Gitnux/Report 2026

Freight Forwarding Industry Statistics

The global freight forwarding market is estimated at $235.2 billion in 2026, explore the figures behind growth, company scale and execution trends.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Freight Forwarding Industry Statistics
Sophie MorelandWritten by Sophie Moreland·Edited by Megan Gallagher·Fact-checked by Rebecca Hargrove
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The freight forwarding industry at a glance

The global freight forwarding market is estimated at $235.2 billion in 2026, with growth supported by e-commerce and shifting trade lanes but constrained by volatile freight rates, tariffs and geopolitical disruption.

$235.2B[72]
Global market size, 2026
5.4%[72]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2033
40%[56]
Top 20 provider share, 2025
3.4%[12]
Air cargo demand growth, 2025
Market size
Grand View Research estimates the global freight forwarding market at $225.4 billion in 2025 and $235.2 billion in 2026. The 2026 estimate is the latest available full-year market-size figure identified.[72]
Forecast & CAGR
The market is forecast to reach $340.1 billion by 2033, implying a 5.4% CAGR from 2026 to 2033. IATA expects global air cargo demand growth to moderate to 2.4% in 2026 after rising 3.4% in 2025.[72][12]
Market share & regions
DHL Global Forwarding's 2025 export-volume mix was 56% Asia Pacific, 26% Europe, 11% Americas and 6% Middle East and Africa. In air cargo, Asia-Pacific carriers recorded the strongest 2025 demand growth at 8.4%, while North American carriers declined 1.3%.[73][12]
Segmentation
DHL's 2025 forwarding volume mix by sector was 30% engineering and manufacturing, 22% consumer, 11% automotive, 10% retail, 8% energy and chemicals, 7% life sciences and healthcare, and 7% technology. By transport mode, freight forwarding is commonly divided into air, sea, road and multimodal services.[73][74]
Key players & concentration
DSV estimated that the 20 largest third-party logistics providers represented about 40% of the global market in 2025, with DSV at approximately 6%. The largest providers by 2025 revenue included DSV at €39.3 billion, DHL Logistics at €36.4 billion and Kuehne+Nagel at €26.1 billion.[56]
Pricing
Pricing softened in 2025: DHL reported that Global Forwarding, Freight revenue fell 5.1% to €18.643 billion because of lower freight rates. IATA reported that air-cargo yields fell 1.5% year on year in 2025, although they remained 37.2% above 2019 levels.[17][12]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Global air cargo demand increased 3.4% in 2025, supported by e-commerce, AI-related investment and front-loaded shipments ahead of tariff changes. The main challenges are trade-policy uncertainty, shifting Asia–North America and Asia–Europe flows, geopolitical disruption and uneven capacity growth.[12]
Consumer behavior & competition
Shippers are placing greater value on speed, visibility, customs capability and flexible routing as trade lanes change. DHL reported that demand for airfreight capacity from Asia strengthened in late 2025 among AI-infrastructure developers, while Kuehne+Nagel reported increased demand for AI-supported customs services.[74][73]
M&A
DSV's 2025 ranking included pro forma revenue from its acquisition of Schenker, which helped make DSV the largest provider in the ranking at €39.3 billion. In 2026, CMA CGM agreed to acquire FedEx's logistics arm for $1.4 billion, expanding CEVA's contract-logistics presence in North America.[56][75]
Regulation
The EU's Import Control System 2 requires advance cargo information for goods entering or transiting the EU and requires economic operators to use an EORI number. The IMO Net-Zero Framework is intended to introduce mandatory fuel standards and greenhouse-gas pricing for oceangoing ships over 5,000 gross tonnage, which account for more than 85% of international shipping emissions.[76][77]
Latest news
The latest major operating data available for the industry shows record global air-cargo volume in 2025, with demand up 3.4% and capacity up 3.7%. The sector entered 2026 with trade lanes being reshaped by tariffs, removal of the U.S. de minimis exemption and stronger Asia–Europe demand.[12]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Freight Forwarding Industry

The leading companies in the freight forwarding industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

DSV stands out for global air, sea, road and contract logistics because it reported 48.1% revenue growth and a 7.9% operating margin, while DHL Group focuses on international air, ocean and overland forwarding since it posted -1.6% revenue growth with a 7.4% operating margin.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in global freight forwarding

    DSV

    DK

    Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Global freight forwarding

    Why we picked it: It covers global air, sea, road and contract logistics, with 48.1% revenue growth and a 7.9% operating margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit dsv.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    DHL Group

    DE

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Global freight forwarding

    Why we picked it: It focuses on DHL Global Forwarding forwarding services, reporting a -1.6% revenue growth and a 7.4% operating margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit group.dhl.com ↗

  3. Leader in integrated contract logistics

    CMA CGM

    FR

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Integrated contract logistics

    Why we picked it: It expands freight forwarding through CEVA’s integrated air, ocean, ground and supply-chain offering.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cma-cgm.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Pick 2 is the highest-ranked company in the top 5 that adds a new segment; no further segment places in the top 5, so pick 3 follows rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the freight forwarding industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

