For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), international trade in 2025 feels like sailing through unpredictable seas. Tariff changes, shifting policies, and volatile supply chains have made global commerce increasingly uncertain. Yet amid this turbulence, Ship4wd, a digital freight forwarder led by CEO Carmit Hoshen Glik, is helping smaller players regain control; not through size or scale, but through technology and transparency.
“We’re trying to democratize logistics,” Glik says. “In our industry, volume counts: big companies get better service and pay less. SMBs are often underserved and overpaying. We want to break that system.”
Digital Empowerment for SMBs
Ship4wd was designed from the ground up to serve small and medium-sized businesses, a segment long marginalized in global logistics. While traditional freight forwarders cater to large-volume clients, Ship4wd’s digital-first model ensures every customer, whether managing ten shipments or a hundred, receives premium service and visibility.
“Most small businesses don’t have a logistics or procurement department,” Glik explains. “They might need support at midnight or on a Saturday. That’s where our 24/7 accessibility makes a real difference.”
Through its online platform, Ship4wd gives users full visibility over shipments, pricing, and documentation. Real-time tracking, direct communication with logistics experts, and transparent cost breakdowns remove much of the guesswork that once defined the freight process.
For Glik, this accessibility represents more than convenience: it’s a leveling of the playing field.
“Fifteen years ago, CEOs had BlackBerry and students had Nokia,” she says. “Now everyone uses smartphones with the same capabilities. That’s how we see technology in logistics, a tool to give everyone equal access.”
Artificial intelligence and automation also play an increasing role. Ship4wd uses predictive technology to provide instant rate comparisons, delivery estimates, and schedule updates. Soon, the company will launch a sourcing integration with China’s largest B2B marketplace, allowing U.S. importers and e-commerce sellers to buy directly from factories at wholesale prices. Logistics included.
“It’s the first time small businesses will be able to buy directly from suppliers with end-to-end shipping handled in one place,” says Glik. “AI is what makes that orchestration possible.”
But technology isn’t replacing human expertise. “AI can do a lot, but in our industry, experience still matters,” she adds. “That’s why every customer also gets access to real human support whenever they need it.”
Certainty Amid Trade Volatility
If digital access is Ship4wd’s foundation, certainty is its mission. And in a year of tariff shocks, few things matter more to small importers.
“It’s vastly impacting them,” Glik says of SMBs facing the latest U.S.–China tariff hike. “Every morning, you wake up to another change. You can’t manage a business when the rules keep shifting.”
Earlier this year, tariffs on goods imported from China to the U.S. rose from 29% to 47%. But for Glik, even this increase came as good news because it brought predictability. “At least there’s an agreement,” she says. “Once businesses know what to expect, they can plan.”
Ship4wd’s platform was built to provide exactly that kind of clarity. A real-time tariff calculator helps shippers see the full landed cost of goods, including duties and fees, during booking.
“The moment there’s a policy change, it’s reflected instantly,” Glik notes. “Customers can check updated costs, plan their pricing, and make informed decisions.”
Beyond tariffs, Ship4wd helps clients stay compliant with trade regulations by connecting them to experts via chat or scheduled calls. “We walk them through documentation and customs requirements step by step,” she says. “They don’t have to chase anyone for answers.”
Financial stability is another part of Ship4wd’s approach to resilience. With global shipping costs and cash flow pressures squeezing SMBs, the company offers flexible payment options: from PayPal and bank transfers to credit terms of up to 90 days. Apple Pay and Google Pay integrations are coming in 2026.
“Cash flow is a huge issue,” Glik says. “Every change in transport cost hits small businesses harder. Giving them flexible payment options helps them stay afloat.”
For Glik, this combination of transparency and flexibility defines Ship4wd’s role in the modern trade ecosystem. “Businesses don’t need everything to be easy,” she reflects. “They just need certainty, and partners who can give it to them.”
As global logistics becomes more digitized and more unpredictable, Ship4wd is proving that technology can do more than move goods. It can level the playing field, restore confidence, and help small businesses thrive even in turbulent times.
