A container’s stow position is a six-digit code showing where it sits on the ship: Bay (front to back), Row (across the ship), and Tier (bottom to top)..
For example, 120682 means Bay 12, Row 06, Tier 82..
Odd bay numbers are used for 20′ containers and even bay numbers for 40′ containers.. Tiers from 82 upwards (or 72 on the largest ships) are on deck..
Some of the people in the industry can identify where a container has been stowed on board of a ship just by reading the stow position (also known as cell position) and also whether it is a 20′ or a 40′ container that is stowed there..
How do they do this..?? Mainly based on experience in handling stowage plans, but there is a formula to it..
I will explain below..
How do you read a container stow position
090482 is an example of a stow position.. This is basically divided into 3 parts
09 / 04 / 82 – where 09 is the bay, 04 is the row, and 82 is the tier – translated into English, it means :-
Bay, row, and tier numbering explained
Bay = each container vessel is split into compartments, which are termed as Bay.. Depending on the size of the ship, it will proceed from 01 to 40 (for example), where Bay 01 is the bay towards the Bow (the front) of the ship and Bay 40 is the Stern (the back) of the ship.. Odd-numbered bays (1,3,5 etc.) mean that it is a 20′ stow, and Even numbered bay (2,4,6 etc.) mean that it is a 40′ stow..
Confused..?? Look at the picture below.. I have used Bay 09/11 (10) as an example here.. What you are seeing here is the cross-section of the ship both on deck and under deck.. Each of the small square blocks represents a 20′ unit space.. The bold lines represent the hatch covers that separate the deck (the part where containers are loaded, which is visible to us when you see the ship) and under deck (which is not generally visible when you are standing outside the ship)..
Row is the position where the container is placed across the width of the ship.. If you refer to the above diagram, the Row numbers are circled in Red.. It starts in the centre and progresses outwards with odd numbers on the right (starboard) and even numbers on the left (port), looking from the stern towards the bow.. Where a bay has an odd number of rows, the centre row is numbered 00..
Tier denotes at which level the container is placed – basically how high the container is stacked on board.. In the above diagram, the Tier numbers are circled in Blue..
Getting back to our stow position 090482 now – in the above diagram you will see that stow has an alphabet R – which I have used for the port of Rotterdam (each line, ship, or chief officer has their own alphabet for the ports).. So what I am saying here is that in stow position 090482 there is a 20′ container that is stowed for discharge at Rotterdam..
So when you see a stow position as above, you will know
09 = bay number, and the container is a 20′ (because it’s an odd number).. If it shows, for example, 10, then the container is a 40′..
04 = row number
82 = tier number, which denotes that this is a 20′ container that is stowed ON DECK.. Usually, ON DECK tier numbers start from 80 and increase by 2 per tier, so it will be 80, 82, 84, 86, etc.. On the largest ships, which can stack 10 or more tiers on deck, the deck tiers start at 72 instead, so the top tiers stay within two digits (more on why on-deck tier numbers start where they do).. If the tier number shows 02,04,06 etc then it’s stowed UNDER DECK..
Four worked examples from a real bay plan
Let’s look at a couple of scenarios from the above diagram..
- Scenario 1 = 090482 is a 20′ container stowed ON DECK on Bay 09, Row 04 and Tier 82 – container is going to R for Rotterdam..
- Scenario 2 = 110482 is also a 20′ container stowed ON DECK on Bay 11, Row 04 and Tier 82, which is basically the adjacent bay to the Rotterdam container, and this container is going to L for Le Havre..
- Scenario 3 = 090202 – which is a 20′ container stowed UNDER DECK on Bay 09, Row 02 and Tier 02, which is the bottom-most tier, and this container is going to D for Dublin..
- Scenario 4 = 100484 – is a 40′ container stowed ON DECK on Bay 10, Row 04 and Tier 84, and this container is going to F for Felixstowe.. This container is basically sitting on TOP of the Rotterdam and Le Havre containers.. Since this is a 40′ container and is sitting across both bays 9 and 11, this bay is given the number 10.. The container is shown as sitting on 9, but the corresponding slot on 11 is marked with an X, which means that this slot is NOT available for placing another container because there is a 40′ container already there..
For reasons of lashing and securing containers, a 40′ container can sit on top of two 20’s, but two 20’s cannot sit on top of a 40′ (unless under deck and surrounded by other containers or within cell guides)
So this is how a stow position is coined and how you identify whether a container is a 20′ or 40′ and whether it is stowed under deck or on deck just by reading the stow position provided..