DSV

Global freight forwarding · DK

9.6
2

DHL Group

Global freight forwarding · DE

8.9
3

CMA CGM

Integrated contract logistics · FR

8.9
4

Nippon Express Holdings

Global freight forwarding · JP

8.6
5

KLN

Global freight forwarding · HK

8.5
6

Expeditors

Asset-light global air, ocean and customs forwarding · US

8.4
7

Yusen Logistics

Global air, ocean, road and contract logistics · JP

8.3
8

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics

Global air, ocean, road and project forwarding · DE

8.3
9

Rhenus

Global forwarding, road and contract logistics · DE

8.3
10

Scan Global Logistics

Global air, ocean, project and humanitarian forwarding · DK

8.0

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the freight forwarding industry. In Freight Forwarding Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/freight-forwarding-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest freight forwarding companies

DHL Group leads with $89.5B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

DHL Group$89.5B
DSV$35.9B
Nippon Express Holdings$17.3B
Expeditors$11.1B
KLN$7.1B
source-verifiedgroup.dhl.com · investor.dsv.com · nipponexpress-holdings.com · expeditors.com · kln.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology adoption remains uneven: 23% planned AI for documentation automation in 2024, while 49% digitized 50% or fewer business processes or transactions in November 2024.

AI in the freight forwarding industry

  • 31% of surveyed freight forwarders and logistics service providers had implemented or planned AI for warehousing and inventory management in 2024.[1]
  • 42% of freight forwarders and brokers identified implementing AI solutions to increase efficiency as an aspired competitive advantage in 2025.[2]
  • 33% of surveyed freight forwarders and logistics service providers had implemented or planned AI for documentation automation in 2024.[1]
  • 26% of surveyed freight forwarders and logistics service providers had implemented or planned AI for route optimization in 2024.[1]
  • 23% of surveyed freight forwarders and logistics service providers had implemented or planned AI for customer service, including chatbots, in 2024.[1]
  • 26% of surveyed freight forwarders and logistics service providers had implemented or planned AI for shipment booking and scheduling in 2024.[1]

Automation in the freight forwarding industry

  • 23% of surveyed freight forwarders had digitized more than 75% of their overall business processes and transactions in 2024.[1]
  • 27% of logistics service providers described their transportation operations as mostly automated in the 2026 benchmark survey.[3]
  • 90% of surveyed freight forwarders used at least one technology solution in 2024.[4]
  • 49% of surveyed freight forwarders had digitized 50% or fewer of their overall business processes and transactions in 2024.[1]
  • 42% of surveyed freight forwarders expressed satisfaction with their technology solutions in 2024.[4]
  • More than 60% of surveyed freight forwarders had switched technology solutions during the previous five years in 2024.[4]

Digital Transformation in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 63% expected digitalization to enhance customer experience in 2025.[5]
  • Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 49% had digitized 50% or fewer of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[1]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 69% expected digitalization to improve efficiency in 2025.[5]
  • Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 23% had digitized more than 75% of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[1]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 51% identified high costs as a challenge to digitalizing logistics operations in 2025.[5]

Technology Adoption in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 19% of shippers reported using AI at scale.[3]
  • Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying AI to reduce workloads in 2024.[3]
  • Across transportation and logistics executives surveyed in Europe and North America, 44% were using AI for transportation planning and optimization in 2025.[6]
  • Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying automated real-time shipment tracking to address knowledge-worker shortages in 2024.[3]
  • Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 15% of logistics service providers reported using AI at scale.[3]

Cloud Computing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 84% had increased AI and machine-learning investment during the preceding one to two years.[7]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 89% planned to increase AI and machine-learning investment during the following one to two years.[7]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 85% said leadership viewed cloud as a long-term investment in 2023.[7]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 75% said cloud was crucial to their organization’s future in 2023.[7]

Big Data in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 34% identified data analytics, including cloud platforms and AI-powered solutions, as the most critical technology in 2025.[5]
  • 38% of surveyed GCC logistics organizations used structured data, while 20% recognized a systematic link between data and business insights, according to a 2023 study.[8]
  • 9.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used big-data analytics alone in the OECD’s 2026 cross-sector comparison, based on the latest available enterprise data.[9]
  • 12.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used both cloud computing and big-data analytics, according to the OECD’s 2026 sectoral comparison of enterprise technology adoption.[9]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Visibility and analytics tools are in active use: 23% of surveyed forwarders used real-time freight-visibility software in 2024, and 35% used cybersecurity or data-protection software.

