One international move from the U.S. to Australia took six months, included a parade of shifting timelines and vague emails, and cost over $900 in unexpected fees.
That move? Ours.
We sent our container off in early October, paid promptly, asked all the right questions—and still ended up confused, anxious, and constantly guessing where our belongings were. We built STEVE because international moving shouldn't feel like sending your life into a black hole.
This guide explains why tracking matters—not just for peace of mind, but for planning, budgeting, and protecting yourself during one of life's biggest transitions.
1. THE GLOBAL SHIPPING MAZE: TOO MANY HANDS, NOT ENOUGH COMMUNICATION
Your container doesn't travel in a straight line from your old home to your new one. It moves through a complex chain where each link uses different systems that weren't designed to talk to each other:
- Local moving crew
- Regional warehouse
- Trucking company to port
- Port terminal operations
- Ocean carrier vessel
- Destination port authority
- Customs inspection team
- Local delivery company
Real Example from Our Move
We had to decide—mid-process—whether our container would be loaded in Denver or Houston. This choice added thousands of dollars and came weeks after we'd already committed. Why wasn't this critical decision flagged earlier?
The answer: Fragmentation. The left hand doesn't talk to the right hand, and you're stuck in the middle without information.
Without proper tracking, your move depends entirely on:
- Calling customer service reps (and hoping they actually know something)
- Interpreting cryptic email updates written in logistics jargon
- Crossing your fingers and praying it all works out
2. DELAYS HAPPEN—BUT COMMUNICATION DOESN'T
Even the best carriers can't control everything:
- Port congestion during peak season
- Customs examination backlogs
- Labor strikes and slowdowns
- Weather-related vessel rerouting
- Random container inspections
But unpredictable events don't excuse radio silence.
Our Timeline Horror Story
We packed our entire home in New Mexico and shipped everything to Houston on October 5th. Weeks passed with no updates. When we finally asked if our container had been loaded onto a ship, we discovered something infuriating: a container had been ordered, not booked. No actual reservation had been made until after we'd paid in full—a month later.
Even then, we weren't told which vessel would carry our belongings until two months after our house was packed and our container had disappeared into the system.
If you've ever wondered, "Why can't I just see where my container is?"—you're not alone. And you're absolutely right to expect better in 2025.
3. MOVING COMPANIES MAY WITHHOLD YOUR TRACKING INFORMATION
This part really stings. Once we finally got our vessel name and departure details (ZIM NEWARK, Voyage 29W), we started tracking it ourselves using marine traffic websites. We quickly discovered the ship wasn't where our moving company said it was.
Our conversation:
Us: “Looks like this vessel is going north up the Chinese coast. When’s it going to turn south to Australia.”
Them: "Don't try to follow ships. Containers move between vessels during the journey."
Fine. Fair point. Container ships do transfer cargo at intermediate ports. But shouldn't someone have explained this before we started panicking? Shouldn't we have known which specific container was ours and where it actually was? And when it changes ships?
Eventually, we got our container number: MSDU4528362—two months after it left our driveway. That 11-character code was the key to tracking our entire household, but it came with no instructions, no dashboard, and no context.
Imagine if that container number had been in a user-friendly tracking system from Day 1, with automatic updates and plain-English explanations.
4. UNCERTAINTY CREATES REAL-WORLD COSTS
This isn't just about curiosity or control-freak tendencies. Information uncertainty during international moves creates measurable financial and emotional costs.
Financial Impact
- Extended temporary housing when arrival dates shift
- Duplicate purchases of items you think might be lost
- Rush shipping for essentials you could have planned for
- Storage fees when delivery coordination fails
Planning Paralysis
- Without accurate timing information, you can't make smart decisions about:
- Whether to extend your Airbnb or find alternative housing
- When to schedule utility connections and internet installation
- Coordinating family travel and school enrollment timing
- Arranging time off work for delivery day
Our Real Numbers
- Original ETA: January 7th
- Actual delivery: March 10th
- Extra costs: $6000 in extended rental fees and duplicate purchases
- Stress level: Through the roof for five months straight
Some delays were legitimate (customs examination fees, surprise port inspections), but nobody bothered to tell us until we asked—repeatedly.
5. WHAT REAL CONTAINER TRACKING SHOULD LOOK LIKE
STEVE isn't a shipping company trying to move your boxes faster or cheaper. We're here to make international moves transparent and predictable using technology that already exists but isn't consumer-friendly.
What real tracking means:
- Single dashboard showing current container location and status
- Predictive ETAs based on actual vessel movements and historical data
- Proactive alerts when timelines shift or issues arise
- Plain-English explanations, not logistics jargon
- Timeline that updates automatically, not just vague promises
How STEVE Works
We aggregate real-time data from:
- Major ocean carriers (Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, etc.)
- Port terminal systems worldwide
- Customs authorities and clearance databases
- Local delivery networks
Then we translate all that technical information into something actually useful for humans planning international moves.
How STEVE Transforms Your Moving Experience
Instead of wondering, you'll know:
- Exactly where your container is right now
- When it will realistically arrive (not just optimistic estimates)
- If delays are developing before they become major problems
- What additional costs might be coming
Beta Features Available Now
- Container tracking dashboard: Enter your container number and see real-time location
- Milestone notifications: Port arrivals, customs clearance, delivery scheduling
- ETA predictions: Based on current vessel speed and historical route performance
- Quote forwarding: Email your moving quotes to build your tracking profile automatically
FINAL THOUGHTS: YOU DESERVE BETTER THAN GUESSWORK
If you're planning an international move, you're already taking a major leap. The least you deserve is knowing where your belongings are during the journey.
We built STEVE because we desperately wished something like this existed when we moved. You shouldn't need to beg for updates. You shouldn't need to decode vague logistics emails. You shouldn't need to wonder if your stuff is lost at sea.
You deserve clarity. You deserve control. You deserve to track your move like it's 2025, not 1995.
Moving internationally is stressful enough without the information blackout. Let's fix that together.