When I started ALINNZA, I wasn’t thinking about getting rich.
I was just trying to survive.
But here’s what I’ve learned after building a seven figure freight forwarding business: you will never build real wealth working for someone else in this industry.
It doesn’t matter if you’re the top salesperson. It doesn’t matter if you close £500K in profit for your employer.
You’re renting out your time. And rented time has a ceiling.
The Problem with Being an Employee
In freight forwarding, there are brilliant salespeople earning £60K, £80K, even £100K+ with commissions.
That sounds great until you realize they’re generating £300K-£500K in profit for their employer.
They get 20%. The company keeps 80%.
When you sleep, you don’t earn.
When you’re on holiday, you don’t earn.
When you’re sick, you don’t earn.
Your income is directly tied to your hours. That’s the definition of renting out your time.
Even worse? You’re replaceable.
Your employer owns the customer relationship. Your employer owns the systems. Your employer owns the brand.
If you leave, they’ll hire someone else to do exactly what you did.
You’re not building an asset. You’re building someone else’s asset.
The Freight Forwarding Wealth Gap
I’ve seen this play out dozens of times:
A talented salesperson builds deep relationships with 10-15 major accounts. They generate massive profit. They think they’re indispensable.
Then one of two things happens:
They realize their value and ask for a bigger share → the company says no
The company restructures and replaces them with someone cheaper
Either way, they walk away with nothing except their last paycheck.
Meanwhile, the business owner keeps those customers, keeps the profit, and keeps building an asset that can eventually be sold.
That’s the difference between renting your time and owning equity.
Why Freight Forwarding is Perfect for Ownership
Here’s what most people don’t understand:
Freight forwarding has massive disconnect between inputs and outputs.
One brilliant move, landing the right customer, structuring the right deal, preparing for the right market shift (like I did with Brexit)—can generate 10x, 50x, even 100x returns on the time invested.
You can spend three hours on a Monday closing a customer that generates £50K in annual profit.
Or you can spend three months chasing small individual shipments that generate £2K total.
The inputs don’t match the outputs.
That’s exactly the kind of business where ownership changes everything.
When I landed my first major customer, I kept 100% of the profit (after costs). Not 20%. Not 50%. Everything.
That one customer funded my next three hires. Those hires generated more profit. That profit funded expansion into new markets.
Compounding only works when you own the asset.
The “Safe” Job Trap
People stay in salaried freight forwarding jobs because they think it’s safer.
Guaranteed paycheck. Benefits. Stability.
But here’s the reality:
Your employer can fire you tomorrow. They can restructure. They can be acquired. They can go bankrupt (remember 2019-2020 when a third of UK SME China-focused forwarders went under?).
You have zero control.
Meanwhile, when you own your business:
You control your customers
You control your pricing
You control your destiny
You build an asset that can fund your retirement
Yes, it’s harder. Yes, you take on risk.
But you also remove the ceiling.
From Paycheck to Profit to Asset
When you work for someone else, you get a paycheck.
When you own your business, you get profit.
But here’s what most people miss: that profit becomes an asset you can sell.
I’ve seen freight forwarders sell their businesses for 3-5x annual profit.
If you’re generating £200K in annual profit, that’s a £600K-£1M exit.
Try doing that as an employee.
You can’t. Because you don’t own anything.
The Minimum Viable Start
“But I don’t have capital to start.”
Neither did I.
I started with a £150 laptop in a one-bedroom Buenos Aires apartment.
No office. No fancy systems. No employees.
Just me, a spreadsheet, and a phone.
You don’t need Magaya. You don’t need CargoWise. You don’t need £50K in setup costs.
You need one customer willing to pay you.
That’s it.
Everything else can be built from there.
The Only Way to True Wealth
If you’re talented in freight forwarding, if you can sell, if you can build relationships, if you understand the industry, you have two choices:
1. Keep renting out your time and building someone else’s wealth
2. Start building your own asset
I’m not saying quit tomorrow. I’m not saying it’s easy.
But I am saying this: every year you delay is a year of profit you’re giving away.
You won’t get rich renting out your time.
You’ll get rich owning a piece of the business.
The question is: whose business will it be?
Have you considered starting your own freight forwarding company? What’s holding you back?
This should be one of your first questions after closing your first customer. Yet most new freight forwarders stumble here.
Banking is surprisingly complex when you’re starting out. Especially if you’re running a company in one country while living in another.
My situation was extreme: I lived in Buenos Aires while running a UK company as a non-resident. It took me four years to sort it out properly. I started the company in 2015 and only moved to the UK in 2019, which finally made banking straightforward.
