When moving internationally, you can track your shipment via a track-and-trace system that provides real-time or periodic status updates on the location and progress of your household goods. This applies to both road transport and sea container moves, although the way tracking works differs per mode of transport. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about tracking during an international move.

What exactly can you track during an international move?

During an international move, you can track the location of your shipment, including status moments such as loading, departure, arrival in the destination country, and delivery. Depending on the moving company and the mode of transport, you may also see information about planned arrival times and any delays.

Specifically, the following moments are typically visible in a track-and-trace system:

Collection of household goods at the departure address
Loading into the moving truck or container
Departure from the Netherlands (or the country of origin)
Border crossings or stops along the way
Arrival in the destination country
Customs clearance (if applicable)
Delivery to the new address

Not every moment is always visible in real time. With road transport, the location can often be tracked more accurately than with a sea container, where updates are sometimes provided per port or per day. What you can see exactly depends on the systems the moving company uses and the type of transport chosen for your move.

How does the track-and-trace system of a moving company work?

The track-and-trace system of a moving company works through a combination of GPS technology in the vehicles, manual status updates at key moments, and digital portals or apps that allow customers to track their shipment. After scheduling the move, you will typically receive a unique shipment code that you use to log in to the system.

With professional moving companies like ours, status updates are provided at fixed moments during the journey. Think of a confirmation at departure, a notification upon arrival in the destination country, and a message when delivery is scheduled. Our move coordinators play an active role in this: they keep you informed and are the direct point of contact when you have questions about the progress of your move.

For worldwide moves, we work with international networks and partners who provide status updates at the moment your household goods move from one link to the next in the chain. This keeps the information up to date, even when your belongings are thousands of kilometres away.

What is the difference between tracking for sea container and road transport?

The biggest difference between tracking for sea container and road transport is the frequency and accuracy of the updates. With road transport, the location of the moving truck can often be tracked continuously via GPS. With a sea container, updates are less frequent and tied to port moments, such as departure from Rotterdam, arrival at the intermediate port, and unloading at the final destination.

Tracking with road transport

With road transport, such as moves by road to Spain or other European destinations, the moving truck travels door to door. The GPS tracker in the vehicle provides a reasonably accurate picture of where your household goods are located. Updates can sometimes come in every hour or even more frequently. This makes road transport more transparent for the customer and provides more control over the expected arrival time.

Tracking with sea container transport

With sea container transport, which is more commonly used for intercontinental moves from the Port of Rotterdam, status updates are linked to the ports the ship calls at. Between two ports, it can take several days without a new update. Tracking here works more on the basis of milestones than on real-time location. This is normal and need not be a cause for concern, as long as the moving company informs you in good time about the expected arrival.

What happens to tracking during customs clearance?

During customs clearance, the tracking of your shipment temporarily pauses. Your household goods are then held at a customs depot or storage location in the destination country, and no new location updates are generated until customs has released the shipment. This is a normal phase in every international moving process.

How long customs clearance takes varies by country and by situation. In most European countries, this process is relatively quick, especially if all documents have been submitted correctly. Think of an inventory list, proof of registration in the new country, and possibly a moving declaration. For moves outside the EU, or from countries outside the EU to the Netherlands, additional documents may be required, such as proof of customs exemption for household goods.

We have our own customs declarants who handle all the paperwork. This prevents your shipment from being held up unnecessarily at customs due to missing or incorrect documents. Through our relocation services, our move coordinators also keep you informed of the status and expected release during this phase.

When do you receive notifications and through which channel?

You receive notifications about your international move at the key moments during the journey: at collection, departure, arrival in the destination country, customs clearance, and scheduled delivery. The channels through which you receive these notifications are typically email, an online customer portal, or direct contact with a move coordinator by phone or email.

Most professional moving companies work with a combination of automated notifications and personal contact. Automated notifications quickly inform you of status changes, while personal contact is useful for questions, unexpected situations, or when a decision from you as the customer is required.

With us, personal contact is central. Your dedicated move coordinator is the point of contact throughout the entire journey and ensures that you are never left in the dark. This is especially valuable for more complex moving routes, such as a move to Andalusia involving multiple parties, or for moves where a vehicle is also being transported and an vehicle import procedure is underway.

What should you do if the tracking has not been updated for a long time?

If the tracking of your international move has not been updated for an extended period, contact your moving company or move coordinator immediately. In most cases, there is a logical explanation, such as customs clearance, a stopover, or a technical delay in status processing. Taking action always starts with reaching out, not waiting.

There are a few situations that can explain a lack of updates:

Customs clearance: As described earlier, this phase does not generate location updates.
Sea container on the open sea: Between two ports, there are no interim updates.
Technical issue: Sometimes the transmission of status updates is delayed due to a system error.
Weekend or public holiday: In some countries, updates are only processed on working days.

