AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 43-5011.01
Will AI replace Freight Forwarders?
Freight Forwarders: AI can already handle 28 of 31 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 31 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Freight Forwarders, from most to least exposed. 28 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify proper packaging and labeling of exported goods. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Calculate weight, volume, or cost of goods to be moved. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Verify adherence of documentation to customs, insurance, or regulatory requirements. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Arrange for special transport of sensitive cargoes, such as livestock, food, or medical supplies. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Inform clients of factors such as shipping options, timelines, transfers, or regulations affecting shipments. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Arrange for applicable duties, taxes, or paperwork for customs clearance. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Prepare shipping documentation, such as bills of lading, packing lists, dock receipts, or certificates of origin. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Complete customs paperwork. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Refer exporters to experts in areas such as trade financing, international marketing, government export requirements, international banking, or marine insurance. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Prepare invoices or cost quotations for freight transportation. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Select shipment routes, based on nature of goods shipped, transit times, or security needs. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Arrange delivery or storage of goods at destinations. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Make arrangements with customs brokers to facilitate the passage of goods through customs. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Arrange for transport, using a variety of modes, such as rail, short sea shipping, air, or roadways, to minimize carbon emissions or other environmental impacts. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Determine efficient and cost-effective methods of moving goods from one location to another. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Pay or arrange for payment of freight or insurance fees or other charges. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Monitor or record locations of goods in transit. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Keep records of goods dispatched or received. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Obtain or arrange cargo insurance. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Analyze shipping routes to determine how to minimize environmental impact. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Consolidate loads with a common destination to reduce costs to individual shippers. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Provide detailed port information to importers or exporters. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Provide shipment status notification to exporters, consignees, or insurers. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Consider environmental sustainability factors when determining merchandise packing methods. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Assist clients in obtaining insurance reimbursements. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Review the environmental records of freight carriers to inform shipping decisions. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Recommend or arrange appropriate merchandise packing methods, according to climate, terrain, weight, nature of goods, or costs. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Recommend shipping solutions to minimize cost or environmental impacts. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Negotiate shipping rates with freight carriers. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Reserve necessary space on ships, aircraft, trains, or trucks. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Maintain current knowledge of relevant legislation, political situations, or other factors that could affect freight shipping. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 31 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 31 of 31. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 84% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 97,670
- Median annual wage
- $52,260
- Middle half of earners
- $45,710 to $63,390
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +8.5%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Cargo and Freight Agents 86% skill overlap, about 5 months to move Exposure56
- Customs Brokers 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure38
- Transportation Inspectors 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure27
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure30
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks 60% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure73
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Freight Forwarders and AI
Will AI replace Freight Forwarders?
AI already handles 28 of the 31 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 70 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +8.5% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Freight Forwarders?
70 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 31 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 31 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Freight Forwarders tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Verify proper packaging and labeling of exported goods; Calculate weight, volume, or cost of goods to be moved; Verify adherence of documentation to customs, insurance, or regulatory requirements. They are three of the 28 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 84% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Freight Forwarders, and what do they earn?
97,670 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $52,260 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +8.5% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Freight Forwarders. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/freight-forwarders
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