Container glossary
What is a SCAC code?
A SCAC (Standard Carrier Alpha Code) is a code of two to four letters that identifies a transport company in customs filings, EDI messages and shipping documents. An ocean carrier’s SCAC has four letters, and it is what the carrier’s bill of lading numbers begin with: MAEU for Maersk, COSU for COSCO.
SCAC codes of the largest lines
| Shipping line | B/L prefix (SCAC) | Container prefixes |
|---|---|---|
| MSC | MEDU | MSCU, MEDU, MSDU, MSMU, MSNU, MSPU, MSYU, GTIU |
| Maersk | MAEU | MAEU, MRKU, MSKU, PONU, SEAU, MNBU, MRSU, SUDU |
| CMA CGM | CMDU | CMAU, CGMU, ECMU, APZU, APLU, APHU, CNCU |
| COSCO Shipping Lines | COSU | CSNU, CBHU, CCLU, CSLU |
| Hapag-Lloyd | HLCU | HLCU, HLXU, HLBU, UACU, UAEU, HAMU |
| ONE (Ocean Network Express) | ONEY | ONEU, MOAU, NYKU, KKFU, KKTU, KLFU |
| Evergreen | EGLV | EGHU, EGSU, EISU, EMCU, EITU |
| HMM | HDMU | HMMU, HDMU |
| Yang Ming | YMLU | YMLU, YMMU |
| ZIM | ZIMU | ZIMU, ZCSU, ZMOU |
Who issues a SCAC and who needs one
SCACs are assigned by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, a trade body in the United States. The code began in American trucking, but US Customs and Border Protection requires one from every carrier that files a cargo manifest, so any ocean line, trucker or NVOCC that moves freight to or from the United States holds one. Since nearly every large line calls at US ports, the SCAC has become a worldwide shorthand for the carrier.
Its job is to identify the company wherever a computer has to do it without reading a name: in the manifest sent to customs, in the EDI messages that terminals and lines exchange, and at the front of the document number.
Finding the SCAC on a bill of lading
Look at the bill of lading number, usually in the top right corner of the document. On a bill issued by one of the large lines, its first four letters are the SCAC; the table above lists the code for each of the ten largest. If you hold a bill of lading and are not sure whose it is — a common situation when the container itself belongs to a leasing company — those four letters name the line on their own.
Then open that line’s tracking page and enter the number in the bill of lading field, not the container field. The container number checker recognises a bill of lading number by its shape and tells you so, instead of failing it as a bad container number.
Why a SCAC is mistaken for a container prefix
Both are four capital letters, and some are the very same letters: MAEU is Maersk’s SCAC and also one of its container prefixes, and the table shows the same for HLCU, YMLU and ZIMU. They come from two separate registers. The SCAC register is American and covers carriers; the BIC code register is international and covers container owners. A code ending in U can appear in both; codes such as ONEY or EGLV can never be a container prefix, because the fourth letter of a container prefix is U, J or Z.
What follows the letters settles it. A container number has exactly seven digits after them; a bill of lading number runs longer. Pasting one into the field meant for the other is among the commonest reasons a tracker returns nothing, and people then conclude that the shipment is missing when only the field was wrong.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters does a SCAC have?
Two to four letters; ocean carriers use four. The codes of the largest lines are MEDU for MSC, MAEU for Maersk, CMDU for CMA CGM, COSU for COSCO and HLCU for Hapag-Lloyd.
Is a SCAC the same as a BIC code?
No — a SCAC identifies a carrier and is issued in the United States, while a BIC code identifies the owner of a container and is issued by the Bureau International des Containers. A line usually holds one SCAC and several container prefixes, and a leasing company holds container prefixes without carrying anybody’s cargo.
Does an NVOCC have a SCAC?
Yes — an NVOCC that files manifests with US customs needs its own SCAC, like any other carrier. That is why a house bill of lading number often starts with four letters that match no shipping line: they are the code of the NVOCC that issued it.