers to clear holds. The portal is where you see the current picture; we're here to explain it and act on it whenever a delay needs a human.

• Track your shipments

• Demurrage and detention

• Customs holds and delays

• Port congestion explained

• Rolled cargo explained