White Ocean & Air Cargo

What White Ocean & Air Cargo does

WOAC GmbH is a privately held, family-owned freight forwarding company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, specializing in international sea freight (LCL and FCL), air cargo, customs clearance, project cargo (break bulk and RoRo), and cross-trade shipments. The company operates from a single Hamburg location near the Port of Hamburg and coordinates worldwide volumes through an independent global agent network that delivers weekly LCL consolidation from key Asian origins and direct service to nine export destinations including Ashdod, Jebel Ali, Nhava Sheva, Delhi, Chennai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Busan. It carries both AEO (DE AEOC 124872) and NVOCC certifications, allowing it to act as an issuer of its own house bills of lading and benefit from expedited customs treatment across German ports.

The company's product surface spans the core ocean services, air freight import and export, customs clearance under ATLAS/NCTS/AES, project cargo, and cross trades port-to-port, plus warehousing and commissioning through a partnership with Prahl & Barsoe at the Hamburg port. Customer-facing technology is delivered via the third-party Cargosoft e-forwarding platform, which powers online booking, voyage schedules, and shipment management accessible to both businesses and private shippers. The firm maintains a relationship-led direct sales approach combined with a self-serve digital booking channel, and supports ongoing talent development through vocational trainees and Hamburg Chamber of Commerce-recognized training programs.

WOAC is managed by Managing Directors and managing shareholders Diana Maric and Vedran Maric, who also head sales relationships personally. The customer base is described as SMEs and private individuals seeking end-to-end international logistics, with no large enterprise anchor accounts named in the source data. The firm was taken over and rebranded from Weiss Ocean + Air Cargo to WOAC GmbH, and is currently operated as a family-run limited liability company with no external institutional investors, no funding rounds, and a small team in the low-twenties including trainees.

Name

White Ocean & Air Cargo

Legal name

WOAC GmbH

Website

https://woac.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WOAC GmbH is a family-owned Hamburg-based freight forwarder offering sea freight, air cargo, customs clearance, project cargo, and cross-trade services to SMEs and private individuals worldwide, leveraging AEO and NVOCC certifications and an independent global agent network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

NVOCC Operations & Ocean Consolidation (TLACABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA), LCL (Less-than-Container Load) Consolidation/Deconsolidation (TLACABAB), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH)

Keywords

• Sea freight forwarding
• Air cargo services
• Customs clearance
• Freight forwarding
• Logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sea Freight Services (Import & Export): WOAC charges fees for organizing and coordinating international sea freight shipments, including LCL (Less than Container Load) consolidation and FCL (Full Container Load) services. Revenue is generated through freight rates, handling fees, documentation charges, and related logistics services.
2. Customs Clearance Services: Professional customs clearance services for imports and exports through German seaports, including ATLAS clearance, NCTS, AES, fiscal representation, and carnet processing. Revenue generated through service fees per shipment.
3. Air Freight Services: Air freight import and export coordination services, with dedicated staff handling air cargo bookings and documentation.
4. Logistics and Warehousing Services: Storage, consolidation, and commissioning services in procurement, contract, and distribution logistics, generating revenue through warehousing and handling charges.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

White Ocean & Air Cargo (WOAC GmbH) is a Hamburg-based freight forwarder providing international sea freight (LCL and FCL, import and export), air freight, customs clearance, cross trades, project cargo handling, and logistics/warehousing services to SMEs, companies, and private individuals. The company operates a worldwide agent and partner network and offers an online booking/quoting portal alongside personalized service from a mid-sized team.