Business intelligence in the freight forwarding industry

  • 23% of surveyed freight forwarders used real-time freight-visibility software in 2024.[1]
  • 18% of freight-forwarding respondents ranked business intelligence and analytics among customers’ most valued functions in 2024.[1]
  • 35% of surveyed freight forwarders used cybersecurity or data-protection software in 2024.[1]
  • 32% of surveyed freight forwarders used a document-management system in 2024.[1]
  • 25% of surveyed freight forwarders used business-intelligence or analytics software in 2024.[1]
  • 14% of surveyed freight forwarders used digital freight platforms or marketplaces in 2024.[1]

Data analytics in the freight forwarding industry

  • 63% of larger surveyed freight forwarders had more than half of their business processes or transactions automated in 2024.[1]
  • 47% of smaller surveyed freight forwarders had less than half of their business processes or transactions automated in 2024.[1]
  • 1 minute was the fastest reported response time to a request for quotation in the 2023 freight-forwarding digitization survey.[10]
  • 30 minutes was the median response time to a request for quotation among surveyed freight forwarders, 3PLs, and NVOCCs in 2023.[10]
  • 37% of larger surveyed freight forwarders had less than half of their business processes or transactions automated in 2024.[1]
  • 2 days was the slowest reported response time to a request for quotation in the 2023 freight-forwarding digitization survey.[10]

Data Quality in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply management organizations, 49% rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024.[11]
  • Across supply management organizations, 33% rated their data-security ability as very high for assuring data quality in 2024.[11]
  • Across supply management organizations, 67% said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[11]
  • Across transportation and logistics shippers, 33% identified data quality as a top barrier to scaling artificial intelligence in 2026.[3]

Data Governance in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply management organizations, 61% had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024.[11]
  • Across supply management organizations with a data-governance function, 47% housed it in a center of excellence in 2024.[11]
  • Across supply management organizations with a data-governance program, 81% found the program useful in 2024.[11]
  • 42.8% of airlines surveyed worldwide considered themselves to be in the early stages of data-strategy implementation in the IATA 2024 survey.[12]
  • 49% of shipper respondents said their supply chain governance maturity was running in place, with no noticeable progress, in the 2024 global survey.[13]
  • 32% of transport and logistics respondents said data governance or security was a primary challenge when preparing data for artificial intelligence in 2024.[14]

KPIs in the freight forwarding industry

  • 25% of surveyed freight forwarders ranked shipment tracking and visibility among customers’ most valued functions in 2024.[1]
  • 50% of surveyed supply-chain companies tracked customer satisfaction as a customer-service KPI in 2023.[15]
  • 40% of surveyed supply-chain companies tracked first-contact resolution as a customer-service KPI in 2023.[15]
  • 40% of surveyed supply-chain companies tracked average response time as a customer-service KPI in 2023.[15]
  • 30% of surveyed supply-chain companies tracked customer retention as a customer-service KPI in 2023.[15]
  • More than 80% of companies with 25 or more support agents tracked support-quality KPIs in a 2023 supply-chain customer-service survey.[15]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Company performance connects to volumes and earnings: Expeditors’ gross revenue grew 17.2% in 2024 to $10.6 billion, while DHL Global Forwarding Freight revenue rose 1.8% in 2024.

Growth in the freight forwarding industry

  • 5.7% was the reported compound annual growth rate for the international freight-forwarding market from 2023 to 2024.[16]
  • 6.8% was DHL Global Forwarding air-freight volume growth in 2024.[17]
  • 1.8% was DHL Global Forwarding, Freight revenue growth in 2024, reaching €19.649 billion.[17]
  • 7.3% was DHL Global Forwarding ocean-freight volume growth in 2024.[17]
  • 17.2% was Expeditors’ gross-revenue growth in 2024, reaching $10.6 billion.[18]
  • 2.1% was DHL Global Forwarding revenue growth in 2024, reaching €14.559 billion.[17]

Differentiation in the freight forwarding industry

  • €1.074 billion was DHL Global Forwarding, Freight EBIT in 2024, representing a 5.5% return on sales.[17]
  • $3.4 billion was Expeditors’ 2024 net revenue from logistics services that included digital quoting, booking, tracking and analytics capabilities.[19]
  • €17.693 billion was DHL Supply Chain revenue in 2024, supported by new business, contract extensions and e-commerce growth.[20]
  • 5.5% was DHL Global Forwarding, Freight’s return on sales in 2024.[17]
  • 4.3% was DHL Supply Chain revenue growth in 2024.[20]

Mergers and acquisitions in the freight forwarding industry

  • CAD170 million was ITN Logistics Group’s approximate 2023 revenue before its acquisition by Scan Global Logistics.[21]
  • HK$143.104 million of goodwill was recognized in those 2024 acquisitions.[22]
  • €79 million was the acquisition price for ITN Logistics Group, which added more than 250 employees to Scan Global Logistics.[21]
  • $100.499 million in cash plus 14,015 shares was the consideration paid by Forward Air for Omni in January 2024.[23]
  • HK$214.281 million was the total consideration for one integrated logistics company and two international freight-forwarding companies acquired in 2024.[22]
  • $44 million was Maersk’s purchase price for a 51% controlling interest in Grindrod Logistics in 2023.[24]

Strategic partnerships in the freight forwarding industry

  • Seven dual-fuel methanol vessels entered service for Maersk during 2024.[24]
  • €79 million was the purchase price for Scan Global Logistics’ acquisition of ITN Logistics Group, expanding its Canadian freight-forwarding network.[21]
  • $44 million was invested by Maersk to acquire a 51% stake in Grindrod Logistics while partnering to merge logistics and ocean activities in South Africa.[24]
  • 51% was Maersk’s controlling interest in Grindrod Logistics acquired in 2023 to combine South African logistics and ocean activities.[24]
  • 800,000 TEUs of dual-fuel vessel capacity had been secured by Maersk for delivery by 2030 as part of its fleet strategy.[24]
  • February 2025 was the planned start of Maersk’s long-term operational collaboration with Hapag-Lloyd, named Gemini Cooperation.[24]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce distribution and turnover are reported for major forwarding operations, including DHL Global Forwarding, Freight with 46,566 employees and an 8.3% unplanned employee turnover rate in 2024.

