Hiring in freight forwarding has never been straightforward, but the balance between supply and demand has shifted significantly over the past two years.
While freight volumes and wider economic conditions continue to fluctuate, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to secure experienced professionals across several specialist disciplines. The challenge is no longer attracting applicants. It is finding candidates with the technical expertise, commercial awareness and industry experience required to make an immediate impact.
Every week, Freight Appointments speaks with employers and candidates across North America, Europe, Australia and the UK. Those conversations reveal a consistent pattern: the challenge is no longer simply finding candidates, but finding professionals with the technical expertise, operational knowledge and commercial awareness required to make an immediate impact.
Here are the five freight forwarding roles employers are struggling to fill right now.
Air Freight Operators
Unlike many operational roles, air freight experience cannot be developed quickly. Employers are often looking for professionals who can manage complex shipments independently from day one, meaning the pool of genuinely experienced candidates remains relatively small.
While many professionals have general forwarding experience, experienced air freight operators remain relatively scarce.The shortage is particularly evident among professionals with experience managing international trade lanes, airline relationships and time-critical freight independently.
The challenge isn't simply understanding shipment movement. Air freight professionals are often expected to manage:
- Airline relationships
- Time-critical shipments
- Dangerous goods requirements
- Customs processes
- Customer escalations
- Service recovery situations
The pressure and complexity associated with air freight means experienced operators frequently command premium salaries and often receive multiple approaches from recruiters.
According to Freight Appointments salary analysis, air freight professionals currently earn an average salary of $69,500, making them one of the highest-paid operational disciplines within freight forwarding.
For employers, this creates a highly competitive hiring environment where speed and employer reputation often matter as much as compensation.
Customs Specialists and Licensed Customs Brokers
Customs professionals have become one of the most sought-after talent pools in freight forwarding. As global trade regulations continue to evolve, businesses increasingly rely on experienced specialists who can navigate complex compliance requirements, minimise delays and keep international shipments moving efficiently.
Unlike many operational roles, customs expertise cannot be developed quickly. It is built through years of hands-on experience across different commodities, shipment types and regulatory environments. Employers are often looking for professionals who can make confident decisions from day one, making experienced customs specialists particularly difficult to replace.
This shortage has been amplified by changing customs regulations and increasing demand for compliance expertise. As a result, many of the strongest customs professionals are already established within successful businesses, highly valued by their employers and rarely active in the recruitment market.
For organisations looking to hire experienced customs talent, the challenge is often less about attracting applicants and more about accessing passive candidates with the right combination of technical knowledge, commercial awareness and practical experience.
Freight Sales Executives
Finding strong freight sales talent remains one of the biggest recruitment challenges in the industry.
The issue isn't identifying people with sales experience.
The issue is finding professionals who can consistently generate revenue in a freight forwarding environment.
The strongest freight sales candidates typically combine:
- Industry relationships
- Commercial awareness
- Trade lane knowledge
- Operational understanding
- Long-term account management skills
These individuals are often responsible for substantial revenue generation and are therefore heavily protected by their employers.
Revenue-generating professionals have become one of the most competitive talent pools in freight forwarding. Many already manage established customer portfolios and long-term relationships, making them particularly difficult to attract away from existing employers.
Businesses competing for this talent often need to offer more than salary alone. Career progression, leadership opportunities and organisational stability increasingly influence decision-making.
Export Operators
Export operators remain one of the more competitive talent pools within freight forwarding, particularly for businesses managing international trade lanes, complex customer requirements and time-sensitive shipments.
While import operations are critical to service delivery, export roles often involve a broader mix of operational planning, carrier coordination, documentation, customer communication and regulatory awareness. Employers are increasingly looking for export professionals who can manage more than process. They need people who can take ownership of shipments, communicate confidently with customers and understand how operational decisions affect service and commercial outcomes.
This broader responsibility is reflected in salary data. Freight Appointments analysis shows export professionals currently earn an average salary of $67,900, approximately 8% higher than import operators.
For employers, the challenge is that experienced export operators rarely stay available for long. Candidates with strong trade lane knowledge, customer-facing experience and commercial awareness are often approached by multiple businesses, making speed, reputation and long-term opportunity important factors in securing them.
Director and VP-Level Leaders
The most difficult roles to fill are often the most important.
Many freight forwarding operators are currently searching for:
- Directors of Operations
- Commercial Directors
- Branch Managers
- Vice Presidents
- Managing Directors
However, senior leadership hiring presents a different challenge entirely.