Product overview

WOAC GmbH is a Hamburg-based freight forwarding and logistics company offering a comprehensive suite of sea freight and logistics services. The core product portfolio includes sea freight (LCL/FCL import and export), air freight, project cargo (break bulk/RoRo), cross trades, customs clearance, and logistics/warehousing services. The company operates as a single unified brand with an integrated online booking system (powered by Cargosoft) providing customers digital access to freight booking, voyage schedules, and shipment management. As an NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) and AEO-certified company, WOAC coordinates global shipments through its independent agent network spanning the entire globe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Freight (LCL/FCL Import and Export) International ocean freight forwarding services covering both Less-than-Container-Load (LCL) and Full-Container-Load (FCL) shipments, for both import and export directions. Targeted at businesses and private individuals shipping goods internationally.
• Air Freight International air cargo forwarding services for time-sensitive or higher-value shipments. Available for import and export, serving SMEs, companies, and private individuals requiring expedited international shipping.
• Customs Clearance End-to-end customs handling for import, export, and transit shipments, leveraging AEO certification, ATLAS, NCTS, and AES systems. Supports companies and individuals moving goods across borders.
• Cross Trades Triangular shipment handling where cargo moves between countries without touching the shipper's or consignee's domestic market. Designed for international trading companies and SMEs managing multi-country supply chains.
• Project Cargo Handling of oversized, heavy-lift, or complex project shipments requiring specialized coordination, planning, and execution. Targeted at industrial and commercial clients with non-standard cargo.
• Logistics Service (Warehousing) Warehousing and complementary logistics solutions including storage, consolidation, and handling support for clients shipping internationally.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Prahl & BarsoeminorOthersPrahl & Barsoe operates as WOAC's warehouse facility in the Hamburg port area. The partnership was highlighted during a school group visit where students received a tour of the Prahl & Barsoe facilities as part of WOAC's logistics operations demonstration.
• TuS Germania SchnelsenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWOAC serves as official sponsor of the F-Jugend (youth football) of TuS Germania Schnelsen, also sponsoring the 2023 Sommercamp and the first men's team for three games. Reflects community engagement and local brand building.
• DataCo GmbHminorOthersDataCo GmbH (Dachauer Straße 65, 80335 München) serves as WOAC's appointed data protection officer (Datenschutzbeauftragter) in compliance with GDPR requirements.
• ColtminorOthersColt provides web hosting services for WOAC's website, with servers geographically located in Germany.
• CargosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationCargosoft provides WOAC's e-forwarding software platform (eforwarding.cargosoft.de) which powers the online booking, voyage management, and freight processing systems used by WOAC and referenced as a partner program.
• Landesberufsschule Dornbirn 2minorOthersOn May 26, 2023, WOAC hosted a group of students from Landesberufsschule Dornbirn 2 (Austria) for a company visit, providing an overview of all departments and a tour of the Prahl & Barsoe warehouse in the port.
• Instagram (Facebook Ireland Ltd.)minorOthersWOAC maintains a corporate presence on Instagram as part of its social media marketing strategy. Facebook Ireland Ltd. is the data controller for Instagram.
• LinkedIn (Unlimited Company Wilton Place)minorOthersWOAC uses LinkedIn as a professional networking platform for company information, recruitment, and industry engagement.
• XING SEminorOthersWOAC maintains a presence on XING SE (Dammtorstraße 30, 20354 Hamburg), a professional networking platform popular in the German-speaking market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Flexport: Digital-native global freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and customs with proprietary technology. Emerging player targeting SME and mid-market shippers — disruptive overlap with WOAC's customer segment.

Direct peers

• DSV Panalpina: Global freight forwarding and logistics company offering sea, air, road, and contract logistics. Direct peer across all product categories WOAC serves, though at vastly greater scale.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest sea and air freight forwarders with full customs and contract logistics capabilities. Direct competitor in ocean freight forwarding and customs brokerage.
• C.H. Robinson: US-headquartered global freight forwarder and 3PL offering ocean, air, and customs services. Direct peer in freight forwarding and customs brokerage with significant digital investment (Navisphere).
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global freight forwarder offering sea freight (LCL/FCL), air freight, customs clearance, and contract logistics. Closest comparable to WOAC given shared German SME focus, comprehensive product portfolio, and family-era corporate culture.
• Röhlig Logistics: Hamburg-headquartered mid-sized ocean and air freight forwarder. Highly comparable on geography (Hamburg), service mix (LCL/FCL ocean, air, customs), and mid-market / SME customer orientation.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Global Forwarding: Deutsche Post DHL's freight forwarding division — broad incumbent offering ocean, air, road freight, customs, and supply chain solutions globally. Overlaps with WOAC across LCL/FCL sea freight and customs.
• Dachser: German family-owned logistics company with road, air, and sea freight forwarding plus contract logistics. Comparable ownership profile and German SME focus, though far larger and broader in scope.
• DB Schenker: German-headquartered global logistics provider offering ocean, air, road freight forwarding plus contract logistics. Broad incumbent with overlapping ocean and customs service lines.
• Hapag-Lloyd: Hamburg-headquartered global container line with growing forwarding arm. Adjacent incumbent that also operates from Hamburg and shares the same regional ecosystem as WOAC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/woac.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weiss-ocean-air-cargo-woac-gmbh

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 White Ocean & Air Cargo