Hiring in the freight forwarding industry

  • 21% of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight employees were under 30 years old at year-end 2024.[17]
  • 21% of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight employees were over 50 years old at year-end 2024.[17]
  • 46,566 employees worked in DHL Global Forwarding, Freight at year-end 2024.[17]
  • 14.3% of freight-forwarding respondents planned to invest in increasing their workforce during the following 12 months in 2024.[25]
  • 58% of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight employees were aged 30–50 at year-end 2024.[17]

Employee retention in the freight forwarding industry

  • 40 years was the average age of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight employees in 2024.[17]
  • 8.3% was DHL Global Forwarding, Freight’s unplanned employee turnover rate in 2024.[17]
  • 2.8% was DHL Global Forwarding, Freight’s sickness rate in 2024.[17]

Remote Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. transportation and utilities, 20.3% of workers could work from home in 2024–2025, while 18.6% actually did so, according to annual averages.[26]
  • In the U.S. transportation and warehousing industry, 13.9% of wage and salary employees worked from home in January 2025.[27]
  • Among U.S. transportation, logistics, supply-chain and storage hires, 17.0% of hires at small companies were remote during the year ending September 2024.[28]
  • Across U.S. transportation and utilities occupations, about 11% of workers worked remotely at least sometimes from October 2023 through September 2024.[29]

Hybrid Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Globally, 25% of engaged employees were working in hybrid arrangements in 2025, compared with 30% of exclusively remote employees and 17% of on-site, non-remote-capable employees.[30]
  • Across transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 42% reported a hybrid work arrangement in 2025.[31]
  • Among transportation employers surveyed for the U.S. Job Outlook, 33.3% reported fully hybrid work arrangements in 2024.[32]
  • Among U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked hybrid schedules in August 2026.[30]

Upskilling in the freight forwarding industry

  • 52% of dangerous-goods professionals reported allowing electronic documentation or electronic signatures in 2024.[33]
  • 36% of dangerous-goods professionals reported validating or accepting shipments digitally in 2024.[33]
  • 49% of dangerous-goods professionals reported using paperless or digital regulatory publications in 2024.[33]
  • 83% of dangerous-goods professionals reported efforts to digitalize their operations in 2024.[33]
  • 51% of dangerous-goods professionals reported using virtual training in their operations in 2024.[33]

Employee Engagement in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • In U.S. logistics, more than 60% of frontline workers considered their roles long-term career commitments in 2024.[34]
  • Globally, 20% of employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 16% were actively disengaged.[30]
  • In U.S. logistics, 71% of frontline workers reported workplace stress in 2024.[34]
  • In U.S. logistics, 40% of frontline workers wanted to quit in 2024, according to a survey of 500 logistics employees.[34]
  • Across Asia-Pacific transport and logistics organizations, 62% of employees were actively engaged, based on feedback from 30,116 employees in 24 surveys.[35]

DEI in the freight forwarding industry

  • 43.2% of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight employees were women at year-end 2024.[17]
  • 31.2% of middle and upper management at DHL Global Forwarding, Freight were women in 2024.[17]
  • 56.8% of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight employees were men at year-end 2024.[17]

Change Management in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply-chain organizations, only 15% of digital initiatives achieved at least 90% of their targeted benefits in Gartner research published in 2024.[36]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customers tie provider selection to technology and tracking capability: 90% of surveyed logistics firms said technological capabilities were extremely or very important in 2025.

Customer experience in the freight forwarding industry

  • 38% of shippers surveyed in 2025 were slightly satisfied or not satisfied with their freight forwarders’ technological capabilities.[10]
  • 54% of surveyed freight-forwarding customers rated cutting-edge technology and digital tools as very important in 2020.[37]
  • 80% of surveyed freight-forwarding customers rated customer service and individualized attention as very important when working with a forwarder in 2020.[37]
  • 24.1% of shippers said digital forwarders exceeded traditional forwarders on customer service and account management in 2024.[38]
  • 32.4% of shippers said digital forwarders exceeded traditional forwarders on tracking and visibility in the 2024 Emerging Markets Logistics Index.[38]

Customer retention in the freight forwarding industry

  • 3.71 was the average score for dissatisfaction with customer service as a reason freight forwarders lost existing customers in 2024.[39]
  • 2.74 was the average score for inadequate digital tracking and visibility tools as a reason freight forwarders lost existing customers in 2024.[39]
  • 2.47 was the average score for lacking a geographic presence in certain areas as a reason freight forwarders lost existing customers in 2024.[39]
  • 4.09 was the average score for price being too high as a reason freight forwarders lost existing customers in a 2024 industry survey.[39]

