Descartes Systems Group has released its latest Global Forwarder/Broker Benchmark Study, revealing an industry under pressure from global instability and shifting trade dynamics but increasingly optimistic about the role of technology in driving growth.
The study, which surveyed 434 freight forwarders and customs brokers worldwide, found that 60 per cent of respondents cited global instability as a top challenge, followed by customer pricing pressure (61 per cent) and tariff changes (42 per cent). Despite these headwinds, 67 per cent of participants viewed technology as fundamental or highly important to growth, while 55 per cent said implementing new technologies was their top strategy for outperforming competitors.
Respondents identified artificial intelligence (AI) as the technology expected to deliver the greatest value over the next two years, with 55 per cent planning to prioritize AI investment. Rate management and regulatory compliance systems also gained importance in 2025 as companies sought to automate quoting, streamline pricing and adapt to evolving regulatory demands.
“Over the nine editions of the study, the role of technology has changed significantly for freight forwarders and customs brokers—from streamlining back-office operations, to enabling digital customer engagement, to harnessing intelligent automation,” said Scott Sangster, general manager, logistics services providers at Descartes. “This shift is mirrored in the industry’s IT investment priorities, which have evolved in step with technological maturity: from technology for efficiency in 2019–2020, digitization in 2021–2022 and now intelligence and automation through 2025. While forwarders and brokers are facing unprecedented global trade volatility today, many organizations remain optimistic about technology’s potential to help redefine their future.”
Other key findings include that 25 per cent of companies identified manual workflows as their top barrier to growth, with smaller firms particularly constrained by limited access to capital (27 per cent). The survey also found that tailored services (33 per cent) have overtaken high service (31 per cent) as the top competitive advantage, signaling a growing emphasis on customized, data-driven customer experiences.
Descartes collected responses from participants across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific and Latin America, including members of seven trade associations such as CIFFA, BIFA, FIATA and NCBFAA.
Leave a Reply