Descartes' Study Finds 67% of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers View Technology as Fundamental to Growth

Executive Summary

• Descartes Systems Group released its 2025 Global Forwarder/Broker Benchmark Study, surveying 434 freight forwarders and customs brokers worldwide.
• The study identifies global instability, tariff changes, and customer pricing pressure as top challenges for the next five years, while 67% of respondents view technology—especially AI and automation—as critical to growth.
• Key strategic insights include a shift toward AI investment (55% plan to prioritize AI), the rising importance of rate‑management and regulatory‑compliance systems, and a move from “high service” to “tailored services” as the primary competitive advantage.

Key Details

• Survey Scope: 434 respondents across North America, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America; includes Descartes customers, industry publication readers, and members of seven major trade associations (AfA, AICBA, BIFA, CIFFA, CLECAT, FIATA, NCBFAA).
• Top Challenges Identified:
• Global instability – 60%
• Tariff changes – 42%
• Customer pricing pressure – 61%
• Technology Importance:
• 67% view technology as “fundamental” or “highly important” to growth.
• AI cited by 65% of respondents as the technology delivering greatest value over the next two years.
• Rate‑management solutions (20%) and regulatory‑compliance systems (30%) show increased perceived value in 2025.
• Strategic Priorities:
• 55% plan to prioritize AI investment within the next two years.
• Manual workflows identified by 25% as the top inhibitor to growth, especially for smaller firms (27% cite limited access to capital).
• Competitive advantage shifting: “Tailored services” now leads (33%) over “high service” (31%).
• Size‑Based Technology Views:
• 60% of large companies consider technology fundamental to growth vs. only 27% of small companies.
• Quote from Scott Sangster (General Manager, Logistics Services Providers):

  “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… many organizations remain optimistic about technology’s potential to help redefine their future.”

Notable Quotes

• Scott Sangster: “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.”

Materiality Assessment: Non‑Material – Neutral (the release provides market insight without direct impact on Descartes’ financial performance or operations).