When you make contact, ask specifically about the last known location of your shipment and the expected next status update. A good moving company can provide clarity within a short time. Should there be an actual delay or a problem, a professional party will proactively inform you and immediately look for a solution.

With us, the move coordinator is always available for questions like these. With more than 100 years of experience and our own fleet of vehicles and storage facilities, we can act quickly and provide you with accurate information, even if something unexpected comes up.

Veelgestelde vragen

Hoe lang van tevoren ontvang ik mijn track-and-trace-code?

Doorgaans ontvang je jouw track-and-trace-code kort na de bevestiging van je verhuisdatum, of uiterlijk op de dag van ophalen. Het is verstandig om te controleren of je deze code hebt ontvangen vóór het vertrek van jouw inboedel, zodat je direct kunt beginnen met volgen. Heb je de code niet ontvangen? Neem dan proactief contact op met je move coordinator.

Kan ik mijn verhuizing ook volgen als ik al in het nieuwe land ben aangekomen?

Ja, het track-and-trace-systeem is doorgaans via een online portaal of app bereikbaar vanaf elk apparaat met internetverbinding, ongeacht waar je je bevindt. Dit is juist handig bij internationale verhuizingen, waarbij jij en jouw inboedel soms niet tegelijkertijd op de eindbestemming aankomen. Zorg er wel voor dat je inloggegevens en de zendingscode bij de hand hebt voordat je vertrekt.

Wat als mijn zending vertraging oploopt — word ik daar automatisch van op de hoogte gesteld?

Bij een professioneel verhuisbedrijf word je bij een significante vertraging proactief geïnformeerd door je move coordinator, zowel via geautomatiseerde meldingen als via persoonlijk contact. Toch is het verstandig om bij een langere stilstand in de tracking zelf contact op te nemen en te vragen naar de actuele status en een bijgestelde levertijd. Zo voorkom je dat je onnodig lang in onzekerheid zit over de aankomst van jouw inboedel.

Zijn er situaties waarin tracking helemaal niet mogelijk is?

In uitzonderlijke gevallen, zoals verhuizingen naar afgelegen bestemmingen of regio’s met beperkte digitale infrastructuur, kan real-time tracking beperkt of niet beschikbaar zijn. In dat geval werkt het verhuisbedrijf met handmatige statusupdates op vaste mijlpalen en informeert de move coordinator je via directe communicatie. Vraag bij het boeken van jouw verhuizing expliciet na welke trackingemogelijkheden beschikbaar zijn voor jouw specifieke bestemming.

Kan ik ook de voortgang volgen van een gedeeltelijke lading, bijvoorbeeld als mijn inboedel wordt meegestuurd in een groepszending?

Ja, ook bij een groepszending (ook wel groupage of consolidatielading genoemd) ontvang je een unieke zendingscode waarmee je jouw specifieke lading kunt volgen. De updates zijn doorgaans gekoppeld aan de mijlpalen van de gehele zending, maar jouw inboedel is als aparte eenheid geregistreerd in het systeem. Houd er rekening mee dat de planning bij groepszendingen minder flexibel is dan bij een exclusieve verhuiswagen, omdat meerdere klanten dezelfde rit delen.

Wat moet ik doen als ik bij aankomst in het bestemmingsland merk dat er spullen ontbreken of beschadigd zijn?

Documenteer eventuele schade of vermissing direct bij de aflevering door dit te noteren op de afleverbon en foto’s te maken. Meld dit zo snel mogelijk schriftelijk bij je verhuisbedrijf, zodat er een schadedossier kan worden geopend. Een professioneel verhuisbedrijf werkt met een gedetailleerde inventarisatielijst die bij het laden is opgesteld, waardoor vermiste of beschadigde items eenvoudig kunnen worden getraceerd en eventuele verzekeringsclaims snel kunnen worden verwerkt.

Hoe kan ik mij het beste voorbereiden om vertragingen in de tracking of douaneafhandeling te minimaliseren?

De belangrijkste stap is het tijdig en volledig aanleveren van alle benodigde documenten, zoals een nauwkeurige inventarisatielijst, inschrijvingsbewijs in het nieuwe land en eventuele douanevrijstellingsformulieren voor verhuisgoed. Bespreek vooraf met je move coordinator welke documenten specifiek vereist zijn voor jouw bestemming, zodat er geen vertraging ontstaat door ontbrekende papieren. Hoe beter de documentatie op orde is, hoe soepeler de douaneafhandeling verloopt en hoe minder tijd jouw inboedel in een depot doorbrengt.

How does track and trace work for an international move?