United Cargo Tracking by AWB Number (Prefix 016)

Q: 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. The prefix is a different code from United Cargo's two-character airline code, UA, which appears on flight numbers.

Q: How do I check that my United Cargo AWB number is right?

Count eleven digits: the prefix (016) and an eight-digit serial. The last digit of the serial is a check digit: the first seven digits of the serial, taken as one number and divided by 7, leave it as the remainder. The box on this page runs that check, which catches most single mistyped digits.

Q: Why doesn't my United Cargo AWB show a result?

Check the prefix first: a number that doesn't start with 016 was issued by another airline, even if the cargo flies on United Cargo for part of the way, so track it with that airline. A house air waybill from a forwarder isn't on United Cargo's system; ask the forwarder for the master AWB. And a new booking can take a while to appear, usually once the cargo has been received.

Q: What do United Cargo tracking statuses like RCS, DEP and NFD mean?

They are the industry's standard status codes. RCS means the cargo was received from the shipper and accepted, MAN that it is on a flight's manifest, DEP that the flight has departed, RCF that it was unloaded and checked in at an airport, NFD that the consignee has been told it has arrived, and DLV that it has been delivered. The table on this page lists the rest.

AirlineUnited Cargo, the cargo division of United Airlines

AWB prefix016the first three digits of the air waybill number

Airline codeUAthe two-character code on flight numbers, not the AWB prefix

United Cargo's trackerhttps://www.unitedcargo.com/en/us/track/index.htmlaccepts air waybill number, booking confirmation number

US airportsChicago (ORD), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), New York/Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), Washington Dulles (IAD)from United Cargo's own site; networks change, so check before you book

How to track United Cargo cargo

Find the 11-digit air waybill number on the AWB or the booking confirmation. On a consolidated shipment, ask the forwarder for the master AWB: the airline doesn't know the forwarder's house AWB number.
Check the first three digits. United Cargo numbers start with 016; any other prefix belongs to another airline's tracker.
Enter the number on United Cargo's tracker. One box, pre-filled with 016-, takes an air waybill or a booking confirmation number; up to ten can be tracked at once without a login.

United Cargo moves shipments between its US hubs and Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

Booked with Airlift?

Airlift doesn't run its own airline tracking, and the Airlift container tracker covers ocean shipments only. If Airlift booked your shipment on United Cargo, your Airlift contact has the flight milestones and can tell you where it is.

What United Cargo tracking statuses mean

Airline trackers report the industry's shipment status messages; United Cargo may word them its own way.

Code	Status	What it means
`BKD`	Booked	The shipment is booked on a specific flight. Bookings can change before the cargo is accepted.
`RCS`	Received from shipper	The airline or its handler has received the cargo from the shipper or the forwarder and accepted it for carriage.
`MAN`	Manifested	The shipment is on the cargo manifest of a specific flight.
`DEP`	Departed	The shipment has left on that flight. On a connecting routing there is one departure per leg.
`TFD`	Transferred	The shipment has been handed to another airline for the next leg; that airline's tracker may show the rest.
`RCT`	Received from another airline	The shipment has been received from another airline for the next leg.
`RCF`	Received from flight	The shipment has been unloaded from a flight and checked in at the warehouse, 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 it is there.
`AWD`	Documents delivered	The arrival documents have been handed to the consignee or its agent.
`CCD`	Cleared by customs	Customs has cleared the shipment.
`DLV`	Delivered	The airline has delivered the shipment to the consignee or its agent; for a consolidation, usually the forwarder's agent at destination.
`DIS`	Discrepancy	Something does not match: pieces missing or extra, damage, or missing documents. The handler records the details.

United Cargo tracking FAQs

How do I track United Cargo cargo?

Use United Cargo's own tracker (linked at the top of this page) with the 11-digit air waybill number. One box, pre-filled with 016-, takes an air waybill or a booking confirmation number; up to ten can be tracked at once without a login. If you type the number into the box on this page first, the link opens United Cargo's tracker with the number filled in.

What is the United Cargo AWB prefix?

How do I check that my United Cargo AWB number is right?

Why doesn't my United Cargo AWB show a result?

Can Airlift track my United Cargo shipment?

What do United Cargo tracking statuses like RCS, DEP and NFD mean?

Cargo tracking for other airlines

Emirates SkyCargo tracking →Qatar Airways Cargo tracking →Etihad Cargo tracking →Turkish Cargo tracking →Air India Cargo tracking →Singapore Airlines Cargo tracking →Cathay Cargo tracking →Ethiopian Cargo tracking →Lufthansa Cargo tracking →Air France KLM Martinair Cargo tracking →IAG Cargo tracking →Korean Air Cargo tracking →China Airlines Cargo tracking →American Airlines Cargo tracking →Delta Cargo tracking →AWB prefix lookup for every airline →

Plan the rest of your shipment

Airport code finder (IATA/ICAO) →Chargeable weight calculator →Ocean container tracking →US import duty calculator →

Terms on this page:Air Waybill (AWB)House Air Waybill (HAWB)Chargeable Weight Indirect Air Carrier (IAC)Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS)

Reviewed October 2026; prefixes and tracking link checked on October 6, 2026 against: United Cargo — track shipments (pre-filled 016-); United Cargo — about us (US hubs); aircargotracking.net — prefix list (016 United). United Cargo is a trademark of its owner; Airlift USA is not affiliated with the airline.

Questions about a United Cargo shipment?

Send the air waybill number, the route and what you need (the status of a shipment Airlift booked, US customs clearance on arrival, or a quote for your next air shipment), and our team will get back to you. Airlift USA is a licensed NVOCC (FMC OTI 016162); customs clearance is coordinated through our licensed broker network.

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United Cargo tracking by AWB number