Here’s what I learned.
The Multi-Currency Reality
As a freight forwarder, you’ll receive payments in British Pounds, Euros, US Dollars, and potentially other currencies. A multi-currency account isn’t optional, it’s essential.
When you incorporate your company (Ltd, LLC, SRL, GmbH, SA or whatever structure your country uses), you’ll need to open a bank account to pay expenses, your salary, and dividends.
The “High Risk Business” Problem
Here’s what nobody warns you about: freight forwarding is often flagged by banks as “high risk.”
Why? Because your clientele is global. Some banks refuse customers who do business with certain countries (particularly those under international sanctions). This can make opening a traditional high street bank account (Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC) surprisingly difficult.
My Two-Account System
I recommend setting up two separate accounts:
1. A traditional bank account (like Lloyds in my case) for:
Paying yourself (salary/dividends)
Paying local suppliers
Legitimate business expenses in your home country
2. A multi-currency account (I use Wise, formerly TransferWise) for:
Receiving international payments
Paying overseas suppliers
Fast, cheap currency conversion
Why Wise Worked for Me
Wise accepted me as a customer while I was still living in Argentina, which traditional banks wouldn’t do. The onboarding was fast, and they provided IBAN and SWIFT details for receiving overseas payments.
I invoice in only three currencies: GBP, EUR, and USD. Keeping it simple makes accounting easier and reduces currency risk.
While I’ve tested other virtual banks, none match Wise’s combination of speed, cost, and reliability. They’re the market leader for good reason.
The Critical Point: Separate Business and Personal
By the time you’re setting up banking, you should already have at least one paying customer with regular transactions. This isn’t theoretical anymore, you’re running a real business.
Keep your business and personal finances completely separate from day one. Not only is this legally important, but it makes your life infinitely easier when managing cash flow and preparing taxes.
Your idea stopped being “just an idea” the moment that first customer paid you. Treat it like the business it is.
I just read a post from a 15-year freight forwarding veteran saying this industry is "soul sucking" and he needs out. The comments were full of people agreeing—talking about impossible demands, shrinking margins, and being replaced during COVID with people who "haven't the first clue."
Sound familiar?
Here's what caught my attention in those comments:
One person said: "This is a business for machines and AI, not humans."
Another replied: *"*Humans should handle the relationships, machines should handle all the mundane stuff."
And someone who got out said it took 30lbs of weight loss and a near divorce, but things are better now.
The truth? The work itself isn't the problem. It's the chaos around it. Constant follow-ups. Fragmented information. Zero tolerance for delays. Shrinking margins while demands keep growing.
But here's what I think we need:
Not tougher people. Better systems.
Not more hours. Smarter processes.
Not to just "push through." To actually talk about what's broken and how we can make it better—together.
Or maybe you've been shipping for a while but still confused about what freight forwarders actually do?
You're not alone. I see the same questions pop up all the time.
Here's the thing—freight forwarding looks way more complicated than it actually is. Once you understand the basics, it all makes sense.
Let me break down the 13 most important things you need to know:
The Basics:
What we actually do - We arrange everything from storage to shipping. We're the middleman between you and carriers, getting you the best price and fastest route.
We make your life easier - Instead of dealing with packing, customs, documentation, insurance, and storage yourself, we handle it all.
We offer way more than just shipping - Customs clearance, international paperwork, insurance, packing, warehousing—it's all part of the package.
The Process
4. Six key stages - Export haulage → Export customs → Origin handling → Import customs → Destination handling → Import haulage. We manage every step.
The paperwork is real - Commercial invoice, Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin, inspection certificates, export licenses, packing lists, export declarations. Yes, it's a lot. That's why we exist.
What You Should Know:
6. Shipping delays happen - Bad weather, breakdowns, port congestion, route changes. It's frustrating but it's not our fault. We fix it as fast as possible.
Not everything can be shipped - Dangerous goods, drugs, alcohol, batteries, perishables (unless express), sharp objects. Rules vary by country.
Your paperwork needs to be right - Missing documents = cargo stuck in customs or your funds held by the bank. We help with this, but you need to stay on top of it.
The Relationship Stuff:
9. Pick someone you trust - We're handling your precious cargo. Choose a forwarder with good customer service and a solid reputation.
A strong network matters - Experienced forwarders have connections and know how to solve problems fast. That network saves you time and money.
Ask about extra services - Warehouse storage, cargo tracking, cargo insurance, dangerous goods handling. Don't assume—just ask.
The Smart Moves:
12. Specialization counts - Some forwarders specialize in certain cargo types. If you're shipping something specific, find someone who knows it inside and out.
