Most freight forwarders don’t have time to sift through dozens of CVs just to find one half-suitable candidate. But that’s often what happens when businesses rely on traditional recruiters. These agencies post widely, screen on surface-level criteria, and prioritise volume over value.

It might look fast on paper. In practice, it slows everything down. Hiring managers get stuck reviewing irrelevant applications. Roles stay open for longer than planned. The wrong people move forward while the right ones drop out or go elsewhere.

This blog looks at why freight businesses are turning away from traditional recruiters, what makes a strategic talent partner different, and how working with a specialist like Freight Appointments helps you hire better and protect your team from the pressure of a slow or misaligned process.

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The Traditional Recruiter Model

Traditional freight recruiters often work on speed, not precision. The pitch is usually simple: “We’ll send you 50 CVs in 48 hours.” For stretched hiring managers, that can sound appealing. But what follows is often slower, more frustrating, and more expensive than expected.

Here’s how the process usually works:

• The recruiter bulk-posts your role to generalist job boards
• Applications are filtered based on broad logistics terms or job titles
• CVs that loosely match are added to the shortlist
• There’s no screening for trade lane experience, knowledge of customs clearance processes, or familiarity with air freight systems

You might receive 10 or 15 CVs by the end of the week. But most come from the same open-market pools used for general freight forwarding jobs. There’s no insight into sector experience, whether that’s project logistics, pharmaceutical cargo, or air export. 

There’s no understanding of routing systems or freight forwarding software like CargoWise. And there’s often no sense of whether the candidate is the right fit for your operational setup or compliance needs.

So why does this model persist?

Mainly because it looks active. CVs are arriving, interviews are being booked, and the pipeline appears to be moving. But inside the business, hiring managers are stuck screening applications and ruling out unsuitable candidates one by one.

Interviews take longer to arrange. Timelines stretch. Meanwhile, stronger candidates with relevant experience in international freight forwarding or customs broker roles are already in process elsewhere.

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Hidden Costs of Volume Screening

High-volume hiring may look efficient on the surface, but when candidates are poorly matched, it slows everything down. The impact hits across sales, operations, and leadership roles—and it’s rarely obvious until revenue starts slipping or teams begin to burn out.

Here’s what high-volume, low-context hiring actually costs your business:

• Time lost reviewing unsuitable CVs

Hiring managers spend hours sifting through profiles that don’t meet the brief. Whether it's a freight sales role or an operations hire, every CV that lacks sector relevance adds wasted time. That’s time taken away from managing teams, client delivery, or commercial performance.

• Extended vacancy periods

When shortlists miss the mark, roles stay open longer. Freight forwarding desks run understaffed. Documentation backlogs increase. Sales performance dips. The longer a role sits empty, the more strain it places on the team.

• Higher dropout and rejection rates

Candidates who aren’t properly vetted are more likely to drop out or be rejected. That means re-advertising, restarting interviews, and redoubling internal effort. Meanwhile, well-matched candidates elsewhere are already placed and off the market.

• Mis-hires that affect delivery and retention

In freight operations, a wrong hire can lead to customs delays, poor vendor coordination, and service failures. In sales, it might mean missed tenders or lost client renewals. Mis-hires in middle management or branch leadership create instability that takes months to recover from.

• Team burnout and turnover

When gaps persist or hires don’t stick, pressure lands on the existing team. Over time, that creates resentment, burnout, and ultimately more resignations, especially on overstretched export desks or within under-resourced sales teams.

The perceived speed of volume-first hiring often leads to longer, more expensive delays. In freight forwarding, where every role affects client outcomes, the wrong hire doesn’t just hold things up—it sets teams back.

How Strategic Talent Partners Drive Better Hires 

When critical desks sit open, performance slips. But rushing to hire doesn’t have to mean cutting corners. The right freight recruitment partner helps you hire quickly and accurately, with less wasted effort.

Freight Appointments works closely with forwarders across air, ocean, and project logistics to secure candidates who are ready to deliver. That means less screening, fewer rejections, and stronger results from day one.

Here’s how:

Freight-specific insight from the start

Generalist recruiters rely on job titles and surface-level experience. Freight specialists understand the real demands behind the brief.

They look for:

• Sales candidates with hands-on trade lane experience and sector knowledge
• Air freight coordinators who’ve routed time-critical cargo, not just tracked shipments
• Operations managers who understand customs updates and clearance procedures
• Team leads who can oversee both compliance and volume during peak periods

This avoids misalignment and speeds up time-to-productivity.

Access to candidates you won’t find on job boards

Many of the best candidates in freight forwarding, customs, and operations are already in work. They aren’t actively applying, but they are open to the right opportunity.

Specialist recruiters already know who to call. They maintain:

• Sector-specific talent pools
• Direct links with passive candidates across sales and ops
• Reach into niche freight communities across the UK, EU, and US

LinkedIn data shows 70% of supply chain professionals are passive candidates. You only reach them with sector-led search.

Full-process delivery that protects your time

Speed without structure leads to mistakes. Freight recruitment partners keep the process moving without pulling you away from daily pressures.

They handle:

• Pre-screening based on real job performance
• Salary, visa, and location checks early
• Interview scheduling and timeline management
• Continuous updates so you stay informed without chasing

Fewer mis-hires, stronger retention

Mis-hires in freight cost more than time. They delay shipments, cause errors, and affect customer trust. Sector-aligned hiring ensures:

• New starters are ready to deliver quickly
• Team pressure is reduced
• Retention improves, especially in high-turnover roles

A better hire today protects your margins next quarter.

Choosing the Right Freight Recruitment Partner 

You need to hire quickly. But the right person, not just the first available.

Top candidates are gone in 10 days. A bad hire can cost up to 30% of their annual salary. Every extra week adds pressure, risk, and cost to your team.

Here’s what makes the difference:

1. Sector understanding

• A specialist knows the difference between air export and cross-trade, pharma and automotive
• They qualify candidates based on real experience, not just job titles
• They ask the right questions so you're only meeting people who can do the job
  

2. Access to harder-to-reach people

• Strategic partners reach out directly through industry networks and referrals
• That means quicker access to better-matched people who aren’t visible to generalist recruiters
  

3. A joined-up process that keeps momentum

• 60% of people drop out when the process is too slow or unclear
• A good partner keeps things moving, manages every step, and keeps candidates engaged
• You don’t waste time restarting or chasing updates

When hiring slows down, performance does too. With the right recruiter, you can move quickly and still make the right long-term call.

The Smarter Way to Hire in Freight Forwarding

Freight forwarding doesn’t give you much room to get hiring wrong. When roles stay open too long or are filled for speed rather than fit, the knock-on effects hit fast: stretched teams, service delays, missed revenue.

This blog set out to show the real difference between traditional, volume-first recruiters and strategic freight hiring partners. One sends profiles. The other delivers results.

If you’re looking to hire fast without sacrificing quality, you need someone who knows the market, understands your desks, and works beyond job boards. That’s how you protect delivery, avoid mis-hires, and strengthen your business for what’s next.

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Need a Partner Who Can Move Quickly and Still Get It Right?

Freight Appointments helps freight forwarders across the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific build high-performing sales, operations, and management teams. We don’t just send names. We deliver people who fit.

Get in touch today to find out how we can support your next hire.

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