How have mega ships changed stow positions
Mega ships have NOT changed the bay, row, and tier logic, but they have stretched every number in it.. A Megamax-24 ship, the class that includes HMM Algeciras, carries 24 rows of containers across the deck, 12 tiers in the hold and up to 12 tiers on deck, according to the Port of Hamburg’s profile of the vessel..
MSC Gülsün became the first container ship with 24 rows across the deck when it was delivered in July 2019.. MSC Irina, delivered on 9 March 2023 with a capacity of 24,346 TEU, still holds the capacity record in October 2026, and the large orders placed in 2026 are for ships of around 24,000 TEU, not bigger ones.. Ship size has levelled off, but the number of ships this size keeps growing..
For anyone reading a stow position, that means row numbers running up to 24, around 24 forty-foot bays on a 400 metre ship, and deck tiers that start at 72 instead of 82..
Why do some ships number deck tiers from 72
Ships that can carry 10 or more tiers on deck start their deck tier numbers at 72, because starting at 82 would push the top tiers past 99.. The SMDG (User Group for Shipping Lines and Container Terminals) raised this in May 2011, when Maersk ships reached 11 tiers on deck, and the 10th and 11th tiers would have been numbered 100 and 102..
The SMDG BAPLIE 3.1.1 guide (June 2015) uses 72 as the first tier on deck for ships allowing 10 or more tiers on deck, and 82 for ships with fewer.. So on a Megamax-24 ship, a box on tier 72 sits on the hatch cover at the bottom of the deck stack, and a box on tier 94 is twelve high..
Check which convention the vessel uses BEFORE you read anything into the tier number..
Why is a stow position sometimes 7 digits
A stow position is sometimes 7 digits because the electronic bay plan, the BAPLIE message, sends every slot with a three-digit bay number.. The SMDG BAPLIE guide requires exactly 7 digits in the format BBBRRTT, so 090482 on a printed plan becomes 0090482 in the EDI message..
When a code looks one digit too long or too short, count from the right.. The last two digits are ALWAYS the tier and the two before them are ALWAYS the row, so whatever is left at the front is the bay..
Can I find out where my container is stowed on the ship..??
Yes, but only by asking the shipping line or its agent, because the stow position does NOT appear on the bill of lading or any other document the shipper or consignee receives.. The shipping line holds it in the vessel’s bay plan, and it is worth asking for whenever cargo arrives damaged by heat, cold, or water..
The stow position tells you whether the box was under deck or on deck, how high it sat in the stack, and whether it was in an outboard row exposed to sun and spray.. For heat-sensitive or high-value cargo, agree stowage requirements such as “under deck” or “away from heat” at the booking stage, rather than finding out the stow position after a claim..
My Take
Most people outside the planning office treat a stow position as trivia, and I think that is a mistake.. When heat-sensitive cargo arrives spoiled, the stow position is the first piece of EVIDENCE anyone should ask for, because it tells you whether that box sat deep in the hold or on the top tier in full sun.. The numbering has also quietly moved on, as Megamax-24 ships stack up to 12 high on deck and the SMDG convention starts those deck tiers at 72, not 82.. If your team still reads tier 72 as a typo, it is time for a refresher.. Do you know where your last container sat..??
Article FAQ
What is the difference between a bay plan and a stowage plan..??
Who decides where a container is stowed on the ship..??
Why can reefer containers only go in certain stow positions..??
Critical Note: Does a container keep the same stow position for the whole voyage..??
Originally published in March 2009 and fully updated in October 2026 to cover mega ships, tier 72 and 7-digit bay plan codes.. Last reviewed and updated by Hariesh Manaadiar: October 2026..
Hi! in regards to tier 72 rather than 82, this is because the largest container ships now go 11 high on deck. using 82 on deck you run out of numbers 9 high, so the newest largest vessels, or those retrofitted with mickey mouse ears, use 72 on deck to avoid this issue 🙂 the maersk herrera is an example of this
Hi, one more question: all my containers numbers have 7 digest and not 6
for example: 5175730, that would mean Bay 51 Row 75 Tier 730- but such a Tier seems impossible. How to read 7 digits?
thanks
Hi Wolfgang, stow position can only be 6 digits.. What you are reading is the container number which has 7 digits..
Hi, we have 8 containers on a vessel Taurus Voyage 017 W and we want to take them off in Rotterdam instead of Hamburg. The question now is where on the ship are they located. Can you help me locate them? Thanks, Wolfgang
Hi Wolfgang, the best option is to ask the shipping line to arrange for the COD.. No one else can help you..