Customer acquisition in the freight forwarding industry

  • 36% of surveyed logistics companies identified adding new customers as a top challenge heading into 2024.[40]
  • 81% of surveyed logistics companies said they grew because of new customer acquisition in 2023, in a benchmark including freight-forwarding businesses.[40]

Customer loyalty in the freight forwarding industry

  • 6.03 out of 7 was the average score for willingness to extend or renew the contract with the main shipping company among freight-forwarder respondents in 2023.[41]
  • 6.06 out of 7 was the average score for the benefit of maintaining the trade connection with the main shipping company among freight-forwarder respondents in 2023.[41]
  • 6.13 out of 7 was the average score for willingness to recommend the main shipping company among freight-forwarder respondents in a 2023 study.[41]
  • 5.82 out of 7 was the average score for having a strong sense of loyalty to the main shipping company among freight-forwarder respondents in 2023.[41]
  • 5.97 out of 7 was the average score for delivering positive word of mouth about the main shipping company among freight-forwarder respondents in 2023.[41]

Lead generation in the freight forwarding industry

  • 2.98% was the paid-marketing lead-to-sales-opportunity ratio reported for logistics marketing, including freight-forwarding services, in 2020.[42]
  • 78% of surveyed logistics companies reported referrals as a source of new customers in 2023.[40]
  • 60% of surveyed logistics companies reported inbound calls or emails as a source of new customers in 2023.[40]
  • 67% of surveyed logistics companies reported their company website as a source of new customers in 2023.[40]
  • 3.82% was the inbound-channel lead-to-sales-opportunity ratio reported for logistics marketing, including freight-forwarding services, in 2020.[42]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand and lead channels still matter alongside digital booking: 56% was DHL Global Forwarding online bookings growth through myDHLi in the first quarter of 2021.

Marketing in the freight forwarding industry

  • 83% of surveyed 3PLs provided supply-chain strategy development services in 2023, a service relevant to freight-forwarding marketing propositions.[43]
  • 74% of shippers said service was more important than price when selecting a 3PL or freight-forwarding partner in 2024.[44]
  • 29% of shippers identified failed expectations as the top reason a 3PL partnership could fail in 2024.[44]
  • 21% of shippers identified cost as the top reason a 3PL partnership could fail in 2024.[44]
  • 36% of shippers identified poor customer service as the top reason a 3PL partnership could fail in 2024.[44]

Digital marketing in the freight forwarding industry

  • 90% of shippers said technological capabilities were extremely or very important when evaluating and selecting 3PLs or freight forwarders in 2025.[10]
  • 56% was the year-on-year increase in DHL Global Forwarding online bookings through myDHLi in the first quarter of 2021.[25]
  • More than 50% of air and sea freight bookings went through digital freight platforms according to Transport Intelligence’s 2023 survey.[25]
  • 23% of surveyed freight forwarders had digitized more than 75% of their overall business processes or transactions in 2025.[10]
  • 32.2% of surveyed freight forwarders had not developed a digital freight-booking platform but planned to do so within five years in 2023.[25]

Branding in the freight forwarding industry

  • 3,215 social-media posts from seven logistics service providers were analyzed in a 2020 study of branding profiles.[45]
  • 42% of total logistics-brand value came from the United States in Brand Finance’s 2026 Logistics 50 ranking.[46]
  • USD216.8 billion was the total brand value of the logistics sector in Brand Finance’s 2026 Logistics 50 ranking.[46]
  • 129% was CEVA Logistics’ brand-value growth in Brand Finance’s 2026 Logistics 50 ranking.[46]
  • 48% of brands in Brand Finance’s 2026 Logistics 50 recorded double-digit brand-value growth.[46]

Social media in the freight forwarding industry

  • LinkedIn remained the leading social-media platform for transportation and logistics marketers in the 2024 TMSA metrics study.[47]
  • 7 logistics service providers operating in Turkey were included in a 2020 content analysis of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn branding activity.[45]
  • 91% of surveyed respondents who considered social media effective selected Facebook as an effective platform for a freight and logistics campaign in Western Australia in 2019.[48]
  • 3,215 social-media posts from seven logistics service providers in Turkey were analyzed in a 2020 study of social-media branding.[45]

Influencer Marketing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • 43% of worldwide B2B marketers who achieved positive results said micro-influencers generated the most success in 2024.[49]
  • 53% of U.S. B2B marketers reported a growing dedicated influencer-marketing budget in 2024 survey data.[49]
  • 49% of B2B marketers selected industry relevance as a criterion for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[50]
  • 58% of B2B marketers selected authenticity and credibility as criteria for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[50]
  • 29% of B2B companies planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in 2025, globally.[50]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Execution metrics are measurable across modes, including 51.8% on-time ocean-freight arrival in December 2025 with a 3.7-day average delay for late vessels.