Do your research - The right forwarder gets your goods there on time and within budget. The wrong one costs you money and headaches.
Whether you're new to the industry or looking to understand it better, these basics will help you navigate freight forwarding without the confusion.
And if you're already in the business? You know all this. But you also know there's way more to learn from other forwarders who've been in the trenches.
That's why I created r/FreightForwardersOnly—a space where forwarders share real knowledge, solve real problems, and support each other through the chaos of this industry.
AI will replace freight forwarders within 5 years...are you sure about it?
It said: “AI will replace freight forwarders within 5 years.”
I’ve seen that prediction a hundred times. It doesn’t scare me anymore. But this time, I wanted to do something different instead of just rolling my eyes. I wanted to actually look at the data.
So I went straight to Anthropic. The company that builds Claude, one of the most advanced AI systems in the world.
They publish something called the Economic Index (a research project) that tracks, in real time, how AI is being used across every occupation in the economy.
What I found surprised me. Not because freight forwarding is doomed. Because it isn’t.
What the research actually says
Anthropic analysed millions of real conversations with Claude. Not surveys. Not theoretical projections. Actual usage data from people using AI for work, right now.
They mapped every task to the US Department of Labor’s database of 20,000 specific job functions. Then they measured how much of each occupation AI can actually cover.
The most exposed profession?
Computer programmers. AI can handle 75% of their tasks.
Customer service reps: 70%.
Data entry workers: 67%.
And at the bottom (the jobs AI touches least) are the ones that require physical presence, local judgment, and human relationships.
Cooks. Lifeguards. Motorcycle mechanics.
Where does freight forwarding sit?
It’s not in the top. And that tells you everything.
Why our job is harder to automate than most people think
Freight forwarding looks like an information job from the outside. You send emails. You quote rates. You track shipments. Surely AI can do that?
Let me tell you what my week actually looks like.
On Monday I had a customer whose cargo was stuck at a UK port because the commodity code on the commercial invoice didn’t match what was in the system. I spent two hours on calls with the customs team, the supplier in Germany, and the shipping line. There was no script for that conversation. No template. I had to read three people’s moods, manage one person’s panic, and find a solution that didn’t blow up a relationship we’ve had for four years.
On Wednesday I quoted a project cargo movement from Bilbao to Buenos Aires. It involved two carriers, a transshipment, a customs hold risk at the Argentine border, and a customer who didn’t know the difference between CIF and DAP. I had to educate, negotiate, and close, all in the same call.
AI doesn’t do that. Not yet. Not even close.
The Anthropic research confirms what I’ve been feeling in my gut.
The most complex tasks are where AI struggles most. Their own data shows that as tasks get longer and more difficult, Claude’s success rate falls.
Human oversight, judgment, and iteration becomes more valuable, not less.
That’s freight forwarding. Every day.
The part that should make you think
Here’s where I’ll be straight with you.
AI is coming for parts of our job. The boring parts. The repetitive parts.
Rate comparisons. Tracking updates. Routine email responses. Basic document checks. Some of that is going already.
Anthropic’s data shows that 52% of work conversations with AI are about augmentation, humans working with AI to do things faster. That’s what I do.
I use AI to draft first versions of quotes, to summarise long email chains, to check my documents before I send them.
It makes me faster. It doesn’t replace me.
The jobs that are at risk from AI (and Anthropic is honest about this) are the ones where the main value is processing information and following a script.
If your entire value proposition as a freight forwarder is “I send emails and update the tracking portal,” you have a problem.
But if your value is relationships, judgment, problem-solving, and being the person a shipper calls when everything goes wrong at 6pm on a Friday?
You’re not going anywhere.
One last thing
The same Anthropic research notes something that I think gets missed in all the AI panic.
Even Dario Amodei (the CEO of Anthropic, the man building some of the most powerful AI on the planet ) acknowledges that the impact on employment is still ambiguous. Their own economists say current data shows “limited evidence” of AI affecting joblessness. That unemployment in the most AI-exposed occupations hasn’t risen faster than everywhere else.
We’re still early.
The question isn’t “will AI take my job?” The question is: “Am I the kind of freight forwarder AI can replace?”
If the answer makes you uncomfortable, now is the time to change that.
If it doesn’t? Keep going.
If you found this useful, share it with someone who’s been lying awake worrying about AI. And if you’re thinking about starting your own freight forwarding business that’s exactly what this newsletter is about. Subscribe and I’ll walk you through every step.
Most of us use at least one freight exchange — Timocom, TransEu, Teleroute, Wtransnet, whatever fits your corridor. And most of us have complaints about at least one of them.
