Panvaya Ocean Container Tracking

Panvaya Ocean Container Tracking is an ocean-freight visibility service with operational tools and API access. It best suits freight forwarders, cargo owners, and logistics developers who need shipment milestones or want tracking data in TMS and ERP workflows. Its free tier is a sensible starting point, but carrier coverage and the Premium shipment cap are important constraints.

Overview

Users can search by container number, bill of lading, or booking reference across supported carriers. Panvaya identifies a carrier from a container number’s owner prefix, then shows status, location, milestone history, estimated arrival, vessel route, and exception alerts. Unsupported carriers receive an availability message instead of incomplete tracking data. That avoids a misleading partial record, though teams moving freight across a broad carrier mix should confirm coverage before relying on it.

Tracking links can be shared publicly or protected with a password, giving customers and partners a way to check shipment progress. Sailing schedules, port congestion monitoring, demurrage and detention tools, route planning, and carbon estimates add operational context beyond shipment lookup. The combination is useful for teams that want visibility and planning tools in one service, but the plan quotas still determine how far they can use it.

Key features

The REST API and webhooks connect tracking data to TMS and ERP workflows, making Panvaya relevant to logistics software developers as well as shipment operators. API keys default to 10 requests per minute; enterprise accounts can request higher limits. Error and not-found responses do not consume API credits, which helps avoid spending the allowance on unsuccessful lookups.

Panvaya supports ocean and intermodal tracking, ETA predictions, and exception alerts. Its security practices include AWS hosting, TLS encryption, access controls, and organization-level separation of customer data. Panvaya says it does not sell or rent customer content or use private customer content to train AI models. AWS compliance reports cover in-scope AWS services and are not a Panvaya SOC 2 attestation, so organizations with specific compliance requirements should assess that distinction. Enterprise support is described as guaranteeing ticket triage and resolution time under 24 hours.

Pricing

Panvaya uses a freemium model. The Free plan costs nothing and is billed always free. It includes five ocean shipments, 10 developer API credits, live AIS vessel tracking, a port congestion monitor, a marine route planner, and standard email support. It is a useful low-risk way to check carrier fit and basic workflows, but five shipments and 10 API credits will constrain ongoing use.

Premium costs $50, paid once for 30 days of access. It raises capacity to up to 100 shipments and includes 55+ ocean carriers, route map data, fleet control tower and analytics, demurrage and 3D load calculators, CSV and PDF exports, and priority support. This is the more capable option for a time-bounded project or a team that fits within the shipment cap; the one-time 30-day term is not a recurring monthly subscription.

Enterprise has custom pricing and a one-time 30-day access term, with final terms confirmed in a proposal. Its allocation is custom at two shipments plus 120 credits per $1 USD. It adds 15+ APIs, separate shipment and credit quotas, rollover credits, custom rate limits and SLAs, a dedicated account manager, and corporate invoicing. It fits organizations needing tailored capacity or service terms, though they will need a proposal to determine the price and allocation.

Platforms

Panvaya is available on the web and through its API. That pairing suits teams managing shipments in a browser or integrating tracking into their own logistics software.

Who it's for

Freight forwarders and cargo owners can use the shipment views, route and port tools, and shareable tracking links to keep operations and counterparties informed. Developers can use the API and webhooks to bring standardized milestones into other systems. It is a weaker fit when a required carrier is unsupported or when shipment volume exceeds the available plan allocation.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Search by container, bill of lading, or booking reference, with milestones, ETAs, routes, and exceptions in one shipment view.
• Pros: API and webhook support, plus API errors and not-found responses that do not consume credits, suit integrations with limited allowances.
• Pros: Sailing schedules, congestion monitoring, demurrage and detention tools, route planning, and carbon estimates extend beyond basic tracking.
• Cons: Unsupported carriers produce no tracking record, which can leave visibility gaps in mixed-carrier operations.
• Cons: The free plan's five ocean shipments and 10 API credits are restrictive for sustained use.
• Cons: Premium is limited to 100 shipments for 30 days, and enterprise pricing and allocation require a proposal.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Container Tracking Software. Choose Hapag-Lloyd Live Position when you need a carrier-specific option with Android, iOS, web, and API platforms; its Carrier Haulage Live Position plan is added automatically when any leg is Carrier Haulage, while Merchant Haulage costs 15.00 U.

Mati Logistics is worth considering if its free tier’s 10 account shipments or three lookups without an account meet your needs and you do not need API access on that plan. Tracktainer may suit lighter tracking needs: its free plan includes three tracking credits forever, and its volume-based monthly plan starts at $1 a month with a 10-credit minimum.

Terminal49 is an alternative for teams whose free allowance of 10 active containers, three users, basic notifications, and 50 document credits is a better fit. Consider SeaRates Container Tracking if you want Android or iOS access alongside web and API, with per-container usage pricing and monthly or yearly billing periods.

Shippeo is another paid platform for businesses exploring shipment visibility. GoComet is another paid option. Choose project44 Ocean Visibility if you need its stated 150+ ocean carrier and forwarder connections through a Movement UI or API.

Verdict

Panvaya is a good fit for freight forwarders, cargo owners, and developers who want ocean shipment visibility alongside route, port, and demurrage-related tools, with API integration available. Its free tier offers a way to check the service, and the Premium plan adds capacity and operational features for 30 days. Look elsewhere if Panvaya does not support your carriers, you need a larger ongoing allowance, or your organization requires a Panvaya SOC 2 attestation.