Image Credit: ship4wd.com

Global shipping, particularly ocean freight, plays a pivotal role in cross-border trade. Yet the freight forwarding industry has long been plagued with legacy systems, opaque pricing, fragmented documentation flows, and limited access for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Traditional freight forwarding often forces SMBs to navigate convoluted logistics processes, prepay for services, and endure delayed updates, making it hard for them to efficiently scale globally. 

Enter Ship4wd, launched in 2021 by ZIM Integrated Shipping Services to address these challenges through a digital-first platform that streamlines quoting, booking, tracking, and financing for SMBs. The platform creates transparency with instant quotes, guaranteed container space allocation, flexible payment timelines, and 24/7 human support making international shipping more accessible and efficient for smaller players.

Ship4wd was founded by eyal moldovan in partnership with ZIM shipping, a major global container liner company founded in Israel in 1945, with decades of credibility in the shipping industry. The CEO of Ship4wd is Carmit Glik who brings over 20 years of industry experience including roles at Cogoport, Damco, and The Dock and leads Ship4wd’s mission to simplify freight forwarding for SMBs. Other leadership includes Dori Sobe, Head of Operations & Customer Support.

Ship4wd’s technology operates as a digital-first freight forwarding platform that streamlines every stage of the shipping process through an intuitive online interface. Customers begin by searching and comparing available shipping options whether Full Container Load (FCL), Less than Container Load (LCL), and air freight and can instantly generate transparent quotes with guaranteed space and locked-in rates for up to 45 days. Once booked, the system consolidates critical logistics services such as customs clearance, insurance, and inspection into a single workflow, reducing the need for multiple intermediaries. Payments are processed securely online via credit card, ACH, or wire transfer, with flexible financing options like “Buy Now, Pay Later” and instant credit lines up to $10,000, allowing SMBs to extend payment terms up to 90 days after delivery. Throughout the process, shipments are monitored with real-time tracking, ensuring that the platform adds transparency as well as reliability and financial flexibility to global maritime trade. 

Image Credit: ship4wd.com

One clear example of Ship4wd’s impact can be seen in its expansion to Thailand in 2022, where the platform opened new shipping routes connecting Thai exporters directly to markets in the United States, Canada, and Israel, giving SMBs faster access to global trade lanes that were previously dominated by larger players. Another notable case is its financing solution rollout in 2023, which enabled small businesses to secure over $3 million in trade credit within the first month of launch, helping them overcome cash flow gaps that often hinder growth in cross-border trade. In practical use, retailers leveraging Ship4wd’s integration with Walmart Marketplace have streamlined logistics by aligning their shipping processes directly with sales platforms, reducing delays and operational complexity. These cases demonstrate how Ship4wd’s digital model works not only as a freight forwarder but also as a growth enabler, providing SMBs with the tools to compete effectively in global maritime commerce.

On the client side, the platform serves a wide range of small and medium enterprises across industries, with notable traction among e-commerce retailers integrating through Walmart Marketplace and other digital sales channels. Additionally, Ship4wd has gained recognition through industry awards such as Best Freight Forwarder for SMBs in the U.S. and Canada (2024) and is fully accredited as an IATA Cargo Agent and Federal Maritime Commission registered forwarder, ensuring compliance and trustworthiness. These partnerships and credentials highlight Ship4wd’s dual strength in financial innovation and operational excellence, making it a reliable logistics ally for SMBs scaling globally.

References

• PR Newswire. (2021, October 6). ZIM establishes Ship4wd™, a new digital freight-forwarding company. Retrieved from https://prn.to/3QyM6X
• PR Newswire. (2023, September 12). Ship4wd facilitates global supply chain flow for SMBs with $3M of credit utilized in the first month of financing solution. Retrieved from https://prn.to/3sDq1s
• Nasdaq. (2023, June 21). Ship4wd changes freight industry standards for SMBs with new $10,000 instant credit. Retrieved from https://nasdaq.com/press-release/ship4wd-credit
• Tech Startups. (2024, April 9). Ship4wd transforms digital freight forwarding with an innovative solution for SMBs. Retrieved from https://techstartups.com/p/ship4wd-smb 
• JOC.com. (2023, June 28). ZIM forwarding arm Ship4wd targets small shippers with new finance tools. Retrieved from https://joc.com/article/ship4wd-finance 
• Ship4wd. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://ship4wd.com/about-us
• Ship4wd. (n.d.). Digital freight forwarding companies – are they beneficial? Retrieved from https://ship4wd.com/digital-forwarding
• Ship4wd. (n.d.). FCL shipping – full container load services. Retrieved from https://ship4wd.com/fcl
• Ship4wd. (2025, July 22). What is import financing in international shipping? Retrieved from https://ship4wd.com/import-financing
• Ship4wd. (n.d.). How it works. Retrieved from https://ship4wd.com/how-it-works

Contributor : Ariana Tri Asti
Reviewer : Imam Buchari, David Ratner