AWB number format: how to read an air waybill number

The eleven-digit structure: prefix plus eight digits

A classic IATA air waybill number has eleven digits in total. The first three digits are the airline prefix (assigned to one carrier or cargo brand). The following eight digits are usually written as one block: the first seven are the serial (sequence), and the eighth is the check digit, which helps catch typos. Together, prefix + serial + check digit uniquely identifies a master air waybill.

Visual breakdown (hyphen optional):

Orange = airline prefix · Tan = seven-digit serial · Brown tint = check digit

The airline prefix: what it means

The prefix is not random—it is an IATA-assigned numeric airline designator for cargo. It tells you which airline issued the waybill before you even open a tracking page. The same prefix appears on paper AWBs, eAWBs, and labels. Examples you will see often:

• 020 — Lufthansa Cargo
• 176 — Emirates SkyCargo
• 157 — Qatar Airways Cargo
• 023 — FedEx
• 615 — DHL Express
• 406 — UPS

Our site maps prefixes to carriers automatically. For every prefix we support, see the full airline prefix list. You can jump straight to popular trackers such as Emirates SkyCargo tracking, Lufthansa Cargo tracking, and Qatar Airways Cargo tracking.

Serial number and check digit (modulo 7)

The seven-digit serial is assigned by the airline’s numbering system. The check digit is the last digit of the eleven-digit number. For standard IATA AWBs it is derived from that seven-digit serial using modulo 7: take the remainder when the serial is divided by 7; that remainder (0–6) is the check digit. If your number fails this rule, re-read the digits from the document—a single wrong digit usually breaks the check.

Common formats you will see

Carriers and forwarders display the same logical number in different ways. All of the following refer to the same AWB if the digits match:

• With hyphen: 020-12345678 (prefix, dash, eight-digit block)
• Without hyphen: 02012345678 (eleven continuous digits)
• On documents: spaced or boxed groups; OCR and scans may drop leading zeros on the serial—always compare against the original PDF or email

The tracker on the homepage accepts common variations so you do not have to reformat by hand.

Special formats: FedEx, DHL, and UPS

Integrators also use their own tracking numbers, which our tool supports alongside classic AWBs:

• FedEx: often 12- or 14-digit numeric tracking (in addition to prefix 023 AWBs where applicable)
• DHL Express: frequently 10-digit express numbers (prefix 615 for classic AWB-style IDs)
• UPS: 1Z… alphanumeric codes (and related formats), as well as AWB-style use of prefix 406 in some flows

If your label shows one of these instead of a strict eleven-digit string, enter what you have—we route supported patterns to the right official page.

Quick reference: popular airline prefixes

Handy prefixes for day-to-day cargo tracking (not exhaustive—see all airlines):

See the complete AWB prefix directory for all 78 supported carriers and their 3-digit codes.