Will AI replace freight forwarders?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 42m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by AI working on its own. The other 7h 18m (91%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 6.2% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 2 of 31 tasks, about 42m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Monitor or record locations of goods in transit. (24m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Verify adherence of documentation to customs, insurance, or regulatory requirements. (18m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

7h 18m of a typical shift, or 91%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Prepare shipping documentation, such as bills of lading, packing lists, dock receipts, or certificates of origin. (48m a shift)
• Inform clients of factors such as shipping options, timelines, transfers, or regulations affecting shipments. (36m a shift)
• Complete customs paperwork. (30m a shift)
• Prepare invoices or cost quotations for freight transportation. (30m a shift)
• Negotiate shipping rates with freight carriers. (24m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 70% are in constant contact with other people
• 65% talk face to face with others every day

For the 1 task in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 5h 3m for a person alone and about 36m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Verify adherence of documentation to customs, insurance, or regulatory requirements (about 5h 3m alone, 36m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Logistic Support sector are at 119% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 5.1% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 9,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $52,260 a year ($25.13 an hour), 3% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $38,340 and $79,810 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 6.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 106,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 9,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 98,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.06% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 278th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 106,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 44% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Coordination, Negotiation, Mathematics, Persuasion
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 18m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (0m touched, $58k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 2 observed in real AI use, 29 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.