Process optimization in the freight forwarding industry

  • 1,785,000 metric tons of air-freight exports were handled by DHL Global Forwarding in 2024, up 6.8% year over year globally.[17]
  • 89% of shippers and 90% of carriers said KPIs are essential to sound supply-chain management in a 2024 freight-shipping survey.[51]
  • 38% of shippers identified 95% on-time delivery as acceptable in 2024, the most common response among surveyed freight-shipping customers.[51]
  • 4,310,000 TEUs were handled in Kuehne+Nagel Sea Logistics in 2024, compared with 4,338,000 TEUs in 2023 globally.[52]
  • 37% of carriers identified 95% on-time delivery as acceptable in 2024, the most common response among surveyed freight carriers.[51]

Operational efficiency in the freight forwarding industry

  • Kuehne+Nagel’s 2024 Sea Logistics conversion rate was 41.1% globally, measured as EBIT as a percentage of gross profit.[52]
  • Kuehne+Nagel operated 1,345 sites in 94 countries in 2024 worldwide.[52]
  • DHL Global Forwarding generated €1,074 million of EBIT in 2024, equal to a 5.5% EBIT margin globally.[17]
  • 80,215 employees worked for Kuehne+Nagel worldwide in 2024.[52]
  • Kuehne+Nagel generated CHF1,654 million of EBIT and CHF2,498 million of operating cash flow in 2024 worldwide.[52]

Quality management in the freight forwarding industry

  • 51.8% of global ocean-freight shipments arrived on time in December 2025, according to the Ocean Timeliness Indicator.[53]
  • 3.7 days was the average delay for late global ocean-freight vessels in December 2025.[53]
  • 89% of shippers said KPIs are essential to sound supply-chain management in the 2024 freight-shipping survey.[51]
  • 95% was the most common acceptable on-time delivery standard among shippers surveyed in 2024, selected by 38% of respondents.[51]
  • 95% was the most common acceptable on-time delivery standard among carriers surveyed in 2024, selected by 37% of respondents.[51]

Supply chain in the freight forwarding industry

  • 4.3 million TEUs were handled by Kuehne+Nagel Sea Logistics in 2025, confirming its global number-one position by volume.[54]
  • 3,314,000 TEUs were moved by DHL Global Forwarding’s ocean-freight business in 2024 globally.[17]
  • 2,000,000 tonnes of air freight were managed by Kuehne+Nagel in 2024, maintaining its global number-one position by volume.[52]
  • 2.2 million TEUs were handled annually by IMC Logistics, acquired by Kuehne+Nagel in 2024, across U.S. port, rail and customer-facility links.[54]
  • 1,785,000 metric tons were moved by DHL Global Forwarding’s air-freight export business in 2024 globally.[17]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 57% planned outsourcing projects in warehousing in 2026.[55]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, about 60% had fully outsourced transportation services in 2026.[55]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 25% had fully outsourced warehouse operations in 2026.[55]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 65% expected outsourcing to continue increasing in 2026.[55]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing pressure shows up in margins and earnings: DHL Global Forwarding Freight revenue fell 5.1% in 2025 to €18.643 billion, and operating cash flow declined 24.5% in 2024.

Pricing strategy in the freight forwarding industry

  • 2.0% was the decline in DHL Global Forwarding’s gross profit per TEU in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the preceding quarter.[17]
  • 5.5% was DHL Global Forwarding’s EBIT margin in 2024 worldwide.[17]
  • 41.9% of surveyed freight forwarders expected margin pressure to ease during the following 12 months in the 2024 Ti Research survey.[25]
  • 27.3% was Kuehne+Nagel Air Logistics’ EBIT-to-gross-profit conversion rate in 2024 globally.[52]
  • 41.1% was Kuehne+Nagel Sea Logistics’ EBIT-to-gross-profit conversion rate in 2024 globally.[52]

Cost reduction in the freight forwarding industry

  • CHF22 million was the 2025 negative exchange-rate impact on Kuehne+Nagel Air Logistics EBIT.[5]
  • 13.1% was the decline in Kuehne+Nagel Group EBIT in 2024, while net turnover increased 4.0%.[52]
  • 66.8% was the decline in DHL Global Forwarding, Freight operating cash flow in 2024, to €792 million.[17]
  • 24.5% was the decline in DHL Global Forwarding, Freight EBIT in 2024, to €1,074 million.[17]
  • CHF669 million, equal to 2.5% of turnover, was the negative exchange-rate impact on Kuehne+Nagel’s 2024 turnover.[52]

Profitability in the freight forwarding industry

  • DKK24,721 million was DSV Air & Sea gross profit in 2024 worldwide.[56]
  • CHF851 million was Kuehne+Nagel Sea Logistics EBIT in 2024 worldwide.[52]
  • DKK11,888 million was DSV Air & Sea operating profit before special items in 2024 worldwide.[56]
  • CHF8,670 million was Kuehne+Nagel Group gross profit in 2024 worldwide.[52]
  • CHF478 million was Kuehne+Nagel Air Logistics EBIT in 2024 worldwide.[52]

Financial planning in the freight forwarding industry

  • CHF27,356 million was Kuehne+Nagel’s total turnover in 2024 worldwide, up 2.7% year over year.[52]
  • DKK104,496 million was DSV Air & Sea divisional revenue in 2024 worldwide.[56]
  • CHF2,498 million was Kuehne+Nagel Group operating cash flow in 2024 worldwide.[52]
  • DKK79,775 million was DSV Air & Sea direct costs in 2024 worldwide.[56]
  • CHF24,802 million was Kuehne+Nagel’s net turnover in 2024 worldwide, up 4.0% year over year.[52]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Integration matters in product design: only 51% of surveyed forwarders with a TMS integrated their technology solutions with that TMS in 2024.

