International Freight Services

What International Freight Services does

International Freight Services, Inc. (IFS) is a privately held, family-owned international freight forwarding and logistics provider headquartered at 350 Harbor Way, South San Francisco, California (relocated April 2025 from Burlingame). Founded in 1971 by Joe Di Maio and now in second-generation family leadership with Rob Di Maio, IFS operates a six-service platform: customs brokerage, air freight, ocean freight, general warehousing, bonded CFS warehouse, and trucking (FTL/LTL, intermodal, refrigerated). Its customer base spans government agencies (NASA), technology companies (Intuit, Space Systems/Loral), aerospace and defense firms (L-3 Communications), medical device manufacturers (Lifescan), cultural institutions (San Francisco Opera), and wholesale nurseries (Sun Valley Group).

IFS holds CTPAT certification from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, IATA accreditation for international air freight, and is a member of the Elite Global Logistics Network, through which it accesses a worldwide agent footprint. The company has no proprietary technology platform; its only digital touchpoint is a third-party Wisegrid-based client login portal for shipment tracking. There are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no API documentation, no software integrations, and no patents. International reach is delivered entirely through partner agents rather than owned infrastructure.

IFS generates revenue on a transaction-fee basis — service charges per shipment on freight forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing, and trucking — with quote-based pricing rather than published rates. New clients must complete a credit application and provide power of attorney, W-9, and an import customs compliance packet. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: direct sales via phone and email, a corporate website, and word-of-mouth referrals, with no outbound digital marketing, no sales technology stack, and no public case studies beyond website testimonials. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public revenue figures.

Name

International Freight Services

Legal name

International Freight Services, Inc.

Website

https://ifsworldwidelogistics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Freight Services is a privately held, family-owned freight forwarding and customs brokerage firm founded in 1971, providing air freight, ocean freight, bonded warehousing, trucking, and customs brokerage services to enterprise, government, and wholesale clients from its South San Francisco headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF), Air Freight Brokerage (TLADAMAE), Cross-Border Freight Brokerage (USMCA/EU, etc.) (TLADAMAN)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Customs brokerage services
• Air freight forwarding
• Ocean freight shipping
• Logistics and warehousing

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlingame

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: IFS generates revenue through comprehensive logistics and freight forwarding services including customs brokerage, air freight, ocean freight, warehousing, and trucking. Revenue is earned through service fees associated with handling international and domestic shipments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Freight Services is a full-service logistics provider offering six core service lines: Customs Brokerage, Air Freight, Ocean Freight, Warehouse (including CFS bonded storage), and Trucking Services. The company handles international and domestic shipments for enterprise, government, and technology clients through direct operations out of South San Francisco and a global network of agents.

Product overview

International Freight Services (IFS) is a full-service logistics provider offering a comprehensive suite of freight forwarding and supply chain solutions. The company operates a platform-plus-services model centered around six core service lines: Customs Brokerage, Air Freight, Ocean Freight, Warehouse, CFS Warehouse (Bonded), and Trucking Services. These services are delivered through a network of CFS facilities and trucking operations, with a web-based client login portal for tracking and management. IFS was established in 1971 and serves diverse clients from government agencies to Silicon Valley tech companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Customs Brokerage Comprehensive customs clearance services for importers and exporters, including Remote Filing, Formal and Informal Consumption Entries, Continuous and Single Entry Bonds, ISF (10+2) Filing, and Inbound Breakbulk handling.
• Air Freight International and domestic air freight forwarding with electronic air waybill (eAWB) capability, door-to-door service, and packing/crating for time-sensitive shipments.
• Ocean Freight Ocean freight forwarding including Full Container Load (FCL), Less-Than-Container Load (LCL), door-to-port, port-to-door, customized consolidation, and cargo insurance services.
• Warehouse Warehousing and storage services including Global 3PL, cross-dock, pick-pack-ship, e-commerce order fulfillment, general storage, high-security cage, and packaging/repacking.
• CFS Warehouse (Bonded) US Customs and Border Protection approved Container Freight Station (CFS) offering long-term bonded storage up to 5 years, deferred duty payments, restricted-goods storage, and facilitation of international shipping consolidation for import/export.
• Trucking Services FTL (Full Truckload) and LTL (Less-than Truckload) shipping, express/overnight services, air ride for delicate equipment, refrigerated trailers, intermodal services, and door-to-door delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Client saved over $100,000 in duties through IFS services

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CTPAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFS is a CTPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) member, indicating a strategic compliance partnership with CBP for enhanced supply chain security. This certification allows IFS to offer expedited customs processing and demonstrates adherence to stringent security standards.
• International Air Transport Association (IATA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFS operates as an IATA-accredited agent, enabling international air freight operations. This accreditation is essential for filing electronic airway bills and ensures compliance with global air transport standards.
• Elite Global Logistics NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIFS is a member of the Elite Global Logistics Network, providing access to a worldwide network of verified logistics partners and agents for handling international shipments across the globe.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Seko Logistics: US-headquartered mid-market freight forwarder offering air, ocean, customs brokerage, and warehousing. Closely comparable mid-size forwarder with similar multi-mode service profile and customer mix to IFS.
• Western Overseas Corporation: Long-standing US-based freight forwarder and customs broker serving importers and exporters with similar multi-mode capabilities. Directly comparable to IFS on service profile and customer base, particularly for aerospace, government, and tech accounts in California.
• TransGroup Worldwide Logistics: Privately held US freight forwarder and customs broker with air, ocean, and warehousing services. Closely comparable mid-size forwarder with similar service mix and family/private ownership profile to IFS.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding division of DHL offering air, ocean, road freight and customs services. Directly comparable service mix to IFS, but at global enterprise scale.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders offering air, ocean, road, and contract logistics including customs brokerage. Comparable across all of IFS's core service lines at significantly larger scale.
• FedEx Trade Networks (FedEx Logistics): Global forwarding and customs brokerage arm of FedEx offering ocean/air freight forwarding, customs clearance, and supply chain solutions. Comparable across IFS's core forwarding and customs services, embedded within a much larger enterprise.
• C.H. Robinson: Large North American freight broker and 3PL with NASTA (North American Surface Transportation) and Global Forwarding divisions. Comparable to IFS on freight arrangement and ocean/air forwarding, with much broader scale and technology stack.
• Expeditors International: Global freight forwarder and customs broker with air, ocean, and trucking services. Public, large-scale incumbent that overlaps broadly with IFS across customs, ocean, and air freight forwarding.
• UPS Supply Chain Solutions: Freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and contract logistics unit of UPS. Directly overlaps with IFS on customs, ocean/air forwarding, and warehousing, but at global enterprise scale.

Emerging players

• Flexport: Tech-enabled digital freight forwarder offering ocean, air, trucking, and customs brokerage via a proprietary platform. Competes with IFS for tech- and e-commerce-forward clients by emphasizing digital visibility, automated quoting, and API integrations that IFS lacks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IFSWorldwide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-freight-services-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Freight Services