The email usually lands on a Monday morning. A short note from the CEO, a press release attached and a line about exciting times ahead.
If you work in freight forwarding, there’s a fair chance you’ve had one of those emails. Consolidation has been one of the biggest stories of 2026. Back in May, our Freight Industry Update tracked a run of deals, from Nippon Express acquiring Simon Hegele Group to Neolink taking on RIF Logistics’ forwarding division. The pace hasn’t let up. In the past few weeks alone, Scan Global Logistics agreed to acquire OIA Global, creating a group with more than $3.6 billion in combined gross logistics revenue, and AIT Worldwide Logistics moved into Oceania by acquiring Sydney-based Connor Anderson International.
Deals like these are usually good news for the businesses involved. They bring new regions, new lanes and a bigger network to sell. For the people inside them, though, the first few months can feel uncertain, and the same questions tend to come up whatever your role.
Here’s how we’d approach it.
Nothing much changes on day one
An announcement isn’t the same as a finished deal. Many still need regulatory approval: approvals for Scan Global’s acquisition of OIA Global, for example, are expected in the first quarter of 2027. Even after completion, integration plans take months to build and longer to roll out.
So the first piece of advice is the simplest. Don’t make a career decision based on a press release. Wait until you know what the integration actually means for your desk, your customers and your manager.
If you’re on the ops desk
For operators, the biggest change is almost always the system. Two forwarders rarely run the same platform, and moving shipments, customers and history from one to the other is a huge job. It lands on the people who already have a full workload.
It’s tempting to keep your head down and wait for it to be over. Don’t. If you’re asked to help test the new system, train colleagues or clean up data, say yes. When we analysed our US placement data earlier this year, freight technology came through as one of the skills employers value most, with CargoWise singled out. An operator who has been through a system migration, and helped others through it, is easier to place than one who hasn’t.
The other change is volume. Bigger networks often mean more lanes and new customers, which can mean more work before any new hires arrive. If that’s where you are, keep a note of what you’ve taken on. It’s useful evidence in a pay review, and at interview if you decide to move later.
If you look after key customers
The biggest customers are usually the first thing a buyer looks at. They’re the accounts that justify the price, and the ones a competitor will try hardest to win while everyone is distracted by integration.
There are usually two outcomes. Either you become the person who keeps that customer through the transition, which makes you more valuable than you were before the deal, or the account moves to a central or global team and your portfolio changes. Ask which it is, early. You’re entitled to know.
If you run a branch
Where both forwarders have an office in the same city, structures tend to get merged. That can mean one Branch Manager instead of two, or an Operations Manager role absorbed into a regional team.
It isn’t all downside. Buyers need people who know the local market, the local customers and the local carriers, and plenty of branch leaders end up running a bigger operation after a deal than they did before it. The ones who do well tend to be the ones who know their numbers, can show what their branch delivers and ask about their place in the new structure before someone else decides it for them.
If you’re thinking about moving
It’s completely normal to look at the market after a deal. Our blog on the top six reasons freight forwarding operators changed jobs in 2026 is a useful read if you’re weighing it up.
Timing matters, though. Leaving halfway through a system migration can be hard to explain. Leaving after you’ve helped deliver one is a strong story. If you do want to explore your options, speak to a specialist rather than applying everywhere at once. A good recruiter will tell you honestly whether the move makes sense, and will keep the conversation confidential.
If you’re the one doing the hiring
Acquisitions create hiring needs as well as uncertainty. New regions need leaders, integration needs project people and every leaver needs replacing, often while your competitors are calling your best operators.
Our advice to clients going through a deal is to talk to the people who hold key customer relationships first, be honest about which roles will change and plan backfill before people leave rather than after. For senior hires, a confidential search matters. Our executive search work is run under NDA where needed, so you can map the market without announcing your plans to it.
Growth hiring done well looks different. When CLASQUIN expanded in the US in 2025, we managed 11 of its vacancies, from customs brokers to air and ocean import and export agents. Five to six interviews per role led to 10 offers and seven hires. You can read the full story in our CLASQUIN case study.
Talk to us
Whether your forwarder has just been acquired or you’re the one doing the buying, our team is here for a confidential conversation. We recruit across freight forwarding in the US, Canada, Germany, Benelux and Australia, from operators to executive leadership.
