Founded in 1928, it is the world's second largest container shipping company by both fleet size and cargo capacity, offering regular services to 374 ports in 116 countries.

Maersk Line began to grow in 1946 after the Second World War by transporting goods between America and Europe before expanding services in 1950.

[11] As of October 2015, Maersk Line along with its subsidiaries such as Seago, MCC, Safmarine and SeaLand, control a combined 18% share of the total container shipping market.

[14] In March 2021, Maersk announced that is aiming to have the world's first carbon neutral vessel launched in 2023, seven years ahead of its original schedule.

[15] In August of that year, the company purchased eight methanol powered shipping vessels for $1.4 billion from Hyundai Heavy Industries.

[16] In 2012, Maersk Line paid $31.9 million in fines to the U.S. following a Department of Justice investigation contending that Maersk had "knowingly overcharged the Department of Defense to transport thousands of containers from ports to inland delivery destinations in Iraq and Afghanistan" while under government contract to transport cargo via container ships in support of U.S.

[18] In 2015, Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) launched the 2M Alliance, a vessel-sharing agreement on the Asia-Europe, trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic trades.

[23][24] From 2007 to 2014, and mainly due to slow steaming, Maersk Line reduced its CO2 emissions by 40% or 11 million tonnes, about the same reduction as the rest of Denmark.

[27] In 2022, Maersk ordered 12 dual-fuel container ships from Hyundai by 2025, capable of sailing on both fossil bunker fuel and methanol.

[29][30] Recent restructuring of its products have included upgrades to their Asia to Australia, India to West Africa, and China to America routes.

The first of these Triple E Class ships was delivered on 14 June 2013, and was christened with the name Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller after the son of the founder of the Maersk Line.

[37] The following list is not complete, due to smaller feeder ships, that not are included as part of the Maersk Line fleet: On 8 April 2009, the container ship Maersk Alabama was seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean at a distance of 240 nautical miles (440 km; 280 mi) southeast of Eyl, Somalia.

[42] On 1 February 2013, the container ship Emma Maersk suffered a damaged stern thruster and took on so much water in the Suez Canal that she became unmaneuverable.

[46] On 6 March 2018, a major fire broke out in the No.3 forward cargo hold of Maersk Honam while the vessel was in the Arabian Sea about 900 nautical miles (1,700 km; 1,000 mi) southeast of Salalah, Oman, en route from Singapore to Suez.

Retaining its original IMO number, the ship was renamed Maersk Halifax before entering into service again in August 2019.

[50][51] On 21 December 2021, the container ship Maersk Roubaix suffered from engine issues and became adrift in the Mediterranean Sea 370 kilometres (230 mi) from Malta, while it was en route to the port of Algeciras in Spain.

Shots were fired at the vessel and boarding attempts were made while a private security team aboard defended the container ship.

[56] On 30 August 2024, the Singaporean-flagged container ship, Maersk Shekou collided with the Australian vessel Leeuwin II in Fremantle Harbour.