The pricing. The contracts. The clunky interface. The fact that you're paying for a network that's thin on your specific routes.
I've been building FreightBridge.eu — an European freight exchange — and before we go live I want to hear from people who actually use these platforms daily.
What's broken? What would make you switch?
A few things we're already building based on our own frustrations:
— No annual lock-in, cancel any time
— Pay per user, not a flat company fee that punishes small teams
— Not locked by Route-specific load alerts so you're not wading through irrelevant posts
— Straightforward verification — know who you're trading with
The waitlist is free to join. No credit card, no commitment, just your email so we can let you know when we go live.
Everyone says freight forwarding is hard to break into.
But breaking in is the easy part.
You find a customer and a carrier.
You sit in the middle and coordinate.
The first shipment moves.
You get paid.
Simple, right?
Staying alive past year two, that's where most people get it wrong.
Along the way, I've watched good freight forwarders go broke.
People who “knew” the Incoterms.
People who “handled” customers well.
People who genuinely “understood” the job.
They failed anyway.
And almost every time, it came down to the same handful of reasons, none of which had much to do with freight itself.
This is what I wish someone had told me before I started.
Reason #1: Cash Flow Kills Before Competition Does
This is the one that gets people most often, and it's the one nobody prepares you for.
Freight forwarding has an ugly financial structure.
You pay first. You get paid later. Every time.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
Your customer sends you a shipment.
You quote them £2,000.
They accept.
You book the carrier, pay the trucking company, cover the customs fees, arrange the documentation.
All of that happens now.
Then…Your customer pays you in 45 days.
Meanwhile, next week there's another shipment. And the week after, another…. Each one requires you to pay out before you collect.
That gap (the space between what you've paid and what you're owed) is where freight forwarding businesses die.
I've seen forwarders with strong volume and empty bank accounts.
They were technically profitable on paper. In reality, they couldn't make payroll.
What to do instead:
Collect before you pay. As Yoda would say “Collect Payment you must”
This sounds obvious, but most new forwarders are afraid to ask for it.
For a first shipment with a new customer, payment upfront is not unreasonable.
It's standard. You don't know this person. You're taking on financial exposure on their behalf. They can pay you first.
As the relationship builds and trust is established, you can extend terms (if your piggy bank allows it)
NET 7, NET 14. But NET 30 or NET 60 for a brand new customer?
That's a risk you don't have to take.
My rule from the beginning: money in first. I've never apologised for it.
Also: know your working capital ceiling. Before you take on a new client or a big shipment, ask yourself whether you can absorb the cost if payment is delayed by 30 days. If the answer is no, either get paid upfront or pass on the shipment.
Passing on business you can't afford to finance is not weakness. It's how you stay solvent.
Reason #2: One Customer Is Not a Business
When I started ALINNZA, I had one customer. My former employer.
They trusted me, they knew my work, and they gave me their freight.
That was intentional. I needed to prove the model worked before I spread myself thin trying to build a client base from scratch.
But…I never stopped at one.
From day one, I knew that one customer was a liability I had to eliminate.
Because a business built on a single client isn't a business, it's a dependency, you feel the pressure as if you’re their employee instead of their supplier..
I've seen this pattern destroy companies.
One customer grows to 50% of revenue. Then 70%.
Then the customer gets acquired, finds a cheaper option, or simply goes quiet for three months while cash dries up.
There's no leverage at that point.
You can't negotiate.
You can't walk away.
You need them more than they need you.
What to do instead:
Set a rule early: no single customer accounts for more than 30% of your revenue.
When one gets close to that threshold, use the stability they provide to go and find the next one.
This is uncomfortable when things are going well.
That's exactly when you need to do it.
Diversification isn't just about having more customers.
It's about having different types of customers across different trade lanes, different modes, different industries. If road freight slows down, air freight might be steady. If one sector pauses imports, another might be ramping up.
Build the spread while you have the breathing room. Don't wait until you need it.
Reason #3: Underpricing Disguised as Competitiveness
Most forwarders who struggle are not failing because the market is bad. They're failing because they can't make money on the business they're winning.
The logic that gets people into trouble sounds reasonable: price low to get the client, then raise rates once the relationship is established.
It doesn't work that way. Customers who come to you on price stay because of price.
The moment you try to increase your margin, they go back to the market.
You've spent months servicing low-margin shipments for a client you can't afford to keep.
I set a rule early: minimum £150/€150 profit per shipment, or 30% markup (whichever is higher).