The best candidates are rarely active job seekers.
Instead, they are already leading teams, driving revenue and delivering results for competing organisations.
Identifying, engaging and attracting these individuals requires a proactive executive search approach rather than traditional recruitment methods.
This is one reason executive search has become an increasingly important part of senior hiring within freight forwarding.
What's Driving the Talent Shortage?
While each role presents different challenges, several common themes continue to influence hiring difficulty.
Experience Takes Time to Build
Many of the industry's most sought-after skill sets cannot be developed quickly.
Air freight expertise, customs knowledge, trade lane experience and leadership capability are all built through years of practical experience.
Candidate Movement Has Slowed
Many experienced professionals are becoming increasingly selective about career moves.
Factors such as organisational stability, leadership quality and career progression often outweigh salary increases alone.
Demand Continues to Outpace Supply
Freight forwarding remains a specialist industry.
As businesses continue investing in growth, technology and international expansion, demand for experienced talent continues to exceed supply in several key areas.
What Employers Can Do
Businesses that consistently secure top freight forwarding talent tend to focus on three areas:
Build Talent Pipelines Before Vacancies Exist
The strongest employers maintain relationships with specialist recruiters before hiring becomes urgent. Access to passive candidates is rarely achieved in a matter of days.
Reduce Hiring Timelines
Experienced freight forwarding professionals often receive multiple opportunities simultaneously. Delayed interview processes regularly result in businesses losing preferred candidates to faster-moving competitors.
Sell More Than the Salary
Career progression, leadership quality, organisational stability and broader responsibility increasingly influence decision-making. Employers able to articulate these opportunities often outperform businesses relying on compensation alone.
Final Thoughts
The freight forwarding recruitment market remains highly competitive.
While hiring challenges exist across the industry, air freight operators, customs specialists, freight sales executives, export operators and senior leaders remain among the most difficult roles to fill.
For employers, understanding why these shortages exist is the first step towards building a more effective recruitment strategy.
The businesses securing the strongest talent are rarely those paying the highest salaries. More often, they are organisations with clear hiring processes, compelling long-term opportunities and access to specialist recruitment expertise before vacancies become business-critical.
As competition for specialist talent continues throughout 2026, businesses that move quickly, invest in employee development and maintain strong employer brands will be best positioned to secure the people they need.
Looking to Hire Freight Forwarding Talent?
Freight Appointments specialises exclusively in freight forwarding, logistics and supply chain recruitment across North America, Europe, Australia and the UK.
Every week, Freight Appointments supports employers across North America, Europe, Australia and the UK with specialist freight recruitment and executive search assignments. Whether you're hiring operational professionals, customs specialists, freight sales executives or senior leaders, our market knowledge and industry network can help you secure the talent your competitors are also trying to hire.
Get in touch with our team today to discuss your hiring requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hardest freight forwarding roles to fill?
Currently, many employers report the greatest challenges hiring air freight operators, customs specialists, freight sales executives, export operators and senior leadership professionals.
Why are air freight operators so difficult to hire?
Air freight requires specialist operational knowledge, airline relationships, compliance expertise and experience managing time-critical shipments. These skills take years to develop, making experienced candidates highly sought after.
Are freight sales professionals in demand?
Yes. Freight sales professionals remain among the most in-demand and highest-paid professionals in the industry due to their ability to generate revenue and maintain customer relationships.
Why is executive search important in freight forwarding?
The best Director and VP-level candidates are rarely active job seekers. Executive search provides access to passive candidates who would not typically apply through traditional recruitment channels.
How can freight forwarding companies attract better candidates?
Competitive compensation is important, but candidates increasingly value career progression, leadership quality, organisational stability and long-term growth opportunities.
Which freight forwarding roles pay the highest salaries?
Recent Freight Appointments salary analysis found that freight sales professionals, air freight specialists and export operators are among the highest-paid professionals within the freight forwarding industry.
How long does it take to hire experienced freight forwarding professionals?
Hiring timelines vary by role, but specialist positions such as air freight, customs and senior leadership appointments often take longer due to a limited supply of experienced candidates.
Why are passive candidates important in freight recruitment?
Many of the strongest freight forwarding professionals are already employed and are unlikely to apply for advertised vacancies. Working with a specialist freight recruitment partner provides access to this wider talent pool through proactive market engagement.
