What is a shipping event in supply chain?

Shipping is the process of moving goods from one point in the supply chain to another—whether it’s raw materials moving to a manufacturer, finished goods moving to a distribution center, or packages being delivered to the end customer. It encompasses all modes of transport, including ocean, air, rail, and trucking, and can take place within a single country or across global networks. 

Shipping events are the key milestones or updates that occur during this process. They track the progress of a shipment, from booking and departure to transit, customs clearance, delivery, and potential exceptions along the way. Each event provides supply chain stakeholders with a snapshot of where goods are and what is happening to them at a given moment. 

Together, shipping and shipping events provide the structure and visibility needed to ensure goods move reliably and efficiently across complex supply chains. 

How does shipping work? 

Shipping is a coordinated process that involves multiple steps and stakeholders. A typical shipping journey may include: 

1. Booking and preparation – A shipment is scheduled with a carrier, and documentation (e.g., bills of lading, customs paperwork) is prepared. 

2. Pickup and departure – Goods are collected from the origin point and loaded onto a truck, vessel, plane, or train. 

3. Transit – The shipment moves between hubs or across borders, often involving multiple modes of transport. 

4. Customs and inspections – For international freight, goods must pass through customs clearance and regulatory checks. 

5. Arrival and delivery – The shipment arrives at its final destination (e.g., a warehouse, retailer, or customer). 

Each of these stages generates shipping events, which provide a digital record of progress. 

What are shipping events? 

Shipping events are the individual status updates that mark important points in a shipment’s lifecycle. Common examples include: 

• Shipment created / booked – The order is entered into the system. 

• Carrier pickup – Goods are collected from the origin location. 

• In transit – The shipment is on the move. 

• Customs clearance – Goods are approved for entry across a border. 

• Out for delivery – The final mile begins. 

• Delivered – The shipment reaches its end destination. 

• Exception events – Unexpected issues such as delays, damaged goods, failed delivery attempts, or rerouting. 

When tracked in real time, these events provide a timeline that shows not just where goods are, but whether they are on schedule or at risk of disruption. 

Why are shipping events important? 

Shipping events transform shipping from a black box into a transparent process. Without them, businesses and customers have little insight into where goods are or when they will arrive. With them, companies gain: 

• Operational control – Real-time updates allow logistics teams to intervene when issues arise (e.g., rerouting around a port delay). 

• Customer confidence – Accurate, event-driven updates build trust and set expectations for delivery. 

• Exception management – Early alerts for delays, damages, or failures help minimize disruption. 

• Compliance and documentation – Shipping events provide an auditable trail for customs authorities and regulatory checks. 

• Analytics and improvement – Event data helps businesses measure performance, identify bottlenecks, and improve processes over time. 

Exception events deserve special attention because they represent disruptions to the normal flow of goods—such as port congestion, weather delays, missed connections, customs holds, equipment breakdowns, or failed deliveries. These events are critical to businesses because they introduce uncertainty and risk, often triggering unexpected costs, customer dissatisfaction, or supply chain bottlenecks. The ability to detect exception events in real time, understand their root cause, and act quickly to resolve them is one of the most important benefits of modern shipping visibility. By managing exceptions effectively, companies can protect delivery promises, preserve customer trust, and minimize financial loss. 

Shipping events and supply chain visibility 

Shipping events are the foundation of supply chain visibility. Each event is a data point that, when connected together, provides an end-to-end picture of the shipment journey. By aggregating events across thousands of shipments, companies can move beyond tracking to predictive insights—forecasting ETAs, anticipating risks, and making proactive decisions. 

This integration is what transforms raw shipping updates into meaningful visibility, empowering businesses to be more agile and customer-focused. 

Putting it all together 

Shipping is the movement of goods through the supply chain, and shipping events are the milestones that track that journey. Together, they create the transparency and accountability needed to manage complex global logistics networks. 

By capturing and analyzing shipping events—and especially by managing exception events—businesses gain the ability to monitor progress in real time, address disruptions proactively, and continuously improve their operations. In a world where customers demand reliability and disruptions are inevitable, shipping events serve as the backbone of modern supply chain visibility and resilience.