AIS ship and cargo type · Not available
AIS ship type 0: Not available
Ship type 0 means no type has been set in the transponder. It is the absence of a value, not a kind of vessel.
What code 0 means
Zero is the default the field holds until someone programs a type into the transponder. It is the absence of a value, not a category of vessel.
Reading the two digits
There are no digits to read. A vessel sending 0 has never had its type programmed, or has had it cleared. Its other fields — name, dimensions, call sign — may still be filled in, and they are the better guide to what it is.
The ranges that do mean something
| Codes | Family |
|---|---|
| 20–29 | Wing-in-ground (WIG) craft |
| 30–39 | Special activities |
| 40–49 | High-speed craft (HSC) |
| 50–59 | Special craft |
| 60–69 | Passenger ships |
| 70–79 | Cargo ships |
| 80–89 | Tankers |
| 90–99 | Other type |
What the code is not
The ship-and-cargo type is typed into the transponder by whoever installs or operates it. No authority checks it against the ship’s certificates, and it is broadcast in the static report every six minutes whether or not it is right. It describes what the operator says the vessel is, not what it is doing — that is the job of the navigational status.
For the whole decade structure in one read, see AIS ship type codes explained.