How to Track your MINI
Neutral
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Discharged from the boat
According to the WW cargo website, by MINI was discharged from their boat on July 11th at 8:00 am, but today is July 13th, and the Owner's Lounge still says my MINI is En Route (on the water). I have to assume it's really at the Vehicle Distribution Center, but I called both 866-ASK-MINI, and my dealership, and they both said it's still 'in transit'.... so ... I share the frustration of others who said the Owner's Lounge info is not up to date.
-Anxious for My MINI -
-Anxious for My MINI -
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Alexandria, VA
Reposting my question here from the Week 41 thread. I've been locked out OL for two weeks now. I'm using the "correct" URL, have tried resetting my PW, clearing cache and tried access on computers with Windows XP Pro, Vista and my iPhone as well as using IE 6.0 and Windows and Mac versions of Safari. ASK MINI folks tell me they're "working on site issues" yet I see here other folks are accessing the site with no problem. I'm realy getting steamed about this because my car is supposedly in the body shop now and I would really like to track it closely to see if it makes it onto the next shipment to the East Coast. So am I the only one having problems, or are there others out there "suffering in silence"?
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: Bluefield, WV.
RedC40,
They been having some serious issues over the last 2-3 weeks, it does look like they are starting to get a handle on the OL. Please keep in mind that recent experience with OL shows it it usually 2 -3 days behind the actual progress. The OL is not the same system that your dealer can access and is also not hte system that the production line updates.
Calling 866 ASK Mini is more accurate. Although they can have issues too.
Have fun, but don't let the OL get you down.
I should be picking mine up very soon, maybe even Saturday.
They been having some serious issues over the last 2-3 weeks, it does look like they are starting to get a handle on the OL. Please keep in mind that recent experience with OL shows it it usually 2 -3 days behind the actual progress. The OL is not the same system that your dealer can access and is also not hte system that the production line updates.
Calling 866 ASK Mini is more accurate. Although they can have issues too.
Have fun, but don't let the OL get you down.
I should be picking mine up very soon, maybe even Saturday.
Neutral
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Ft.Mill, SC
This is where I'm hung up...
...right click anywhere on the page and select 'View Source', for Firefox use the view menu and select 'Page Source'. There will be 2 lines way down the page with your VIN along with all your order options as well as your dealer’s name. Wright this down somewhere!
When I do this instruction. I just get a bunch of junk - I don't see a VIN # anywhere. Any other idea? I'm so frusterated!
When I do this instruction. I just get a bunch of junk - I don't see a VIN # anywhere. Any other idea? I'm so frusterated!
2nd Gear
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
You're in an OLD thread
If you have registered for the Owner's Lounge (you need an Order # from you Motoring Advisor (Salesperson)) Just enter and hit Track Your Baby.
On the left of the screen there is a button for Review Order (or something like that) About 2-3 days after Order is Placed, it will update to Scheduled for Production....if you then check your Review Order there should be a VIN listed under the Order Number....the complete list of options may take another couple of days to update and list correctly (or it may be correct initially and disappear only to reappear) Check for your Production Week Thread for more info and support. They are beginning Week 27 on Monday.
Hope this helps.
On the left of the screen there is a button for Review Order (or something like that) About 2-3 days after Order is Placed, it will update to Scheduled for Production....if you then check your Review Order there should be a VIN listed under the Order Number....the complete list of options may take another couple of days to update and list correctly (or it may be correct initially and disappear only to reappear) Check for your Production Week Thread for more info and support. They are beginning Week 27 on Monday.
Hope this helps.
2nd Gear
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
From: pennsylvania
I could not find the FREE AISfree/AISlive to sign up for at that website mentioned at the end of the first posting, regarding tracking when the ship is close to the US harbour. I wont pay all that money to register. 
I am impatiently waiting for the PORGY to make NY harbour.
I am impatiently waiting for the PORGY to make NY harbour.
1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Redmond, WA
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shi...mmsi=351126000
click on the link for the latitude and longitude to go to the map...looks like its out of range of a port since it states:
Info Received: 4d 19h 22min 7s ago
click on the link for the latitude and longitude to go to the map...looks like its out of range of a port since it states:
Info Received: 4d 19h 22min 7s ago
Neutral
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
I couldn't find the Auto Cargo on the site either... anyone know what we are missing there? These are the options when I go to the site.
- Search by ports
- Search by Voyage
- Search by Vessel
- Search by Trade route
- Schedules Subscription
5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 804
Likes: 1
From: Dallas, TX
I couldn't find the Auto Cargo on the site either... anyone know what we are missing there? These are the options when I go to the site.
