Container carrier profiles
Five sourced profiles for the largest lines by fleet capacity. Rankings and TEU figures match the directory table on the container shipping hub (Alphaliner snapshot retrieved 2026-04-30). We do not publish star ratings or “best carrier” lists.
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#1 · Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
Mediterranean Shipping Company is the world's largest container shipping line by fleet capacity — a privately held, family-run business that grew from a single second-hand ship in 1970 into a fleet of roughly 1,000 vessels. Here's what to know about MSC's scale, ownership, and how to track a shipment.
#2 · A.P. Møller–Maersk
A.P. Møller–Maersk is the world's second-largest container shipping line, a Danish company with roots back to 1904 and now the anchor of the Gemini Cooperation alliance with Hapag-Lloyd. Here's what to know about Maersk's scale, ownership, and how to track a shipment.
#3 · CMA CGM
CMA CGM is the world's third-largest container shipping line, a privately held French company built through decades of acquisitions since its 1978 founding in Marseille. Here's what to know about its scale, ownership, and how to track a shipment.
#4 · COSCO Shipping Lines
COSCO Shipping Lines is the world's fourth-largest container carrier, formed in a 2016 restructuring that consolidated China's major state shipping interests. Here's what to know about its scale, ownership, and how to track a shipment.
#5 · Hapag-Lloyd
Hapag-Lloyd is the world's fifth-largest container carrier, a German line formed from the 1970 merger of two 19th-century Hamburg and Bremen shipping companies, now the co-anchor of the Gemini Cooperation alliance with Maersk. Here's what to know about its scale, ownership, and how to track a shipment.