We like being asked questions because we’ve got the answers

If you ever need assistance, rest assured that Ship4wd has you covered with our exceptional 24/7 customer support. You can reach us around the clock through the chat button on the website, email, and phone on weekends, holidays, and during off-hours.

Whether you’re searching for a quote, booking a shipment, or facing any other challenge along the way, our friendly support team is ready to answer your questions until the cargo reaches its destination, regardless of the size of your business and shipment.

At Ship4wd, service excellence is our commitment. We prioritize clear and timely communication, providing updates and support every step of the way. We’re in this together!

When you’ve signed into your account, you can update and edit your details in the My Account section, which you can find in the settings menu.

The primary account holder can add as many secondary account holders as are needed — there is no limitation on how many users there can be on your account.

After you share with us all the details we need, you can log into your account and search for shipping quotes.

Our registration process takes a couple of minutes, and all we need from you are a few basic details about your company. You can try and register here.

Registering for an account with us is completely free. All you pay for are the shipping fees you agree to with your freight carrier when you book a shipment.

As soon as your Ship4wd account is registered, you gain access to our entire shipping schedule and the freight carriers in our network. Enter the details of your cargo details and where you’re shipping from and to, and we provide an instant range of competitively priced shipping quotes to choose from — and we also offer flexible payment terms.

FCL is ‘Full Container Load’, which is when you require and pay for an entire shipping container for your shipment. LCL is a ‘Less-than Container Load’ shipment. This means your goods will likely share container space with others, but you only pay for the space that your shipment occupies. For more information, read our blog on the topic here.

Ocean freight can take anything between 20 to 45 days, sometimes more, and depends on a wide variety of factors. We keep you updated on the progress of your shipment with real-time tracking throughout its journey and supply Proof of Delivery when it arrives.

It depends on what, from, and to where you are shipping your goods. The most important shipping documents you will need are the Commercial Invoice and the Packing List, which contains information such as origin, destinations, the number of packages, weight, and other essential details. It can also include instructions such as when and where the customer or consignee will receive the goods.

You will also need to know what type of Incoterm you have agreed to with your supplier.

For more information on the top shipping documents you should be familiar with, read our blog here.

Depending on what the airports of origin and destination are, as well as the frequency and availability of flights, the average transit time for an airport-to-airport air freight shipment is three days.

This entirely depends on what you’re shipping, what your schedule is, and what your budget will allow. Air freight is the fastest method, but it can be costly. If you have more time, ocean freight will be your best option — and remember, we are the only freight forwarder in the world that can guarantee you ocean container allocation.

Freight forwarding is what your freight forwarder does for you. And what your freight forwarder does is act as your well-informed guide to getting you the best shipping services at the best price. We also manage the process of getting customs clearances for your shipments, and make sure that you’re kept up-to-date with the progress of your shipments while they’re in transit.

No, we are unable to do this.

With our access to ZIM’s global network of freight carriers, we can provide you with detailed and accurate shipping container availability — even split your shipment over multiple containers — to ensure that you always get the container space you require to keep you on schedule.

We provide a number of additional services that include credit lines (subject to meeting eligibility conditions), customs clearance, and cargo insurance. In addition, we offer 24/7 expert support for any questions you might have about your shipments. This is because we want to give you the most support and confidence in every shipment you book through us.

Through our global network of shipping partners, we offer Less-than-Container Load (LCL) Ocean Freight and Air Freight shipment services to over 180 countries.
Our Full-Container Load (FCL) Ocean Freight services are offered in the U.S., Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

For more information about these services and our routes, visit here.

Ship4wd provides digital freight forwarding for Air Freight, Full-Container Load (FCL) Ocean Freight and Less-than-Container Load (LCL) Ocean Freight shipments. We ensure you have the right options for your unique shipping needs, whether you need door-to-door or port-to-port delivery. For more information about our shipping services, visit here.