- Search by ports
- Search by Voyage
- Search by Vessel
- Search by Trade route
- Schedules Subscription
There is an updated 'Track your MINI' thread.
Neutral
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Upstate SC
My little guy has been "born" and and has been waiting transport since last Thursday. I called AskMini yesterday and they said it was at the port of exit. I called my MA and she said it has not made a ship yet. Now I sit and WAIT! I have entered my VIN into the Cargo # field and it says nothing found on the WW site. Are there other shipping lines, does my MA have the most up to date information?
Tammy
Tammy
1st Gear
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Southern California
Settle In
My little guy has been "born" and and has been waiting transport since last Thursday. I called AskMini yesterday and they said it was at the port of exit. I called my MA and she said it has not made a ship yet. Now I sit and WAIT! I have entered my VIN into the Cargo # field and it says nothing found on the WW site. Are there other shipping lines, does my MA have the most up to date information?
Tammy
Tammy
Settle in for a wait Tammy. It takes a long time and your status will be shown waiting transport for a while. I did find out which ship my mini was on when I was going through this and was then able to track its movements via a barge tracking website. I know you will be crazy obsessive checking it, we all were. I am sure your MA has fairly up to date information and waiting transport doesn't mean it is on the ship or anywhere near a ship yet. Once it is on the ship then the real wait begins. Also when it finally docks, don't expect your mini the next day. That was the most surprising part. I waited through the whole process and I knew my mini had arrived in California and I still had to wait like two weeks.
Neutral
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Upstate SC
Took delivery Saturday
I was not expecting to get a call from my MA until later this week. She called me Saturday morning and said LuLu was on the lot and I could come pick her up at 1:30. It was 105 degrees that day in SC, but we went to get her and she drove like a dream on the ride home. I drove her out again Saturday night, and top the top down for a night ride, it was AWESOME!!! It has been a long wait but well worth it in the end!!!
Tammy
Tammy
3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Mission Viejo, CA
I was not expecting to get a call from my MA until later this week. She called me Saturday morning and said LuLu was on the lot and I could come pick her up at 1:30. It was 105 degrees that day in SC, but we went to get her and she drove like a dream on the ride home. I drove her out again Saturday night, and top the top down for a night ride, it was AWESOME!!! It has been a long wait but well worth it in the end!!!
Tammy
Tammy
4th Gear
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 334
Likes: 0
From: Southern California
[FONT="]Hi, I have been through the process of ordering and tracking my Mini now for about a month and a half. Through this I have gathered from your many posts the steps to track your mini. They are scattered about so I thought I would put them all together so future readers can track theirs easier.[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]1. Production #: you have to have this to start. I got mine the day I ordered from my dealer, walked out of the showroom with it. Some have reported waiting up to a week or more for theirs, I believe that this is a matter of dealer allocation. If you order when a dealer still has allocation on a production run, you get your number, if not you have to wait until that dealer gets another allocation.[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]2. Owners Lounge: Once you have your production number you can goto www.miniusa.com and sign-in to the owners lounge. The 1st few days the info may be wrong (color etc) but it will correct itself soon enough. This is really the slowest to update of the various tracking options. Anyway this is also 1 or 2 ways to get your VIN. Once the Owners Lounge (OL from here on) has your correct car, goto the Where's my baby? page. You need to see the HTML code here, so if you have MS Internet Explorer right click anywhere on the page and select 'View Source', for Firefox use the view menu and select 'Page Source'. There will be 2 lines way down the page with your VIN along with all your order options as well as your dealer’s name. Wright this down somewhere![/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]3. 866-ASK-MINI: This is really the best info for the early stages, production to being loaded on the ship. Call often, sometimes you will get confliction info, just call back until you get the same answer several times. Talk to a person, the automated system is not much netter than the OL. They can tell you things like when it's in the paint shop etc. Once they tell you it has finished production and is waiting for transport, you can move on.[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]4. Transport: This is where the Wallenius Wihlmsen site (WW) comes in, [/FONT]
