A method and system are provided that apply a combination of machine learning and graph techniques to classify and transform sequential event data. In some embodiments, the method and system are applied to generate raw data in the shipping industry to automatically classify a sequence of status codes extracted from EDI data files corresponding to a series of physical events experienced by a shipping container into a sequence of meaningful milestones to provide improved visibility regarding the actual status of the shipping container. The method and system can be applied to classify and transform sequential event data for use in the shipping industry and in other applications.