Air cargo tracking
United Cargo tracking by AWB number
To track a shipment on United Cargo, enter its 11-digit air waybill number on United Cargo's official tracking page. United Cargo AWB numbers start with 016, followed by an eight-digit serial, for example 016-12345675.
- AWB prefix
- 016
- Airline code
- UA
Step by step
How to track a shipment on United Cargo
Use the master air waybill number on United Cargo's own tracking page. The status you see there comes straight from the airline.
- Find the AWB number. It is on the air waybill and the booking confirmation, and starts with 016. A reference with letters in it may be a forwarder's house AWB, which the airline can't track; ask the forwarder for the master AWB.
- Check the digits. Type it in the box above. It confirms the airline and runs the check-digit test, which catches most typing mistakes.
- Open the airline's tracker. United Cargo's tracking box comes filled in with 016- and takes an air waybill or a booking confirmation number. You can track up to ten at once without logging in.
AWB number format
- Prefix
- 016
- Serial
- 8 digits, the last one a check digit
- Written as
- 016-12345675
- Check digit
- First 7 serial digits ÷ 7, remainder. In 016-12345675: 1,234,567 ÷ 7 leaves 5.
016-12345675 is a made-up number in the right format, not a real shipment.
India–USA shipments
Tracking United Cargo shipments between India and the USA
United Cargo moves shipments between its US hubs and Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. For cargo from India, check the tracker for each flight leg and the US airport where the shipment lands.
US hubs named on United Cargo's about page
- Chicago (ORD)
- Denver (DEN)
- Houston (IAH)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- New York/Newark (EWR)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Washington Dulles (IAD)
As listed on the airline's page when checked on 2026-10-06. See the airline's page for the current network.
What to watch for
- Master vs house AWB. If a forwarder consolidated your cargo, the airline only knows the master AWB. Your house AWB number won't show on United Cargo's tracker.
- Connecting legs. Each flight shows its own departure (DEP) and arrival (RCF). A transfer (TFD) means another airline took over, and the later legs may only show on that airline's tracker.
- Arrival is not customs release. NFD means the cargo is at the US airport and the consignee has been told. The import still needs a US customs entry, usually filed by a licensed customs broker, before the cargo can leave the airport.
- Indian export clearance comes first. Air cargo leaving India must be cleared by Indian Customs against a shipping bill before it flies. The airline's tracker shows flight milestones, not the export clearance.
Shipping by air between India and the USA?
Status codes
What United Cargo tracking statuses mean
Airline trackers use the same standard status codes. These are the ones you are most likely to see.
| Code | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| BKD | Booked | Space is booked on a named flight. The booking can still change before the airline accepts the cargo. |
| RCS | Received from shipper | The airline or its ground handler has taken the cargo from the shipper or forwarder and accepted it for carriage. |
| MAN | Manifested | The shipment is listed on the cargo manifest of a specific flight. |
| DEP | Departed | The flight carrying the shipment has left. A connecting routing shows one departure per leg. |
| TFD | Transferred | The shipment was handed to another airline for the next leg; that airline's tracker may show the rest of the journey. |
| RCT | Received from another airline | The shipment was taken over from another airline for the next leg. |
| RCF | Received from flight | The shipment was unloaded and checked into the warehouse, either at a transit hub or at destination. |
| NFD | Consignee notified | The shipment has arrived at destination and the consignee, or its agent, has been told. |
| AWD | Documents delivered | The arrival documents were handed to the consignee or its agent. |
| CCD | Cleared by customs | Customs has released the shipment. |
| DLV | Delivered | The airline released the shipment to the consignee or its agent. For a consolidation, that is usually the forwarder's agent at destination. |
| DIS | Discrepancy | Something does not match, such as missing or extra pieces, damage or missing documents. The handler records the details. |
Code meanings follow the industry's standard status messages. Source: Cargo Community Network: FSU status codes.
Questions
United Cargo tracking: FAQs
How do I track a shipment on United Cargo?
Use United Cargo's own tracking page with the 11-digit air waybill number. United Cargo's tracking box comes filled in with 016- and takes an air waybill or a booking confirmation number. You can track up to ten at once without logging in. If you enter the number in the lookup on this page first, the button opens the airline's tracker with the number already filled in.
What is the United Cargo AWB prefix?
016. It is the first three digits of the 11-digit AWB number, so a United Cargo air waybill reads 016- followed by eight digits. It is not the same as the two-character airline code (UA) used on flight numbers.
How can I tell if a United Cargo AWB number is valid?
It should have 11 digits: the prefix (016) and an eight-digit serial. The last digit is a check digit: the first seven digits of the serial, divided by 7, must leave it as the remainder. In 016-12345675, 1,234,567 divided by 7 leaves 5. The lookup on this page runs the check and catches most typing mistakes.
How does a United Cargo shipment from India to the USA show on the tracker?
United Cargo moves shipments between its US hubs and Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. For cargo from India, check the tracker for each flight leg and the US airport where the shipment lands. Each flight leg normally has its own departure (DEP) and arrival (RCF) update, and NFD shows once the cargo has arrived at destination and the consignee has been told.
Why doesn't my United Cargo AWB show a result?
First check the prefix. A number that doesn't start with 016 was issued by another airline, even if United Cargo flies part of the route, so track it with that airline. A house AWB from a forwarder is not in the airline's system; ask for the master AWB. A new booking may not show until the airline has received the cargo.
Can Atmavaan track my United Cargo shipment?
Atmavaan does not run its own airline tracking. If Atmavaan booked your air freight on United Cargo, your Atmavaan contact has the flight milestones and can arrange US customs clearance and delivery from the airport. For an AWB booked by someone else, use United Cargo's tracker or ask whoever booked it.
Track another airline
Sources
Prefix, tracker and network details checked on 2026-10-06. Airlines change their sites; if a link has moved, start from the airline's cargo home page.
Need air freight between India and the USA?
Send the route, cargo and weight, and an Atmavaan specialist will quote it, including US customs clearance and delivery.
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