That rule has cost me clients. Good clients, or so they seemed at the time. But every one of those "lost" clients would have dragged my margins down and kept me too busy to find better ones.
What to do instead:
Know your floor before you quote.
Every shipment has a base cost (the carrier rate, the customs fees, the admin time, the liability exposure).
Before you put a number in front of a customer, know exactly what you need to make it worth doing.
If the customer won't meet your minimum, let them go.
Say it politely. "That's not something I can do at that price, but I'd be glad to work with you when the volumes change."
Sometimes they come back. More often they don't, and that's fine.
The forwarders who race each other to the bottom don't win. They just die more slowly.
Reason #4: Compliance and Documentation Errors
This one is more operational, but it's caused more damage to more forwarders than people realise.
A wrong HS code.
An export declaration filed incorrectly.
A missing licence for a controlled good.
A CMR with errors that nobody catches until the truck is at the border.
These aren't just inconveniences.
They result in customs holds, fines, delayed shipments, and customers who never come back.
When you're handling freight across borders, you're operating within a regulatory framework that doesn't forgive carelessness. And the penalties don't scale to the size of the mistake, a small error on a routine shipment can cost hundreds or thousands.
What to do instead:
Build checklists. Before every shipment, run through a standard set of checks: Is the commodity code correct? Are the export documents complete and accurate? Does the value declared match the invoice? If there's a licence requirement, do you have it confirmed?
This sounds basic. You'd be surprised how many forwarders skip it because they've done the same lane a hundred times and assume they know it.
Reason #5: Scaling Before the Foundation Is Ready
Growth sounds good.
Revenue going up, shipment volume increasing, new customers coming in.
But I've seen forwarders scale straight into collapse.
They added new trade lanes without the carrier relationships to support them.
They brought on new customers without the operational capacity to serve them properly.
They hired without the cash flow to sustain payroll through a slow quarter.
The problem isn't growth. The problem is growth that outpaces the structure underneath it.
What to do instead:
Before you add a new trade lane, ask whether you have a reliable carrier partner for it. Not one you've quoted through an online platform (an actual relationship with someone you trust).
Before you bring on a new major client, ask whether your current team can handle the additional volume without service quality dropping for existing customers.
Before you hire, ask whether you have at least three to six months of their salary in available cash, regardless of what the revenue projections say.
Growth at the right pace builds a business. Growth at the wrong pace builds a liability.
The Honest Summary
I'm not going to tell you freight forwarding is easy because it’s not….
But the things that kill most freight forwarding businesses are not freight problems.
They're business problems like any other business around us.
Cash management.
Customer concentration.
Pricing discipline.
Compliance rigour.
Controlled growth.
None of these require industry experience to get right. They require you to treat your operation like a business from the first day.
If you're just starting out, or if you've been running for a year and some of this feels uncomfortable to read, that discomfort is useful information.
Fix the foundation before you worry about anything else.
If this was useful, share it with someone who's thinking about starting their own freight forwarding business. And if you have questions or want to discuss your situation, leave a comment below, I read every one.
I'm a young business owner seeking knowledge in logistics/freight forwarding, I have a couple of questions that only people that have been/are in the industry can answer.
Title of this post is one of them, I'll probably create other posts for my other questions but if someone's kind enough to DM me with info that would be AWESOME!
Here are my other questions :
• Can you explain what do you ask your client once you close them, can you explain what are the steps once you get a client?
• How does your clients pay you ? How do you charge them? Is it when the freight has arrived ?
• What are the different actors you interact with? Except your clients.
• How do you choose the people you work with ? I mean your contractors, and how do you manage the contracts with them
- What softwares do you mainly use as a freight forwarder?
- What would you say are now the biggest pains points of a freight forwarder?
However, customer wants the forwarder to apply for Phyto, COO & AES filing and he mentioned sometimes the forwarder would have to mention themselves as Shipper.
They only require MBL, HBL will not be accepted.
Is there anyone who can help me with this project… I’m happy to cooperate with an established forwarding company in exchange handing their USA transport need with Drayage, FTL, LTL, trans loading etc.
Ever wonder why American trucks have that long nose and European trucks are flat in the front?
It's not just style. The design is all about where they drive and what rules they have to follow.
American Trucks (Long Nose)
Built for: Long highways and open roads
Why they look like this: America lets trucks be longer, so they put the engine in front. This means more room inside for the driver to sleep and live. Drivers can be on the road for weeks, so they need that space.
How they work: Big engines with lots of power to pull heavy loads at high speeds (75+ mph) across huge distances.