Ship4wd is a digital-first freight forwarding provider that was created by ZIM to provide a dedicated service for small-to-midsize businesses that puts them in control of their shipping. ZIM is our parent company, and we benefit from its 75+ years of experience and global network of top-tier shipping providers

We aim to provide you with the total cost of ownership for sourcing at early stages and before booking and payment, so you can make informed decisions. You will see:

• Final product cost
• Real-time international shipping quote from end-to-end
• Customs tariffs, duties and taxes (for shipments up to 68kg)

No. You pay in USD or CAD using credit card, bank transfer, or PayPal. We handle currency conversion and local supplier payments.

If your order doesn’t match the product you ordered or has visible issues, you’ll get a full refund, no questions asked. If you cancel after approving, a $95 handling fee applies.

You pay Ship4wd, not the supplier. Your payment is held securely until your goods arrive at our China warehouse, are inspected, and you approve the photos. Only then do we release the funds to the factory/supplier and ship your order.

Yes. Most factories provide this service (e.g., logo printing, branded packaging, and other private label options) for orders according to  MOQ requirements. Our team helps help coordinate everything with the factory on your behalf. If the factory doesn’t offer this, our team can help you find alternative options.

Many 1688 suppliers have low or no MOQs and also provide samples. You can start small and scale up when ready.

Yes. You can order samples according to the MOQ of the product to be shipped directly to you via air or LCL. Booking and fulfillment is instant, without warehouse inspections or delays. Samples are not inspected at our warehouse, they’re sent straight for your review.

Every order gets a visual inspection at our China warehouse before shipping. You’ll receive photos to approve before payment is released to the supplier. Once you receive the photos, we have a 48hr window to either approve or cancel the order for any reason and get a full refund. You can also add an optional service: a certified product quality pre-shipment inspection at the factory for deeper quality and workmanship checks.

Ship4wd connects buyers directly to manufacturers listed on China’s largest B2B wholesale marketplace, a platform that is highly regulated and relies on a rigorous supplier verification process. To be approved, manufacturers must meet strict qualification standards and complete an in-depth application that reviews their operating conditions, service levels, compliance with national regulations, and overall business practices. They must also be officially registered in mainland China and provide authentic documentation such as trademark certificates and authorization letters.

Beyond initial approval, supplier performance is continuously monitored. The marketplace uses a transparent “trading medal” ranking system, which scores merchants from 1 to 5 based on their real transaction performance over the previous 30 days — including total transaction value and the number of unique, legitimate orders. This helps give you an easy, reliable way to assess which manufacturers are active, trustworthy, and consistently performing.

Not at all. Everything is in English, prices are shown in USD, and you can manage sourcing, inspection, payment, and shipping in one place. On top of that, our team handles all direct communication with the supplier and coordinates for you.

1688.com is China’s largest B2B wholesale marketplace – where many Alibaba sellers actually source their goods even. The website is domestic-facing in Chinese only, with lower prices, and only accessible to local buyers with Chinese bank accounts. Ship4wd connects you directly to verified 1688 suppliers, with international delivery via our sourcing platform.

Yes. For Air and LCL orders up to 68kg we have DPP, so your tariffs, duties and taxes are all included in the cost you see on our platform. For Air & LCL orders over 68kg, DHL and FCL, we have DDU and offer digital customs clearance services as an add-on service to your order that will manage customs documentation and release at the destination.

We support Air Freight and Ocean freight, including LCL (Less than Container Load), FCL (Full Container Load), and express lanes. You’ll get real-time shipping quotes based on your order size and destination.

Yes. We consolidate at our warehouse in China and ship everything together – saving you money and simplifying customs.

Our sourcing platform can deliver to your door, warehouses, 3PLs, or fulfillment centers throughout the United States.

Warranty terms vary by supplier. If applicable, warranty details will be shown on the product page. We can assist in negotiating returns or repairs, though international return shipping is typically the buyer’s responsibility unless otherwise agreed.

We’ll help you coordinate with the supplier for returns or claims – even after the order is approved. If a warranty applies, we’ll assist in resolving it with the factory.