[FONT="]http://schedule.2wglobal.com/AppTracking/cargoTrack.do , Go here and click on 'Auto Cargo'. Put your VIN in the 'Cargo ID' box. If nothing shows up wait a few hours and try again. Mine took 24 hours from when they said it had left the factory. Once it shows up, you will know the ship, booking and voyage numbers. The voyage details will tell you when and where this ship is going. The bill of lading number will let you see which VIN's are on the ship with you. you may have to scroll down many pages to find yours.[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]5. Ship tracking: Now you need the www.sailwx.info site Use the 'Find ship by name or call sign' under the Ship Tracker menu. Once you find your ship you can track it across the Atlantic. If the ship is too close to land it will not show up. It seems that they don't report to this site unless they are out to sea. You can always go back to the WW site and check the voyage details to see if it has left a port. Once it gets close to the good 'ol USA you need to switch to http://aisfree.aislive.com , you will need to do a free registration. This is really a paid site but you can usually get enough info from the free version. They have a really details view of the NYC ports, with lists of every ship updated every hour. Once it leaves NYC the info is less detailed and you have to hope to check it at the right time to see your ship listed.[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]1. Production #: you have to have this to start. I got mine the day I ordered from my dealer, walked out of the showroom with it. Some have reported waiting up to a week or more for theirs, I believe that this is a matter of dealer allocation. If you order when a dealer still has allocation on a production run, you get your number, if not you have to wait until that dealer gets another allocation.[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]2. Owners Lounge: Once you have your production number you can goto www.miniusa.com and sign-in to the owners lounge. The 1st few days the info may be wrong (color etc) but it will correct itself soon enough. This is really the slowest to update of the various tracking options. Anyway this is also 1 or 2 ways to get your VIN. Once the Owners Lounge (OL from here on) has your correct car, goto the Where's my baby? page. You need to see the HTML code here, so if you have MS Internet Explorer right click anywhere on the page and select 'View Source', for Firefox use the view menu and select 'Page Source'. There will be 2 lines way down the page with your VIN along with all your order options as well as your dealer’s name. Wright this down somewhere![/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]3. 866-ASK-MINI: This is really the best info for the early stages, production to being loaded on the ship. Call often, sometimes you will get confliction info, just call back until you get the same answer several times. Talk to a person, the automated system is not much netter than the OL. They can tell you things like when it's in the paint shop etc. Once they tell you it has finished production and is waiting for transport, you can move on.[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]4. Transport: This is where the Wallenius Wihlmsen site (WW) comes in, [/FONT]
[FONT="]http://schedule.2wglobal.com/AppTracking/cargoTrack.do , Go here and click on 'Auto Cargo'. Put your VIN in the 'Cargo ID' box. If nothing shows up wait a few hours and try again. Mine took 24 hours from when they said it had left the factory. Once it shows up, you will know the ship, booking and voyage numbers. The voyage details will tell you when and where this ship is going. The bill of lading number will let you see which VIN's are on the ship with you. you may have to scroll down many pages to find yours.[/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]5. Ship tracking: Now you need the www.sailwx.info site Use the 'Find ship by name or call sign' under the Ship Tracker menu. Once you find your ship you can track it across the Atlantic. If the ship is too close to land it will not show up. It seems that they don't report to this site unless they are out to sea. You can always go back to the WW site and check the voyage details to see if it has left a port. Once it gets close to the good 'ol USA you need to switch to http://aisfree.aislive.com , you will need to do a free registration. This is really a paid site but you can usually get enough info from the free version. They have a really details view of the NYC ports, with lists of every ship updated every hour. Once it leaves NYC the info is less detailed and you have to hope to check it at the right time to see your ship listed.[/FONT]
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
I couldn't find the Auto Cargo on the site either... anyone know what we are missing there? These are the options when I go to the site.
- Search by ports
- Search by Voyage
- Search by Vessel
- Search by Trade route
- Schedules Subscription
on how to research my MINI’s or the whereabouts, so I searched high and low for info on how to track it myself. I learned a lot from NAM posts, but I searched other places too. The individual that put this link { http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/07/14/how-to-follow-a-new-bmw-from-order-to-shipping-and-to-delivery/ } together REALLY “put it together “ well! I took his #8 (Scroll below for #8 and screen shots I included. Note: the NOTES added are due to my experience) to share with you. This should get you started… You definitely need to go back and check out this post (which I attached a link to) as it is absolutely amazing and makes for a good read. He’s included pictures too!BTW- my MINI did not take the route as his BMW; however, I was able to sift through his information, educate myself regarding the terminology & processes on the overall logistic of things, extracting what I needed to begin my search. Heck, it’s been an education- my geography increased volumes as I quickly learned about “crossing the pond” and bodies of water, what a RO RO is, maritime links (to track the ship via satelite), live cameras to see it cross the Panama Canal and a bunch of fun stuff, etc…
My MINI is in Mexico right now, and due to arrive in San Diego, CA on 2/25/13. It arrives in my home port of Port of Hueneme 2-days later. It wasn't always this way, but these last few years our port has been "off limits to unauthorized personnel." Security reasons, I'm sure, plus the military naval ships are in the same vicinity- a stones throw away... Any way, I was able to get a tour of the port when our vessel, the Gentle Leader, shows up. I'm looking forward to seeing the vessel up close and possibly get a glimpse of our MINI before it goes down the street to the BMW Processing Center. Congrats to you and happy searching...
