Where does the ship type come from?
AIS has no separate code for container ships: they report the general cargo type 70-79. A ship is listed here when it appears in a carrier's published sailing schedule.
Container ships.
3,480 ships. Ships that sail in the carriers' own container schedules. Each one has a page with its operators, port calls and last AIS report.
Find a ship
Type a name, a 7-digit IMO number or a 9-digit MMSI, or pick a letter to list container ships A-Z.
| Name | IMO | MMSI | Type |
|---|
AIS ship type codes in this list
1,992 of 3,480 ships have broadcast a type code on AIS.
| Code | Meaning (ITU-R M.1371 Table 53) | Ships |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | Cargo ship; cargo on this voyage: dangerous goods category X | 834 |
| 70 | Cargo ship, all ships of this type | 569 |
| 74 | Cargo ship; cargo on this voyage: dangerous goods category OS | 336 |
| 72 | Cargo ship; cargo on this voyage: dangerous goods category Y | 85 |
| 73 | Cargo ship; cargo on this voyage: dangerous goods category Z | 82 |
| 79 | Cargo ship, no additional information | 78 |
| 75 | Cargo ship, reserved code 75 | 3 |
| 78 | Cargo ship, reserved code 78 | 3 |
| 80 | Tanker, all ships of this type | 1 |
| 77 | Cargo ship, reserved code 77 | 1 |
Source: ITU-R M.1371 (AIS message 5: IMO number, call sign, ship type, draught, destination). Data as of 13 Nov 2026.
Questions
Can the category change?
Rarely: only when the crew changes the AIS type code or the ship joins or leaves a carrier's schedule. The list is rebuilt from the AIS registry and the schedules on each data update.
How do I see where a ship is now?
Open the ship in Navo vessel tracking (the Track link in each row). It shows the latest AIS position, speed, course and the destination typed by the crew.
All ships: Vessel Library. Ship classes and size limits: Vessel Types.