Product development in the freight forwarding industry

  • 90% of surveyed freight forwarders used at least one technology solution in 2024, indicating broad adoption of digitally enabled service products worldwide.[4]
  • More than 60% of surveyed freight forwarders had changed technology solutions during the previous five years in 2024.[4]
  • Real-time shipment tracking, integration capabilities, and automated documentation and compliance were the most requested technological capabilities from freight forwarders in 2025.[10]
  • 24% of surveyed freight forwarders, 3PLs, and NVOCCs still had completely manual processes in 2023.[10]
  • 38% of surveyed shippers were slightly satisfied or not satisfied with their freight forwarders’ technological capabilities in 2025.[10]

Product lifecycle in the freight forwarding industry

  • Only 51% of technology solutions used by surveyed freight forwarders with a TMS were integrated with that TMS in 2024.[4]
  • About one-third of surveyed freight forwarders used a rate-management system in 2024.[4]
  • More than 60% of freight forwarders with a rate-management or transportation-management system had changed solutions within five years in 2024.[4]
  • 52% of surveyed freight forwarders used a warehouse-management system in 2024.[1]
  • 46% of surveyed freight forwarders used a transportation-management system in 2024.[1]

After-sales in the freight forwarding industry

  • 50% of SITC’s customers were covered by its freight-forwarding customer-satisfaction feedback program in 2022.[57]
  • 79.41% of surveyed freight forwarders rated an online shipment-tracking portal as somewhat or very important to prospects and clients in 2024.[39]
  • 31% of surveyed shippers said online shipment visibility was table stakes for working with a freight forwarder in 2020.[37]
  • 52% of surveyed shippers said online shipment visibility was a critical part of evaluating a freight forwarder in 2020.[37]
  • 23% of companies with support-agent teams tracked customer-support quality in a 2023 supply-chain customer-service survey.[15]

Value proposition in the freight forwarding industry

  • 34% of freight-forwarding respondents ranked warehousing and inventory management among their customers’ most valued functions in 2024.[1]
  • Customer service received a score of 3.68 out of 5 for importance among surveyed freight forwarders, ahead of price at 3.35, in 2024.[39]
  • Price received a score of 3.35 out of 5 for importance among surveyed freight forwarders in 2024.[39]
  • 21.6% of surveyed logistics professionals prioritized digital services and technology when evaluating freight-forwarding providers in 2025.[58]
  • 36% of freight-forwarding respondents ranked shipment booking and scheduling among their customers’ most valued functions in 2024.[1]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Decarbonization adds complexity alongside targets and reporting, including 16.740 million tonnes of total GHG emissions reported by Kuehne+Nagel in 2024.

Sustainability in the freight forwarding industry

  • 16.740 million tonnes of total GHG emissions were reported by Kuehne+Nagel in 2024 globally.[52]
  • 80,000 tonnes of Scope 3 GHG emissions were reduced through sustainable fuels at Kuehne+Nagel in 2024 globally.[52]
  • 85% was the maximum stated CO2e reduction potential for DHL GoGreen Plus air, ocean and overland freight products.[17]
  • 125 community-engagement projects had been completed in 34 countries by Kuehne+Nagel at the end of 2024.[52]
  • 98% of Kuehne+Nagel electricity consumption came from renewable sources globally in 2024.[52]

ESG in the freight forwarding industry

  • 96% of Kuehne+Nagel employees completed the annual Code of Conduct confirmation in 2024.[52]
  • 6% of Kuehne+Nagel’s Scope 3 emissions came from road logistics in 2024 globally.[5]
  • 8.0 was Kuehne+Nagel’s lost-time injury frequency in 2024 globally.[52]
  • 612 integrity due-diligence target companies had been approved by Kuehne+Nagel at year-end 2024.[52]
  • 64 countries had Kuehne+Nagel operations certified as a Great Place to Work at year-end 2024.[52]

Ethics in the freight forwarding industry

  • 38% of global respondents in EY’s 2024 integrity survey said they would behave unethically in at least one way to improve career progression or remuneration; the survey was not freight-forwarding-specific.[59]
  • 612 integrity due-diligence target companies were approved by Kuehne+Nagel by the end of 2024.[52]
  • 49% of respondents in the EY Global Integrity Report said their organizations’ integrity-standards compliance improved during the previous two years; the survey included logistics companies but was not freight-forwarding-specific.[59]
  • 96% of Kuehne+Nagel employees completed the annual Code of Conduct confirmation globally in 2024.[52]

CSR in the freight forwarding industry

  • Zero fatalities were recorded by Kuehne+Nagel for the second consecutive year in 2024.[52]
  • 125 community-engagement projects had been delivered by Kuehne+Nagel in 34 countries by year-end 2024.[52]
  • More than 80% of employees responded to Kuehne+Nagel’s Great Place to Work and Voice of Employee surveys in 2024.[52]

