It’s that time of year again when freight forwarders, logistics leaders, and hiring managers from across the sector prepare for one of the most critical dates in the industry calendar: Transport Logistic Munich, taking place from 2 to 5 June 2025.

Held at Messe München, this international trade event brings together thousands of decision-makers to explore new markets, partnerships, and supply chain strategies. In 2023, the show attracted more than 75,000 professionals, and this year is expected to be even bigger.

In this blog, we explain what to expect from the 2025 trade fair, what Freight Appointments will be doing there, and how to use the event to tackle the recruitment gaps that are already impacting freight forwarding businesses across Europe.

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Transport Logistic 2025: The Freight Forwarding Agenda

Transport Logistic Munich is where real decisions are made. This year, freight forwarders, logistics leaders, and hiring managers will be discussing how to strengthen operations, protect customer relationships, and build teams that can handle rising volumes and expectations.

Across the sector, many freight forwarders are still running lean. Sales teams are stretched. Operational roles are going unfilled. Leadership capacity is being pulled into daily problem-solving. These issues are slowing down progress across air and ocean freight, customs, warehousing, and final-mile services.

At this year’s transport logistics trade fair, forwarders will be looking closely at where performance gaps are emerging and what needs to change before peak season begins.

Some of the most common issues facing transport and logistics companies include:

• Gaps in sales coverage across trade regions and sector verticals
• Delays in export documentation and customs due to under-resourcing
• Growing demand from clients for faster quoting and real-time visibility
• Longer hiring timelines for freight forwarding jobs, especially in Germany
• Increased turnover across air freight and ocean freight operations
• Leadership roles staying open across the branch and regional offices
  

A recent survey by the Logistics Hall of Fame confirmed what many already know. More than 75% of professionals across international logistics now see the shortage of skilled workers as one of the most serious risks to the sector.

Freight recruitment will be an unspoken theme of this trade event. It will be part of the conversations happening around sales planning, route development, and service consistency. Whether teams are hiring now or reviewing headcount for Q3, many will be asking the same question: Do we have the right people in place to grow?

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What Freight Appointments Will Be Doing at the Show

From 2–5 June, the international freight community will meet in Munich to tackle the big questions facing the sector. Growth is back on the table for many forwarders, but hiring remains one of the biggest challenges.

Freight Appointments will be at Booth 433A in Hall B2 to speak with freight forwarders, hiring managers, and senior professionals about the recruitment issues affecting performance in 2025. With candidate movement increasing and decision-making slowing down, we want to understand what is stopping businesses from getting the right people in the door.

We're also there to support those thinking about their next career step. Whether you're running a regional team or looking to move into a new market, this is the time to talk about what is changing in freight forwarding jobs, candidate expectations, and the recruitment process itself.

Across the week, we’ll be asking one thing: what’s holding teams back, and how can the recruitment process better support the pressure points forwarders are facing?

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The Biggest Freight Recruitment Pressures in 2025

While every forwarder attending the event will have different goals, many are struggling with the same hiring challenges. The IRU reports that over 3 million roles in transport and logistics went unfilled last year, with shortages rising fastest in freight operations and commercial roles.

Sales, operations, and leadership desks are staying open for longer, and it’s already starting to show. Below, we break down the areas under most pressure and what that means for revenue, service, and growth.

Sales: When Delays Cost You New Business

Many freight forwarders attending Transport Logistic Munich 2025 are planning to expand trade lanes, grow sector coverage, and strengthen client retention. But sales vacancies are already slowing progress.

According to McKinsey, unfilled B2B sales roles can reduce monthly pipeline value by up to 10%. In freight forwarding, that means missed quoting opportunities, slower tender response times, and a weaker presence across key accounts. These issues are already affecting growth across Europe and the Middle East.