Hi, your expertise required, I was given the followng stow positions
110072 – on hatch cover
090072 – on hatch cover
090172 – on hatch cover
Now I know 80+ is normally above deck and 02 – 18 is normally below deck
So where is 72, and what does it mean on hatch cover – how protected is the cargo
Rina, I can now answer this properly.. Tier 72 is the first tier on deck on ships designed to carry 10 or more tiers on deck, following the SMDG bay plan convention, so your containers were sitting directly on the hatch covers.. Row 00 is the centre row and row 01 the first row to starboard.. That is about the most sheltered position on deck, but still on deck, not under it..
In a recent onboard list I received a stow position for a 20ST unit was mentioned as 90004. Can you explain how a row number be ’00’?
Hi Konstantin, to answer your second question, row 00 is valid.. It is the centre row on ships with an odd number of rows across.. 90004 is most likely 090004 with the leading zero dropped, which is Bay 09, Row 00, Tier 04, a 20′ under deck on the centreline..
Why numbering of tier on deck starts with 80 and so on ?
good one
this article is so clear explanation and practical knowledge for me , thanks a lot
Hi, I believed Scenario 3 should read as 090202 whereas the (1×20′) D stands for Dublin destination.
Hi Alex, thanks for picking up this typo.. I have rectified the error
Explained better than my teacher. Pictures with explanation are best for understanding and retention!
Thanks so much. As someone not acquainted with stowage having been mainly on the shipping side i have found this most useful and informative.
Thanks so much
Keep up the good blog
John Lawlor
Thanks John, glad you found it useful and informative..
I have asked repeatedly of the shipping line for the stowage location, and they tell me it is not available. Does this make sense? Is it available and they just don’t want to be bothered? Any advice on how to tease this info out of the shipping line?
please can some one help me how i can get load plan software standard for vessel so i can use for distribution of cargoes for three or four ports,,, please
Thanks for such an informative write up. Please share, if possible, the reason behind upper deck tier number usually starting with 80?
Hariesh, on what document could I find the stow plan number for a given shipment? I shipped a significant quantity of wine 5 years ago, and now the wine is bad. I’m thinking the wine was exposed to high heat/temp, and would like to figure out where on the ship it was located during transport. Can you help?
Hi Tim, it is not shown on any document which is visible to the client.. You can ask the shipping line for this info and they should be able to provide it.. But if the wine is sensitive to heat, did you maybe pre-alert the shipping line of your requirement to stow the cargo away from heat..??
unfortunately I did not pre-alert them. As this shipment happened 5 years ago, would you expect the stow plan to still be availabie? Other shipments have been fine, and I’m curious if I can correlate ship location (exposed to direct sunlight on a side or top surface vs. not being directly exposed/placed under or among other containers) to the outcome.
Hi Tim, I am sure this information will be available.. However, it means extra work for the line to dig into their system and find it out for you.. From the stowage position we can find out where on the ship it has been stowed, whether it is under deck or on deck and how deep etc which may give you a clue..
Thanks Hariesh, great topic, easy & clear explanation, good examples. Muito Obrigado!
thank you so much for this information. you have really helped me to gain more insight into this topic
You are welcome Emmanuel, glad to be of help..
I have a stowage position given to me by the forwarder as 421314. Pls tell me where in the vessel will this be located ?
Hello JB, it should be located on Bay 42, Row 13 & Tier 14 which means the container is UNDER DECK.. Trust this helps..
Just wondering why the container over the hatch cover are numbering starting with “82”. Why not 72，92，62 ect…?
Hello Peter, pls read my article – https://www.shippingandfreightresource.com/container-stow-position-numbering/..
Thank a lot for sharing this article at last after one month starting on this kind of shipments (I was working as boarding clerk before on tankers or grain vsls) i finally understand how does this work
Glad to be of help Mervin.. 🙂
I presume a container ship is only on rare occasions really empty. It is more a continuous out and in of cargo in every successively harbour being docked, say a tour around Africa and a number of ports in Europe. With very heavy containers loaded only for a stay for second harbour to come….
Is you program still valid in this situation? (or is this a practical not existing situation?)
very good, how do i know port side from starboard side by reading the stowage position?
Hello sir,
Can you describe deadweight,gross weight,net weight???
thank you sir….
Hi Dinesh, i would think that it is a private choice on what you choose for your project.. If you are comfortable with reefers, then do that.. Whichever topic you are passionate and interested about.. All the best..
please reply for my message sir…..
thank you sir
thank you sir….i understand sir…what about the project details?i did my training in K LINE,chennai sir.but,in 2nd year i want to do project in any sector sir.i am decided to do in reefer cargo section in NVOCC company…what your idea sir…can you give any ideas about doing project? OR can i choose any other topic sir?