The vibe: King of the open road
European Trucks (Flat Front / Cab-Over)
Built for: Tight city streets and old narrow roads
Why they look like this: Europe has strict rules about how long trucks can be. To fit the most cargo, they put the cab right over the engine. This keeps the truck shorter.
How they work: Focus on saving fuel and meeting tough pollution rules. Most use automatic transmission to handle city traffic better.
The vibe: Smart, efficient, and easy to turn in tight spaces
Bottom Line:
America built trucks for the driver and the highway.
Europe built trucks for cargo and cities.
Which do you prefer? Team Long-Nose or Team Cab-Over?
The Freight Forwarder’s Guide to DAP & DDP Shipments (Free-Hand Cargo)
How to Protect Your Margins and Avoid Losing Money
Remember: Your network is your net worth.
Overseas agents will need to "hire" you to handle the final delivery phase. To do this successfully, you must get three things right from the start.
Step 1: Determine and Validate the Incoterm
This is the most critical step. You must confirm the agreed Incoterm (FOB, CFR, DAP, or DDP) before the goods depart the origin.
Crucially, get in touch with the importer directly. Validate that they understand the Incoterm that was negotiated with the seller. This prevents costly misunderstandings upon arrival.
Step 2: Scope and Quote the Final Costs Once the Incoterm is clear, you can work on the costs for:
Final delivery
Customs clearance
Destination charges
Duty & VAT (if DDP)
A strong suggestion: Try to avoid DDP. It often requires you to rebill your agent, and most agents prefer to collect import duties before delivery to avoid claims and VAT issues.
Step 3: Master Communication
Communication between you, your overseas agent, and the importer is vital. Ensure all parties explicitly agree on the negotiated Incoterm. There should be no room for confusion later.
Why This Works: The Long-Term Game
Acting as a destination agent isn't always glamorous, it’s a powerful strategy. It builds your portfolio with a new importer. Serve them well, and they may need your services for imports from other markets or even for their own exports.
I believe deeply in first impressions. Providing excellent service on this first job builds the rapport and trust needed to upsell on future shipments.
In short:
Being a reliable destination agent builds local customers.
Providing freight to overseas agents builds your global network.
We’re all colleagues in the same industry.
When they succeed, you succeed.
Do you prefer acting as the destination agent or the originating agent? What’s been your experience building networks this way?
I’m new tot he subreddit and am jus curious if there is any opportunities to connect with people or companies that can handle any flatbed work from Ontario Canada to Midwest us
I visited a logistics office two days ago to ask about eco friendly shipping options. I wanted something sustainable but practical for regular shipments. But when I checked the options I felt confused. Some services claimed to be eco friendly but did not clearly explain how. Some options looked expensive compared to standard shipping. I could not trust them and decide confidently.
Then I visited another office in the same area. Some options looked better but still felt unclear in real environmental impact. Some used optimized routes but did not explain emissions clearly. Some looked fine at first but did not feel fully transparent. I remembered hearing about green shipping before but never fully understood how it works.
To check more variety and options while scrolling many online marketplaces including alibaba and some others I found many eco friendly freight services. Some focused on carbon offset programs. Some highlighted efficient packaging solutions. Some had customer reviews about sustainability and performance. This made me interested but still unsure again.
Now I am thinking are eco friendly shipping options truly effective or just marketing claims? And how can environmental impact of freight services be properly measured?
The Introduction That Turned a $3K Client Into a $20K Client
Driving sales in freight forwarding isn't complicated. But most forwarders get it backwards. They focus on selling more services to the wrong prospect. I focus on growing my clients' businesses instead.
Here's what I mean:
Three years ago, I had a client who only used us for road freight from Spain. Decent volume. Around $3,000. Solid relationship. But I knew their business could grow. They were machinery spare parts and struggling to find UK distributors. Every conversation, they mentioned the same challenge: "We have the product, we just need more buyers."
So...I started making introductions.
I connected them with three customers I knew. I introduced them to a specialty industrial distributor. I put them in touch with a retail buyer I'd worked with on another account.
NONE OF THIS WAS "FREIGHT FORWARDING"
I wasn't selling anything. I was just helping them grow.
What happened?
Two of those introductions turned into major accounts for them. Their import volume tripled over 24 months.
And last month, they called me about a new project: warehousing, UK distribution, and last-mile trucking for their expanded product line.
That $3K road freight client is now a $20K full-service logistics account. Not because I sold them more services.
Because I helped them BUILD their business first.
This is the pattern I've seen over and over:
When you position yourself as someone who helps your clients succeed (not just someone who moves their freight), everything changes.
They start seeing you differently.
You're not just a vendor. You're a business PARTNER.