Circular economy in the freight forwarding industry

  • 46% of LC Packaging units classified as technically reusable were actually reused through its WorldBag programme or at customer sites in 2024.[60]
  • 4 million reusable-packaging units were distributed by LC Packaging in 2024, including packaging used in logistics and transport operations.[60]

Carbon footprint in the freight forwarding industry

  • 0.01 million metric tonnes of Scope 2 CO2e emissions were reported for DHL Global Forwarding, Freight in 2024.[17]
  • 29 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel were sourced by Kuehne+Nagel’s air-logistics business in 2024.[52]
  • 1.2 million litres of HVO were used by Kuehne+Nagel road logistics in 2024.[52]
  • 16.740 million tonnes of total GHG emissions were reported by Kuehne+Nagel in 2024.[52]
  • 2.9 million litres of HVO were used by Kuehne+Nagel contract logistics through a book-and-claim solution in 2024.[52]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Asia remains central in market geography and demand shifts, with 35.0% of the global market located in Asia Pacific in 2023.

Globalization in the freight forwarding industry

  • 35.0% of the global freight forwarding market was located in Asia Pacific in 2023.[25]
  • 29.7% of the global freight forwarding market was located in Europe in 2023.[25]
  • 1.2% of the global freight forwarding market was located in Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia in 2023.[25]
  • 3.314 million TEUs were handled by DHL Global Forwarding’s ocean-freight business in 2024, up 7.3% year over year.[17]
  • €14.559 billion was DHL Global Forwarding’s revenue in 2024, up 2.1% year over year.[17]

Supplier management in the freight forwarding industry

  • 7.3% was the increase in DHL Global Forwarding ocean-freight volumes in 2024, reaching 3.314 million TEUs.[17]
  • €6.275 billion was DHL Global Forwarding air-freight revenue in 2024, up 4.1% year over year.[17]
  • 6.8% was the increase in DHL Global Forwarding air-freight export volumes in 2024, reflecting higher activity on Asia-Europe trade lanes.[17]
  • €5.824 billion was DHL Global Forwarding ocean-freight revenue in 2024, up 3.5% year over year.[17]
  • €88 million was the negative currency effect on DHL Global Forwarding, Freight revenue in 2024.[70]

Stakeholder management in the freight forwarding industry

  • 3,850 employees were based in Europe in Expeditors’ December 31, 2024 workforce.[19]
  • 2,250 employees were based in North Asia in Expeditors’ December 31, 2024 workforce.[19]
  • 750 employees were based in Latin America in Expeditors’ December 31, 2024 workforce.[19]
  • 1,900 employees were based in the Middle East, Africa and India in Expeditors’ December 31, 2024 workforce.[19]
  • 6,350 employees were based in the United States in Expeditors’ December 31, 2024 workforce.[19]

Distribution channels in the freight forwarding industry

  • 17.9% of one company’s revenue came from agency services in the six months ended March 31, 2026.[71]
  • 67.3% of one company’s freight-forwarding revenue came from sea freight in the six months ended March 31, 2026.[71]
  • 1.7% of one freight-forwarder’s 2024 forwarding revenue came from ocean freight services.[71]
  • €2.460 billion was DHL Global Forwarding revenue from other services in 2024.[17]
  • €5.824 billion was DHL Global Forwarding ocean-freight revenue in 2024.[17]

Key questions about the Freight Forwarding Industry

What is the global freight forwarding market size in 2026?
The global freight forwarding market is estimated at $235.2 billion in 2026. Grand View Research estimates $225.4 billion in 2025 and $235.2 billion in 2026.
How fast does the market grow after 2026?
The market is forecast to reach $340.1 billion by 2033, implying a 5.4% CAGR from 2026 to 2033. The forecast sits alongside IATA’s expectation for air cargo demand moderation to 2.4% in 2026.
Which companies lead the freight forwarding industry?
DSV stands out for global air, sea, road and contract logistics because it reported 48.1% revenue growth and a 7.9% operating margin, while DHL Group focuses on international air, ocean and overland forwarding since it posted -1.6% revenue growth with a 7.4% operating margin.
What technology shifts are most visible across forwarders?
In 2024, 31% of surveyed providers implemented or planned AI for warehousing and inventory management, and 33% did so for documentation automation. For data and workflow, 23% had implemented or planned AI for documentation automation in 2024, and 23% had implemented or planned AI for shipment booking and scheduling in 2024.
How concentrated is the freight forwarding market?
Top 20 provider share was 40% in 2025. DSV estimated the 20 largest third-party logistics providers represented about 40% of the global market in 2025.
What external factors constrain freight forwarding performance in 2026?
The 2026 market estimate is constrained by volatile freight rates, tariffs and geopolitical disruption. It also notes trade-policy uncertainty and shifting trade lanes as key challenges.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Freight Forwarding Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/freight-forwarding-industry-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Freight Forwarding Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/freight-forwarding-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Freight Forwarding Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/freight-forwarding-industry-statistics.

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