Import Document Management Software That Keeps Everything in One Place
CARVO is a shipment management platform built for small and medium European importers. It replaces the spreadsheets, emails, and WhatsApp groups that import teams use to track their shipments, manage supplier documents, and stay on top of customs deadlines. Plans start free, with Pro at €49/month.
Every import shipment generates 10–15 documents across multiple parties. The commercial invoice comes from the supplier. The bill of lading comes from the shipping line via the forwarder. The customs declaration comes from the broker. They arrive at different times, in different formats, scattered across email threads. CARVO puts them all in one place — matched to the right shipment, tracked for completeness, and ready when customs needs them.
Why Import Documents Are So Hard to Manage
A single import shipment into Europe typically requires a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or airway bill, certificate of origin, customs declaration, and often several more — phytosanitary certificates, insurance documents, inspection reports, delivery notes. Each document comes from a different party at a different time.
The importer sits in the middle, trying to collect everything, match it to the right shipment, verify that details are consistent across documents, and get the complete set to the customs broker before the goods arrive at port. If one document is missing or inconsistent, the shipment gets held. Demurrage charges start. Delivery windows are missed.
Most import teams manage this with email. The bill of lading is an attachment in a thread from the forwarder. The commercial invoice is in a thread from the supplier. The certificate of origin is in a third thread. To check if a shipment's documents are complete, you have to search through dozens of email threads and mentally reconcile what you have against what you need.
Dedicated document management systems exist — but they are built for enterprise compliance teams, cost tens of thousands per year, and take months to implement. Import teams at small and medium companies need something simpler: a place to store documents against shipments, track what is missing, request what is needed, and know that customs will not be a problem.
How CARVO Manages Your Import Documents
Every Document Against the Right Shipment
Upload documents directly to a shipment record — or forward them to CARVO's email inbox and they are matched automatically. Commercial invoices, bills of lading, packing lists, certificates of origin, customs declarations, insurance documents — all stored against the correct shipment, accessible to your whole team.
Document Completeness Tracking
CARVO tracks which documents have arrived for each shipment and which are still missing. A completeness indicator shows the percentage of required documents received. Missing documents are flagged before they cause delays — you see gaps at a glance instead of discovering them when the customs broker calls.
Automated Document Requests
Need a bill of lading from your freight forwarder? A certificate of origin from your supplier? Send a document request directly from CARVO. The recipient gets an email with a secure upload link — no account needed, no login required. When they upload, the document appears in your shipment record and you are notified automatically.
AI-Powered Data Extraction
Upload a purchase order, commercial invoice, or packing list, and CARVO's AI reads the document — extracting supplier details, line items, quantities, values, and reference numbers. Review what the AI found, accept or adjust, and the data populates your shipment record. No more retyping from PDFs.
Customs Checklists for 27 EU Countries
Every EU member state has specific customs documentation requirements. CARVO includes country-specific compliance checklists with over 75 items across all 27 countries. Select your destination country and transport mode, and CARVO shows you exactly which documents customs will expect — so nothing gets missed.
Email Inbox Integration
Forward emails with document attachments to CARVO's dedicated inbox address. CARVO automatically extracts the attachments, identifies which shipment they belong to based on reference numbers in the email, and links them to the correct record. Documents that cannot be matched automatically appear in an inbox for manual assignment.
External Partner Collaboration
Import documents come from multiple parties — suppliers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, warehouses, inspection agencies. CARVO lets you coordinate with all of them from one place. Send document requests to any external party. They upload via a secure link without needing a CARVO account. Track which partners respond quickly and which need chasing.
How Importers Manage Documents Today
A side-by-side look at the four most common approaches to managing import documents — and where each one breaks down.
| Capability | Email & Shared Drives | Generic DMS (SharePoint, etc.) | Enterprise Compliance Tools | CARVO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organised by shipment | No — by email thread | No — by folder/tag | Yes | Yes — every document linked to its shipment |
| Completeness tracking | Manual mental checklist | No | Yes | Yes — automatic per shipment |
| Document requests to external parties | Manual email | No | Sometimes | Yes — secure upload links, no login needed |
| AI data extraction | No | No | Rarely | Yes — POs, invoices, transport docs |
| Customs checklists | DIY | No | Regional | 27 EU countries, 75+ items |
| Email inbox ingestion | N/A — documents stay in email | Manual upload | Sometimes | Yes — forward emails, auto-matched |
| Price | Free | €5–€30/user/month | €50,000+/year | Free / €49 / €99 per month |
| Setup time | None | Days | Months | Same day |
| Built for imports | No | No | Partially | Yes |
Built for Import Teams Who Are Drowning in Documents
CARVO is for you if
- ✓You spend your mornings searching email for shipment documents
- ✓You have missed a customs deadline because a document was not ready
- ✓You manage documents across multiple freight forwarders and suppliers
- ✓You need to know which documents are missing before the goods arrive
- ✓Your customs broker has asked you for documents you could not find quickly
- ✓You want a system without a six-figure implementation project
CARVO is not the right fit if
- ×You need a general-purpose document management system (try SharePoint or Google Drive)
- ×You are a customs broker needing AEO-level compliance filing (try Descartes or MIC)
- ×You need enterprise trade compliance across multiple jurisdictions (try e2open)
- ×You only handle domestic logistics with no customs dimension
Simple pricing
Start free. Upgrade when your team needs more. No annual contracts, no implementation fees, no enterprise sales cycle.
Free
1 seat
- ✓Core shipment tracking
- ✓Up to 5 active shipments
- ✓Document storage
- ✓Live shipment map
Pro
3 seats included (+€12/seat)
- ✓Unlimited shipments
- ✓AI document extraction
- ✓Landed cost calculation
- ✓EU customs checklists
- ✓Morning briefing
- ✓Priority support
Team
10 seats included (+€10/seat)
- ✓Everything in Pro
- ✓Team management
- ✓Roles and permissions
- ✓Audit trail
- ✓Analytics and scorecards
Frequently asked questions
What types of import documents can CARVO manage?+
How does the AI document extraction work?+
Can external parties upload documents without a CARVO account?+
How does the email inbox work?+
Does CARVO replace our customs broker?+
Can I see which documents are missing for a shipment?+
Is there a free plan?+
How is CARVO different from SharePoint or Google Drive?+
Every missing document is a customs delay waiting to happen
Get organised before it costs you. Start free with document management for up to 5 active shipments. No credit card, no sales call, no implementation project.