Ready2roll,
This is what I borrowed:
"8. Track your car, if shipped by Wallenius Wilhelmsen, using your VIN #:
WBAWC73569E06XXXX NOTE: You will find your VIN# on the print out your BMW Dealer would have given you.
http://www.2wglobal.com/www/wep/index.jsp
• Go to “track and trace” cargo section on the homepage, at the bottom right.
(as displayed June 2009, this function has changed location over the months)
NOTE: Click on the “All Users” live button link (there is an padlock icon that shows it as being unlocked)
• Enter the VIN in the “Cargo ID” field of the form
• Hit “Track”
• Status will be displayed once Wallenius has taken taken possession of the car and selected it for shipment.
• You will then know the ships name.
• If “no records are available” is displayed, Wallenius Wilhelmsen does not yet have your car in their possession, your car is not being
transported by their fleet, or the tracking system is lagging behind actual status – which is quite common.
NOTE: My car never was displayed on this tracking site although Wallenius Wilhelmsen is listed as the logistics carrier, and agent for my ship, operated by ARC."
1st Gear
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Madison, WI
Part 1
So I thought it might be a good time to do a full repost and update of the info that was originally posted by Jeffherbst in 2006 as it has been very helpful to me in tracking my new 2013 JCW (After owing an ’04 MCS for years now).
My ship is docking in Baltimore today so with luck it will find its way to Wisconsin before I get back to Madison from Munich, Germany on the 5th of May :-)
Production #: you have to have this to start. I got mine the day I ordered from my dealer, walked out of the showroom with it. Some have reported waiting up to a week or more for theirs, I believe that this is a matter of dealer allocation. If you order when a dealer still has allocation on a production run, you get your number, if not you have to wait until that dealer gets another allocation. (All this info is still true as of 29 April 2013. I was luckly that I placed my order the week before the dealer han 5 cars going into production. They were able to just go in and reconfigure to my specifications)
2. Owners Lounge: Once you have your production number you can goto www.miniusa.com and sign-in to the owners lounge. The 1st few days the info may be wrong (color etc) but it will correct itself soon enough. This is really the slowest to update of the various tracking options. Anyway this is also 1 or 2 ways to get your VIN. Once the Owners Lounge (OL from here on) has your correct car, goto the Where's my baby? page. You need to see the HTML code here, so if you have MS Internet Explorer right click anywhere on the page and select 'View Source', for Firefox use the view menu and select 'Page Source'. There will be 2 lines way down the page with your VIN along with all your order options as well as your dealer’s name. Wright this down somewhere! (Update 29 April 2013: The ‘Where’s my Baby?’ link does not play well with iOS devices. Note: you will not see a VIN# until your car is scheduled for production. The info from this page can ‘lag’ information from 3-5 days)
So I thought it might be a good time to do a full repost and update of the info that was originally posted by Jeffherbst in 2006 as it has been very helpful to me in tracking my new 2013 JCW (After owing an ’04 MCS for years now).
My ship is docking in Baltimore today so with luck it will find its way to Wisconsin before I get back to Madison from Munich, Germany on the 5th of May :-)
Production #: you have to have this to start. I got mine the day I ordered from my dealer, walked out of the showroom with it. Some have reported waiting up to a week or more for theirs, I believe that this is a matter of dealer allocation. If you order when a dealer still has allocation on a production run, you get your number, if not you have to wait until that dealer gets another allocation. (All this info is still true as of 29 April 2013. I was luckly that I placed my order the week before the dealer han 5 cars going into production. They were able to just go in and reconfigure to my specifications)
2. Owners Lounge: Once you have your production number you can goto www.miniusa.com and sign-in to the owners lounge. The 1st few days the info may be wrong (color etc) but it will correct itself soon enough. This is really the slowest to update of the various tracking options. Anyway this is also 1 or 2 ways to get your VIN. Once the Owners Lounge (OL from here on) has your correct car, goto the Where's my baby? page. You need to see the HTML code here, so if you have MS Internet Explorer right click anywhere on the page and select 'View Source', for Firefox use the view menu and select 'Page Source'. There will be 2 lines way down the page with your VIN along with all your order options as well as your dealer’s name. Wright this down somewhere! (Update 29 April 2013: The ‘Where’s my Baby?’ link does not play well with iOS devices. Note: you will not see a VIN# until your car is scheduled for production. The info from this page can ‘lag’ information from 3-5 days)
Last edited by mmeskill; May 1, 2013 at 11:58 PM.
