1 prefix · shipping line
MATU container prefix: Matson
Track on matson.com — official Matson tracker
Full Matson container tracking guide →
MATU is the BIC owner prefix registered to Matson. A container number that starts with it belongs to the Matson fleet and is tracked free at matson.com. The eleventh character of the number is a check digit; it is worked out below for this prefix.
Matson has linked the US mainland with Hawaii, Alaska and Guam since 1882 and runs the fastest China–California express in the trade.
Its single code rides on a Jones Act fleet, and matson.com handles the tracking.
4 letters + 7 digits, printed on the doors. It is on your bill of lading too.
The answer appears as you type. Nothing is sent anywhere.
The Matson prefix
| Prefix | A valid number | Check digit | Where the code comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
MATU | MATU 585707-5 | 5 | — |
Prefix register verified against two independent sources on 2026-08-03. The example numbers are computed to show the arithmetic. They are valid by construction, not numbers we saw on a box.
Data: BIC Container Prefix Register · ISO 6346:2022
MATU: check digit, worked through
MATU is registered to Matson. Take MATU 585707-5: each of its first ten characters has a value and a weight, the products are added, and the remainder after dividing by 11 is the check digit — here 5.
| Character | Value | Weight | Product |
|---|---|---|---|
M | 24 | ×1 | 24 |
A | 10 | ×2 | 20 |
T | 31 | ×4 | 124 |
U | 32 | ×8 | 256 |
5 | 5 | ×16 | 80 |
8 | 8 | ×32 | 256 |
5 | 5 | ×64 | 320 |
7 | 7 | ×128 | 896 |
0 | 0 | ×256 | 0 |
7 | 7 | ×512 | 3584 |
Sum 5560 → 5560 mod 11 = 5 → check digit 5 → MATU 585707-5
Tracking a Matson container
The tracker at matson.com ignores a number passed in the link, which we confirmed in a browser. Open it and paste the number into the form.
| Container number | ✓ yes |
|---|---|
| Bill of lading (B/L) | ✓ yes |
| Booking reference | ✓ yes |
| Mobile app | ✓ yes |
| Pre-filled link | — tried it: the page ignores a number in the link |
| Its bill of lading starts with | MATS |
Browser-verified 2026-08-03
Can you see where the ship is?
Not from the container. A standard dry box has no power, no radio and no satellite receiver — it is a steel case with a number painted on it, and it reports nothing about itself. Every position you see against a Matson shipment was reported by something else: a terminal crane, a gate reader, or the ship.
A live map on a carrier’s tracking page is almost always plotting AIS, the transponder every large vessel broadcasts with its position, course and speed. That is genuinely useful at sea: it is a real position rather than a schedule, and an ETA recalculated from actual movement. It is also the ship’s position, not your box’s, and the two part company the moment the container is discharged.
On land the map goes quiet. Between the gate-out and the delivery there is no vessel to follow, and the road leg appears only as whatever events the terminal and the trucker report. A container sitting on a chassis in a yard shows the last position of a ship it left days ago. Only specialised IoT equipment reports its own location, and wherever that exists it is a paid product sold to the shipper, not something a tracking page gives away.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the MATU container prefix?
Matson does, a shipping line founded in 1882 — the BIC register lists MATU under it.
How do I track a MATU container?
Free, on the official Matson tracker at matson.com — paste the full 11-character number; no account is needed. The same tracker serves every number with this prefix.
Is MATU a shipping line prefix or a leasing prefix?
A shipping line prefix — Matson both owns the box and moves it, so the owner and the tracker are the same company.
Is MATU5857075 a valid container number?
Yes — MATU 585707-5 passes the ISO 6346 check: the weighted sum for MATU585707 leaves a remainder of 5 when divided by 11, which gives check digit 5. It is an example computed for this page, not a box we have seen.
One page, every owner code
Know whose box it is before you search
All 85 owner prefixes mapped to their line or leasing company, with the leased ones marked — so you can tell at a glance when to track with the line instead. Container dimensions are on page two.
The file downloads straight away. We email when the data changes, at most once a month, after you confirm your address once; opens and clicks on those emails are measured, and every one has a one-click unsubscribe. See our privacy policy.