In the lead-up to the transport logistics trade fair, forwarders have flagged several challenges:

• Gaps in Inside Sales and Business Development coverage
• Slower quoting reducing win rates
• Inconsistent contact with SME clients
• Candidate withdrawals linked to long processes and unclear offers

For businesses arriving at the trade event with commercial planning on the agenda, this is the time to ask whether current freight recruitment delays are already limiting new business. In a market where candidates have more choice than ever, getting ahead of sales hiring is essential.

Operations: Where Service Starts to Slip

For many freight forwarders preparing for Transport Logistic Munich, operational performance is high on the agenda. With clients demanding faster turnaround, tighter compliance, and more visibility, the pressure on operations teams is growing.

Yet across the industry, resourcing is falling behind. According to the IRU, unfilled roles in global transport and logistics operations increased by more than 60% between 2021 and 2023. Many forwarders are entering 2025 with leaner teams and longer vacancy timelines, particularly across air and ocean freight, customs, and documentation.

In the run-up to the transport logistics trade fair, the most common operational gaps include:

• Delays in export documentation and customs clearance
• Rebooking fees and missed handovers due to thin desk coverage
• Weakened client relationships from repeated service failures
• Overstretched teams struggling to maintain response times

Transport and logistics companies attending the event with service reliability in mind should consider whether current operational hiring gaps are already putting pressure on key accounts. When workloads increase and cover is limited, small issues start to affect long-term performance.

Leadership: The Gaps Slowing Everyone Down

While most attention at Transport Logistic Munich will be on growth and innovation, many forwarders are still trying to get leadership roles filled. Branch managers, regional heads, and senior operations leads are staying open for longer, and it’s starting to show.

These are the people who deal with problems before they become client issues. The ones who make margin calls, guide new teams, and keep things moving when volumes spike. When those desks are empty, even the best-run operations start to slow down.

We’ve seen teams stall on expansion plans because there’s no one in place to lead them. In some regions, senior roles have been open for months, not due to lack of budget, but because strong candidates are hard to secure and even harder to replace once they drop out.

Ahead of the show, this is the time to ask:

• Are your current leaders overstretched?
• Which key roles are still sitting open, and why?
• What will it cost to leave them open another quarter?

If team structure is part of the conversations you're planning to have in Munich, leadership needs to be on the list.

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What to Prepare if Team Growth Is on Your Agenda

Transport Logistic Munich is more than a transport logistics trade fair. It is a global meeting point for freight forwarders, transport and logistics companies, technology providers, and hiring decision-makers across international logistics. For any business thinking about team expansion in 2025, this trade event is a clear opportunity to get ahead.

You will be in the room with:

• Freight forwarders reviewing their sales strategies and trade lane coverage
• Operations leads addressing recruitment gaps in air and ocean freight
• Businesses exploring freight forwarding services in new international markets
• Recruiters and HR partners who understand the pressure points behind long hiring timelines
• Senior professionals quietly testing the market for new freight forwarding jobs
  

These conversations are already happening. The businesses that benefit most are the ones that arrive with priorities in mind. Before you step into Messe München, ask yourself:

• Where are our recruitment gaps slowing performance?
• What kind of freight recruitment support do we need?
• Which roles are proving difficult to fill and why?
• What is the plan if the right candidates drop out?
  

There will be hundreds of vendors, panels, and networking opportunities across the transport logistics trade fair. But if you want to speak directly about freight recruitment, candidate expectations, and how to improve results across sales, operations, and leadership hiring, come and see us.

See You in Munich — or Get in Touch Before

Freight Appointments will be at Booth 433A in Hall B2, meeting with freight forwarders from across Europe and beyond. Whether you're hiring now or planning for Q3 and Q4, this is the right time to talk about the recruitment challenges shaping sales, operations, and leadership hiring in 2025.

If you’re not attending Transport Logistic Munich but want to understand how the market is shifting or discuss your next hiring priorities, we’re still here to help. Get in touch with our team to talk through your goals and explore how we can support your next phase of growth.

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