Hi Dinesh, as mentioned in the article above, in a bayplan profile, each square represents a 20′ container in order to achieve a standard as the capacity of a vessel is calculated in TEU’s (Twenty Equivalent Unit = 20′).. A 20′ is equal to 1 TEU and a 40′ is equal to 2 TEU’s.. When identifying a 20′ on a bayplan profile, one square is used and to identify a 40′ two squares are used. On one square the alphabet representing the discharge port is mentioned and on the corresponding square on the other bay an X mark is shown to identify that this square is not available as it is a 40′..
In such circumstances, for easy identification odd number bays (9)and (11) changes to an even number bay (10)..
Trust it is clear..
sorry sir….in some cases,if the 20′ container is not means,instead of they changing 20′ bay to 40′ bay….this is convertible bay…i am having some stowage plan for a vessel..in that they represent the,for eg: bay no 30(31).i dont understand how they are changing.what is the process and important hints for changing like this??
sir,
i am doing 2nd MBA sir..now i want to do project in shipping line..so far in 1st year i did my training in liner company(“K” LINE).did you have any idea about this?
thanks sir…I am a student studying MBA in shipping and logistics in chennai…I am clear in stowage plan,but can you explain convertabile bay???most cases many bays r converting inti 20′ to 40′..how???
Hi Dinesh, i am not clear about your question.. Please can you elaborate..
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPERATION PROGRAMMES.I GAIN ALOT FROM IT.BUT SOME VESSELS ROW NIMBERS ARE FADED ON THE HATCH COVERS NAD IS VERY DIFFICULT TO READ.I HOPE ALL WILL BE FIXED FOR CLEAR SIGHTING TO MAKE A GOOD OPERATION.I NEED MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO MAKE BAYPLANS.PLEASE KINDLY ASSIT OR GIVE ME THE WEBSITE WHERE I CAN READ MORE.
THANK YOU.
ABDOULIE.
hi,
just wanted to say thank you for posting this article.
this article seems very useful for me. i will be joining a container ship and i didnt have any background about container stowage onboard as this will be my first contract on a container ship. my previous employment were on tanker, bulk and roro.more power.
information provided is very good. However could you please tell me why does the on deck tier numbering system start from 80 and only even numbers are used i.e. 82 , 84 and so on
My vessel is a double deck roro sea barge. Containers (all 20ft) are loaded with fork lift in the athwartship position. We stow 4 across, I believe there is a different numbering seq for athwartship stow. Can you help?
Hi Rick, as far as i know there is no “set” sequencing or manual for athwartships stowage.. This largely depends on the ship, ship owner and operator and if they have a set pattern of cargo loading on their routes.. If anyone else knows of a set sequencing for athwartships stowage, please do share..
Dear sir,
Thanks very much for the very import information pleased to advise how we can draw vessel profile or define to be used by our planning programs ( load transshipment – casp )
Hi Nancy, yes it is upto the vsl operator and the design of the ship.. Some of the multi purpose operators have a designated area that they use only for stowing containers and will carry only that many containers.. For such operators its easy to have a fixed list of stow positions..
Others work on whichever areas are suitable for container stowage depending on where the other cargoes are stowed..
Thanks Manaadiar, as you may be aware US Customs has a new mandate that any vsl coming into the US carrying containers must submit a copy of the stow plan electronically. one of the segmenets required is the stow position. US Customs has not given any indication of how stow position should be recorded for non cellular vsls, I was wondering if you could give any insight to that, but it sounds like it is up to the vsl operator.
Dear Manaadiar, very informative. Are you aware of any internation stow positions that are the standard for non cellular vessels? for example, a break bulk vessel that happens to carry some containers? How are those stow positions designated?
Hi Nancy, good question.. This would generally depend on the ship operator and what type of ship this is.. They would also work off a stowage plan which looks different to the cellular vsls.. This would depend on ship to ship..
dear sir your explanation is very good but i think that there was a mistake in the third line below
bay 11 you wrote the odd numbers is on the left but it on the right
waiting for your answer .
with great respect
Hey thanks for pointing this out buddy.. Have amended it..
Hi thanks for this it’s very handy for cargo operations material – could maybe make use of it as an activity.
Hi Carol, thanks for the comments.. Not sure what you mean by “could maybe make use of it as an activity”.. Please can you elaborate.. Thanks..