The Hidden Cost of Status Update Work in Freight Forwarding

Shipment visibility has become one of the most persistent challenges for small and mid sized freight forwarders. Although digital platforms have grown across the industry, much of the day to day work still depends on staff checking carrier portals, parsing arrival notices, and replying to clients who want to know where their goods are. These tasks appear simple, but they represent a significant share of daily workload for operations teams.

Many forwarders report that status update work expands and contracts unpredictably. Peaks in vessel arrivals, customs delays, or congestion at ports can produce sudden waves of emails that demand attention. Staff often move between inboxes, spreadsheets, and carrier systems with little structure connecting them. Companies with limited internal resources find it difficult to measure how much time this work consumes, which makes it harder to plan capacity or identify where improvements could be made.

The risk of small errors adds another layer of pressure. A misplaced container reference or a missed line in an arrival notice can create delays for clients. When problems arise, staff must repeat a cycle of portal checks and email follow ups to clarify what has happened. This reactive pattern limits the time available for higher value tasks, such as improving client relationships or reviewing exceptions in greater detail.

Many forwarders are now exploring how artificial intelligence could support the most repetitive parts of the status workflow. The interest is driven by its ability to read and summarise large volumes of email content, extract relevant data, and highlight exceptions that require human judgement. These technologies are still developing, but early signs suggest they could reduce manual workload and help staff spend more time on tasks that improve service quality.

FLAIR is studying how forwarders currently manage status updates across different regions and company sizes. Our aim is to understand the scale of the challenge and to identify where careful automation could offer practical gains without disrupting established processes.