Is there a talent shortage in the industry? Freight forwarders received hundreds of interview invitations in two days

The tense situation between Russia and Ukraine has had a significant impact on some cross-border sellers. In addition to the impact on the supply chain and the sharp increase in freight rates, some sellers reported that the order volume in Russia, Ukraine and Europe is declining. The depreciation of the euro and the ruble has made things even worse for some sellers who are already facing difficulties.

As the saying goes, some are happy, while others are sad. A freight forwarder said that the shipment volume is still increasing, which seems to continue the high demand before the New Year. At the same time, the freight forwarding industry, which is known as the myth of making wealth in the cross-border circle, has once again been pushed to the hot search. A resigned freight forwarder said that he received hundreds of interview invitations within two days . This topic has attracted attention and heated discussion.

Freight forwarder received hundreds of interview invitations in two days, with the highest salary being 13k

"A monthly salary of 30,000 yuan will get you a luxury car in no time", the legend of freight forwarding making huge profits and getting rich overnight has been circulated, adding fuel to the already booming freight forwarding industry. When the most mundane desire to get rich quickly is aroused, countless ordinary people are also rushing to the freight forwarding industry.

A freight forwarder said that when he refreshed a recruitment software, he received hundreds of interview invitations within two days, and these recruiting companies are mainly located in Shenzhen. The editor learned that the recruitment salary for freight forwarders in Shenzhen ranges from 3k to 13k, and the educational background of the recruits is mostly unlimited or college degree, and more than one year of work experience or relevant work experience is required.

When some companies are recruiting for this position, they also specify humorous language such as " formal company, formal profession; no cheating, no fooling customers; you must have a heart to make money " , which makes people in the industry wonder whether they want to distinguish themselves from some freight forwarding companies that have a bad reputation.

Compared with European and American countries, China's freight forwarding industry started late and developed rapidly. In addition, most freight forwarding companies in Shenzhen are small in scale, with poor management and lack of corresponding incentive mechanisms, which leads to a large turnover of personnel in the freight forwarding industry and a huge gap in high-quality talents in the freight forwarding industry.

In addition, there are frequent reports in the cross-border circle that "my freight forwarder's year-end bonus this year is more than my annual salary" , and countless people are flocking to it. Even Amazon has extended its tentacles, expanding its supply chain business and seeking to improve its freight forwarding services.

While the freight forwarding industry is developing rapidly and logistics companies are springing up like mushrooms after rain, hidden worries are slowly coming to the surface. Especially under the catalysis of the epidemic, news of freight forwarding bosses running away with money, cheating, and extortion has frequently been reported , exacerbating the current situation of the industry, which is already full of chaos.

At the same time, the internal competition in the freight forwarding industry is also intensifying. One seller said that he was pulled into a group of 10 people just for a shipment with a logistics fee of more than 2,000 yuan. "Those who know that I am looking for a freight forwarder to ship the goods, and those who don't know think that the freight forwarder is looking for me to ship the goods," the seller said.

"Some sellers ask me to pay for the goods at cost. If they don't, they will find other freight forwarders. In that case, why do we need freight forwarders? Otherwise, they can just sail the ship themselves." A freight forwarder was indignant. Some freight forwarders felt the same way about this freight forwarder's experience. They said that they met people who wanted to ship goods at 20 % below the cost price every day . They were almost autistic. How could the industry make money so easily?

Freight forwarder: Who is making money without doing anything?

Last year, there was a saying circulating in the cross-border circle that freight forwarders "buy a car every seven days and buy a house every six months." In the eyes of many foreign trade people, the freight forwarding industry is booming, and freight forwarding salesmen "can make money just lying down," and freight forwarding logistics have become the most profitable group in the circle.

At the end of last year, Evergreen Marine's 40-month year-end bonus to its employees attracted heated discussions in the industry. Global container shipping rates have been soaring, and Evergreen Marine's profit in the first three quarters of last year has reached NT$150 billion , doubling its performance. Many industry insiders believe that whether it is from Evergreen Marine's huge year-end bonus to employees or from Evergreen Marine's performance alone, it is enough to prove that this industry is "juicy and fat".

However, some freight forwarders disagree with this statement, saying it is too one-sided. "Many of my peers, including myself, did not make much money at that time. It was common to not receive any orders in a month," a freight forwarder said, recalling the situation last year. "The majority of the money was made by shipping companies or a small number of freight forwarders. It had nothing to do with us anyway."

A trader said that they were busy all year round last year, and the space was in short supply. The trader said that the industry is already showing signs of polarization . Most of the tens of thousands of space available at a shipping company are allocated to long-term first-tier freight forwarding companies. It is very unlikely for a temporary or small-scale freight forwarding company to get space from a shipping company.

According to the practitioner, although the entire industry developed rapidly last year, only a small number of companies were able to get the "meat". Other small and medium-sized freight forwarding companies could only barely get a sip of the "soup" because they could not get space, and it may become even more difficult in the future.

In an environment with limited resources and fierce competition, freight forwarders use all their tricks to find customers, but they are also likely to make mistakes due to insufficient professional knowledge.

A seller with shipping needs said, "Some freight forwarders don't even have geographical knowledge. When I asked about sea transportation to Port Sudan, I was told that it was suspended. I asked if I could go to four ports in the UAE. I thought they couldn't even go to Egypt and could only go to the UAE, so I asked if I couldn't go by sea, could I go by air to Sudan? The other party asked me which airport to go to, was it Dubai Airport? It was really speechless..."

In traditional concepts, freight forwarding is an industry with a "low threshold" and relatively simple logic, but after the supply chain crisis emerged in 2020, this concept has gradually faded. " At the beginning, a group of people rushed into the industry with the mentality of making quick money, but how many of them can settle down ... " a freight forwarder sighed.

Be familiar with the trade terms of various countries, control related costs and risks, master the skills of speaking ... When news comes that freight forwarders, sellers, shipping companies, etc. in the circle are making a lot of money, the market demand still exists, and only professional freight forwarders can become real players in the field.

Following the development and changes of the industry, a group of freight forwarders have now explored newer and more detailed methods, with sincerity, details, thinking, interaction and business capabilities being the top priorities. Cross-border e-commerce logistics has become a mature and niche profession , and cross-border logistics is gradually becoming formal. The future is broad but full of ups and downs. For freight forwarders, a keen sense of smell and the ability to act immediately are crucial.

logistics

Cross-border

Freight Forwarding