Import Management Software Built for European Importers
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 for teams who need more.
If you manage 5–200 shipments per month and currently rely on Excel and email to keep everything together, CARVO gives your team a single place to see every shipment, every document, and every deadline — without a six-figure contract or a six-month implementation.
Why European importers need dedicated software
European importers sit in a gap that nobody builds for. Enterprise transport management systems like CargoWise and SAP TM cost six figures and take a year to implement — they are designed for global 3PLs, not for the 20-person company bringing in containers from Shenzhen. E-commerce shipping tools like ShipStation and Sendcloud are designed for printing parcel labels, not for managing ocean freight, customs documentation, or landed cost.
So most import teams fall back to Excel, email threads, and WhatsApp groups. It works for a handful of shipments. It breaks down somewhere between 15 and 30 active shipments — when manual updates can't keep pace with real-world changes, when documents get lost in inboxes, and when the margin disappears into demurrage charges nobody saw coming.
CARVO is built for what happens in that gap: coordinating freight forwarders, chasing customs documents, tracking ETAs across multiple shipments, and calculating landed cost so margins stay visible.
What CARVO does
Track Every Shipment in One Dashboard
A single view of every active shipment, its status, its next action, and which team member owns it. No more switching between spreadsheets, forwarder portals, and WhatsApp groups to answer 'where is my shipment?'
See Where Everything Is on a Live Map
An interactive map of your shipments in transit — vessels, flights, and trucks — with animated routes and ETAs that update automatically. Spot delays before they reach your warehouse.
Manage Documents Without the Email Chase
Every document attached to its shipment. Request documents from suppliers and forwarders with a single click, receive them through a secure link, and see at a glance what's still missing before the vessel arrives.
Extract Data from Documents with AI
Upload a purchase order, commercial invoice, or bill of lading and CARVO extracts line items, references, totals, and dates automatically. No more re-typing data into spreadsheets.
Calculate Landed Cost Automatically
Product cost, freight, duty, insurance, handling — all tracked per shipment, converted to your base currency with daily ECB rates, and allocated per unit using your preferred method. Know your real margin, not the invoice price.
Stay Ahead of Customs Deadlines
Country-specific customs checklists for all 27 EU member states, deadline notifications, and a morning briefing that tells your team what needs attention today — before it becomes a problem at the border.
Coordinate Across Freight Forwarders, Brokers, and Warehouses
Share documents, status updates, and delivery instructions with external parties through secure links — no need for them to create accounts or log in. Works with every forwarder, every broker, every warehouse.
Analyse Performance with Reports and Scorecards
Supplier scorecards, freight forwarder performance, transit time trends, and cost variance reports. Turn your shipment data into decisions about who to work with and where to cut costs.
How CARVO compares
A side-by-side look at the categories of tools European importers consider — and where each one fits.
| Capability | Spreadsheets & Email | Enterprise TMS | Directory-listed tools | CARVO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (but costly in time) | €50,000–€200,000/year | Varies widely | Free / €49 / €99 per month |
| Setup time | Immediate | 3–18 months | Weeks to months | Same day |
| Built for importers | No — generic | No — built for 3PLs | Sometimes | Yes — every feature exists because importers need it |
| Document management | Email attachments | Yes | Sometimes | Yes — with AI extraction and automated requests |
| Live shipment map | No | Sometimes (add-on) | Rarely | Yes — included in all plans |
| Customs checklists | DIY | Regional | No | 27 EU countries, 75+ checklist items |
| Landed cost | Manual formulas | Yes | Sometimes | Automatic, five allocation methods |
| AI document extraction | No | No | Rarely | Yes — POs, invoices, transport docs |
| Multi-currency | Manual | Yes | Sometimes | ECB rates, automatic conversion |
| Team collaboration | Shared files | Yes | Varies | Roles, assignments, audit trail |
| Morning briefing | No | No | No | Daily email with actionable summary |
Who CARVO is built for
Good fit
- ✓You import 5–200 shipments per month into the EU or UK
- ✓You work with multiple freight forwarders, suppliers, or customs brokers
- ✓Your team of 1–10 people currently relies on spreadsheets, email, and WhatsApp
- ✓You want to calculate landed cost accurately across suppliers and currencies
- ✓You need to track customs deadlines and document completeness per shipment
- ✓You want to start today without a six-month implementation project
Not the right fit
- ×You are a freight forwarder or 3PL looking for carrier management software
- ×You run an e-commerce store and need parcel label printing (try ShipStation or Sendcloud)
- ×You handle 10,000+ shipments per month and need enterprise TMS customisation
- ×You need EDI integrations with dozens of carriers as a baseline requirement
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 is import management software?+
Is CARVO suitable for small businesses?+
Does CARVO work for air freight, ocean freight, and road transport?+
How does the AI document extraction work?+
Can I use CARVO with my existing freight forwarders?+
Does CARVO handle customs compliance?+
How long does it take to set up CARVO?+
Is CARVO GDPR compliant?+
Replace the spreadsheet today
Start free with up to 5 active shipments. No credit card. No sales call. No implementation project. If it works for your team, upgrade to Pro at €49/month when you need more.