Will freight agents be replaced by AI?
Updated
Freight agents score 49 of 100 for AI exposure. AI can already do 41% of their task time. Another 29% gets faster with AI, and 30% still needs a person.
- 41% AI can do it
- 29% AI helps
- 30% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Higher than 72% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 24 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 7 of them today, speeds up 6 and leaves 11 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Track delivery progress of shipments. Carrier tracking feeds and alerts can be monitored and reported automatically. | 75% AI can do it |
| Keep records of all goods shipped, received, and stored. Shipment and inventory logs are routine records that software can maintain. | 75% AI can do it |
| Enter shipping information into a computer by hand or by a hand-held scanner that reads bar codes on goods. Keying shipment details from scans, forms, or labels is routine data entry. | 75% AI can do it |
| Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents. Bills of lading and shipping documents are largely templated and generated from order data. | 70% AI can do it |
| Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights. Rate tables and weight-based freight estimates are straightforward calculations. | 70% AI can do it |
| Prepare manifests showing numbers of airplane passengers and baggage, mail, and freight weights, transmitting data to destinations. Manifests are assembled from booking and weight data and transmitted electronically. | 70% AI can do it |
| Notify consignees, passengers, or customers of freight or baggage arrival and arrange for delivery. Arrival notices are templated messages, though arranging delivery needs some coordination. | 62% AI can do it |
| Check import or export documentation to determine cargo contents and use tariff coding system to classify goods according to fee or tariff group. AI can suggest tariff codes from descriptions, but customs accuracy needs review. | 60% AI helps |
| Arrange insurance coverage for goods. AI can compare policy quotes and draft certificates, but agent must confirm coverage. | 50% AI helps |
| Advise clients on transportation and payment methods. Advice on transport and payment options is drafted by AI, reviewed by agent. | 40% AI helps |
Show the other 14 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Contact vendors or claims adjustment departments to resolve shipment problems or contact service depots to arrange for repairs. AI can draft claims and vendor emails, but resolution needs human negotiation. | 40% AI helps |
| Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies. Rate talks and carrier deals need people; AI drafts and compares options. | 35% AI helps |
| Retrieve stored items and trace lost shipments as necessary. AI can trace shipments in systems, but locating physical items takes a person. | 35% AI helps |
| Attach address labels, identification codes, and shipping instructions to containers. Labels can be generated by software, but affixing them to containers is physical. | 22% Needs a person |
| Coordinate and supervise activities of workers engaged in packing and shipping merchandise. Supervising floor workers is live people management with physical oversight. | 20% Needs a person |
| Inspect and count items received and check them against invoices or other documents, recording shortages and rejecting damaged goods. Physically counting and inspecting goods for damage requires being on the floor. | 15% Needs a person |
| Maintain a supply of packing materials. Stocking packing materials is physical, though reorder lists can be automated. | 12% Needs a person |
| Install straps, braces, and padding to loads to prevent shifting or damage during shipment. Fitting straps and padding to physical loads requires hands-on work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Direct or participate in cargo loading to ensure completeness of load and even distribution of weight. Loading for balance and completeness is physical judgement on the dock. | 8% Needs a person |
| Route received goods to first available flight or to appropriate storage areas or departments, using forklifts, hand trucks, or other equipment. Moving goods with forklifts and hand trucks is physical work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Direct delivery trucks to shipping doors or designated marshaling areas and help load and unload goods safely. Directing trucks to doors and loading goods is physical, on-site work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Assemble containers and crates used to transport items, such as machines or vehicles. Assembling crates and containers is hands-on physical building work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Pack goods for shipping, using tools such as staplers, strapping machines, and hammers. Packing with staplers, strappers, and hammers is manual work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Open cargo containers and unwrap contents, using steel cutters, crowbars, or other hand tools. Cutting open containers with crowbars and cutters is manual physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
How freight agents compare
All occupations (923)
Office and administrative support (51)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $52,260 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 97,670 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +6.2% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Resolve exceptions on carrier tracking feeds in SAP software
- Negotiate tariff disputes using Excel rate tables
- Read bills of lading and check them against tariff rules
- Handle customer orders and freight pickup scheduling in Outlook
- Supervise physical handling and safe loading at shipping docks
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about freight agents and AI
Will AI replace freight agents?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly tracking shipment progress and keeping shipment records. Customer contact, exception handling, and dock work stay with people, because a delayed load needs someone who can call the carrier and move freight on site.
Which freight agent tasks is AI taking over?
Tracking shipments, keeping shipment records, and keying shipment details score 75 on exposure, the highest in this job. Carrier feeds and scanner data already arrive in digital form, so software can log and report them without manual entry.
Which freight agent tasks stay human?
Packing goods, installing straps and padding, and routing freight with forklifts and hand trucks score 4 to 8 on exposure. These tasks need hands on physical loads, so a person has to do them on the dock.
How can freight agents stay valuable as AI takes over paperwork?
Learn to read bills of lading and tariff rules closely, since AI drafts the documents but a person must catch errors before freight moves. Use SAP software to resolve tracking exceptions, and be the person on the dock who directs trucks and supervises safe loading.
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