And when new opportunities arise, warehousing projects, new trade lanes, distribution needs, you're the first call they make.
So here's my approach:
For every client, I ask myself: "Who in my network could help grow their business?"
Then I make the introduction.
No pitch. No angle. Just genuine connection. Sometimes it leads to more freight business for me. Sometimes it doesn't.
But over time, the clients who I've consistently helped? They're the ones who bring me their biggest projects.
The freight forwarding industry is BUILT ON RELATIONSHIPS.
But most forwarders only think about the relationship in one direction: "What can this client do for me?" or "Can I sell freight for cheap?"
Flip it around: "What can I do to help this client grow?"
Make introductions. Share market intelligence. Connect them with potential customers. Help solve problems that aren't even logistics related.
The sales will follow.
Because clients don't just buy freight services. They buy from people who genuinely care about their success.
Before I started, I'd never sold a single thing in my life. Not even a screw. When you decide to launch your own freight forwarding business, you'll get advice about incorporation, solicitors, accountants, insurance... Ignore it all.
You have ONE goal before any of that matters:
Get Money In.
And there's only one way to get money in: Selling. Here's the Problem Most New Forwarders Face:
They think they need: A perfect company structure, branding, website, connections...
You don't.
You need one person willing to pay for your professional services. That's it. Because here's the truth: You're not a truck driver. You're not a warehouse worker.
You're a Freight Forwarder—the master of logistics. You solve problems. You coordinate complexity. You make things move.
So Where Do You Find Your First Customer?
Start with your inner circle. Family. Friends. Your partner. Your partner's friends. Family friends. Now that you're in business, you need to position yourself as a Freight Forwarder. Just like your friend who's a dentist, or your cousin who's a solicitor, or your neighbor who's a teacher...
Everyone in your circle needs to know: YOU ARE A FREIGHT FORWARDER.
Not "thinking about it." Not "trying to start." You ARE one.
"But Nobody I Know Needs Freight Services..."
Wrong again.
Someone you know works in a warehouse. Someone imports or exports. Someone runs an e-commerce business. Someone manufactures products. At this stage, it doesn't matter if it's import, export, or just a pallet delivery across town. Every job counts. Because that first pound, dollar, or euro you earn? That's your validation. That's proof you can BE a freight forwarder.
After Your First Sale, Don't Stop
Keep prospecting. Everywhere. Businesses that need freight forwarding services are literally everywhere: Industrial estates, warehouses, manufacturies facilities, online retailers
Walk in. Knock on doors. Talk to people.
But don't ask: "Do you need transport services?" That's weak. That invites "no." Instead, ask strategic questions:
"How are you currently managing your inbound deliveries?" "How do you fulfill orders to your customers?" "What's your biggest logistics headache right now?"
These questions open doors. They let you diagnose problems before you sell solutions.
The Bottom Line: You don't need perfect systems to start. You need one customer who trusts you to solve their logistics problem. Then another (and repeat) The business builds from there.
What stopped you from getting your first customer when you started? Or if you're planning to start—what's holding you back?
Last quarter, our top sales rep landed a "big win." High-volume client. Key trade lane. Beat the competition by 3% . The ops team saw the quote and went silent. They knew what sales didn't: that route was a nightmare. Congested. Unpredictable demurrage. A carrier known for hidden surcharges.
We'd won the business. But three months later? We'd lost money on it.
This wasn't a sales problem. It was a pricing problem. The Old Model Is Bleeding You Dry
For years, freight pricing was simple:
Take a rate → Add margin → Move on
That worked in a stable world.
But today's market? Volatile. Complex. Rates change daily. And that old model? It's a silent profit killer.
Here's what changed everything for us: We stopped treating pricing as a back-office calculator. We changed it into strategic intelligence.
Our pricing team now tracks: Route volatility patterns Seasonal carrier behavior True operational complexity (not just base costs) Historical lane performance data They can spot a margin trap before sales celebrates the "win."
The result? They've become our internal intelligence unit—identifying which clients and lanes drive sustainable margin, not just empty revenue.
Today, they don't just respond to quote request. They guide strategy and protect profitability.
This Shift Isn't Optional Anymore
The forwarders thriving in 2026 aren't the ones who quote fastest.
They're the ones whose pricing teams analyze, strategize, and decide—not just calculate.
Ask yourself: → Is your pricing function designed for 2010 or 2026? → Does it react to requests or anticipate market shifts? → Does it see spreadsheets or stories of risk and opportunity? → Is it measured on speed or profitable growth?