1st Gear
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Madison, WI
Part 2
3. 866-ASK-MINI: This is really the best info for the early stages, production to being loaded on the ship. Call often, sometimes you will get confliction info, just call back until you get the same answer several times. Talk to a person, the automated system is not much better than the OL. They can tell you things like when it's in the paint shop etc. Once they tell you it has finished production and is waiting for transport, you can move on. (Update 29 April 2013: My dealer was very good at updating me at each stage of production and the start of transport so I never had to call ‘ask Mini’)
4. Transport: This is where the Wallenius Wihlmsen site (WW) comes in,
http://www.2wglobal.com/www/WEP/index.jsp (Update 29 April 2013: the website has changed around a bit since 2006 and I have updated the link in this step) Go to the site and then ‘Customer Center’ dropdown to ‘Track and Trace’…. Put your VIN# in the box for ‘Cargo ID’ and hit ‘Track’…. You will now get the vessel name and other information: The name of the ship for my Mini was: SALOME
5. Ship tracking: Now you need the www.sailwx.info site Use the 'Find ship by name or call sign' under the Ship Tracker menu. Once you find your ship you can track it across the Atlantic. If the ship is too close to land it will not show up. It seems that they don't report to this site unless they are out to sea. You can always go back to the WW site and check the voyage details to see if it has left a port. (Update 29 April 2013: This info is still valid. I also used http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/ to track the ship. You can track by ‘Area’ ‘Ship’ or ‘Port’. I can hit page refresh in IE and was able to watch the ship move though the Chesapeake Bay at 3:30am EST…as I was sitting in Germany. I did this instead of using the method recommended by the OP. I’m leaving that info here for reference)
Once it gets close to the good 'ol USA you need to switch to http://aisfree.aislive.com , you will need to do a free registration. This is really a paid site but you can usually get enough info from the free version. They have a really details view of the NYC ports, with lists of every ship updated every hour. Once it leaves NYC the info is less detailed and you have to hope to check it at the right time to see your ship listed.
3. 866-ASK-MINI: This is really the best info for the early stages, production to being loaded on the ship. Call often, sometimes you will get confliction info, just call back until you get the same answer several times. Talk to a person, the automated system is not much better than the OL. They can tell you things like when it's in the paint shop etc. Once they tell you it has finished production and is waiting for transport, you can move on. (Update 29 April 2013: My dealer was very good at updating me at each stage of production and the start of transport so I never had to call ‘ask Mini’)
4. Transport: This is where the Wallenius Wihlmsen site (WW) comes in,
http://www.2wglobal.com/www/WEP/index.jsp (Update 29 April 2013: the website has changed around a bit since 2006 and I have updated the link in this step) Go to the site and then ‘Customer Center’ dropdown to ‘Track and Trace’…. Put your VIN# in the box for ‘Cargo ID’ and hit ‘Track’…. You will now get the vessel name and other information: The name of the ship for my Mini was: SALOME
5. Ship tracking: Now you need the www.sailwx.info site Use the 'Find ship by name or call sign' under the Ship Tracker menu. Once you find your ship you can track it across the Atlantic. If the ship is too close to land it will not show up. It seems that they don't report to this site unless they are out to sea. You can always go back to the WW site and check the voyage details to see if it has left a port. (Update 29 April 2013: This info is still valid. I also used http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/ to track the ship. You can track by ‘Area’ ‘Ship’ or ‘Port’. I can hit page refresh in IE and was able to watch the ship move though the Chesapeake Bay at 3:30am EST…as I was sitting in Germany. I did this instead of using the method recommended by the OP. I’m leaving that info here for reference)
Once it gets close to the good 'ol USA you need to switch to http://aisfree.aislive.com , you will need to do a free registration. This is really a paid site but you can usually get enough info from the free version. They have a really details view of the NYC ports, with lists of every ship updated every hour. Once it leaves NYC the info is less detailed and you have to hope to check it at the right time to see your ship listed.
2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
Re-Use Production Build Numbers?
Do they re-use production build numbers? I received my build number this weekend, and when I type it in I get a 2011 Pepper White Mini Cooper... for a vehicle that was built 3 years ago. My new vehicle is a Chili Red Convertible S.
Last edited by TopGunner; Oct 13, 2013 at 09:16 AM.