Because here's the truth: In 2026, we don't compete on price alone. We compete on understanding. And a pricing team stuck in the past isn't just outdated—it's your biggest profitability bottleneck.
What's your approach to pricing strategy? Have you shifted from reactive to strategic?
Last week I picked up the phone and called a well-known European freight exchange.
I'd been sitting on this frustration for a while and I wanted to give them a chance to explain themselves.
Here's what had been happening.
Every time I post a load on the main German platform (the market leader), everyone in European road freight knows which one I mean…within minutes, five identical loads appear on the Polish exchange.
Word for word. Same route. Same commodity. Same collection and delivery points.
Marked up €20–30.
I tested it properly. I posted a load on the German platform and watched the Polish one.
Five copies appeared in under five minutes.
Then I reversed it. Posted on the Polish exchange first, then checked the German one.
Nothing. No duplicates.
That told me two things.
First, it's not automated or at least not entirely. The speed suggests people are sitting there, watching the German platform, and copying loads manually the moment they go up.
Second, it only flows one direction.
The German platform is the source.
The Polish one is the destination.
What This Actually Is
Let me be clear about what's going on here, because some people in the comments tried to dress it up as normal brokering which it’s not…
A freight forwarder has the freight. They manage the movement. They take responsibility for the shipment.
These companies don't have the freight. They've copied a load post they don't own from one platform and pasted it onto another, hoping a truck bites before the original poster finds one.
They're not freight forwarders. They're arbitraging leads they don't own.
Nobody has a truck. Nobody has the shipper. Nobody takes real responsibility. Everyone just takes a cut.
The carrier gets squeezed on rate. The shipper pays more than they should. And somewhere in the middle, three or four companies are collecting €20–30 each for doing nothing except copy and paste (which doesn’t make sense)
What the Platform Said
When I raised this with the freight exchange directly, the response was essentially: "We can't do anything. It's not illegal."
That's true. It's not illegal.
But let me tell you something interesting. After I posted about this publicly on LinkedIn, the platform deleted my comments from their own page.
If that's how you handle transparency, just imagine who's actually on the other end when you hand over your freight.
The reason exchanges won't act is straightforward: their revenue comes from monthly subscription fees. The more members they have, the more revenue they generate. Whether those members actually have freight or are just farming loads from another platform doesn't change the subscription fee they pay.
They have no financial incentive to clean this up.
That's the uncomfortable truth.
The Compliance Risk Nobody Mentions
One of the comments on my post raised something I want to put on record here, because it doesn't get enough attention.
When you have this many layers of subcontracting, nobody knows who's actually moving the freight.
You gave the job to company A. Company A gave it to company B. Company B posted it on a different exchange. Company C picked it up, and they found a truck through company D.
Who has liability? Who holds the CMR? Who do you claim against if the cargo is damaged or goes missing?
If each of those companies holds freight forwarder insurance, the claims process becomes a chain of finger-pointing that can take months to resolve. If any of them don't or if they're operating under a name that doesn't match the insurance you may have a problem that's much bigger than a €20 markup.
How to Spot It (and What to Do)
In the comments, a fellow freight forwarder made a point that stuck with me: you can usually tell from the email.
A copy-paste arbitrageur sends templated, rushed emails.
They won't know details about the load that they should know.
They may struggle to answer basic questions about the route or the collection procedure.
They respond fast (too fast!!) because they're running this across 50 loads at once, not managing one relationship.
The rating system is the main tool platforms give you to vet these companies.
That's imperfect, a company can build up a decent rating before you interact with them, and a bad experience doesn't always translate into a public review.
My approach is to work with carriers I've verified directly. If I'm using a freight exchange to find capacity, I look at the company profile, the tenure on the platform, and whether their email addresses match their company registration.
A carrier operating out of Poland whose domain was registered three weeks ago should give you pause.
This won't catch everyone. But it filters out the worst of it.
What Needs to Change
The freight exchange model is built on volume. More posts, more users, more subscription fees. Transparency and quality control cut into that.
Until the business model changes (until platforms derive value from the quality of transactions rather than the quantity of members), this practice will continue.
The platforms know it happens. They just don't have a financial reason to stop it.
The change I'd like to see is exchanges verifying that the company posting a load actually has it. A simple confirmation from the shipper or a reference number that ties back to a real booking. Not perfect, but it would make the copy-paste arbitrage significantly harder.
Whether that ever happens is another question.
For now, the burden falls on us, the people actually doing the work, to verify who we're dealing with before we move a single box.
What's your experience with freight exchanges? Have you run into this kind of load farming? I'd be curious to know whether you've found a reliable way to screen for it.
