The freight forwarding industry, once defined by manual processes and legacy systems, is changing as artificial intelligence emerges as the key to unlocking speed, accuracy, and efficiency—redefining operations across air, sea, and land.

“AI is rapidly reshaping the airfreight industry,” Raz Roenen, co-founder and CEO at Wisor, an AI-powered freight automation company, stated. “Over the next five to ten years, we envision a shift from reactive operations to fully predictive, data-driven logistics.”

Smarter quoting, faster responses

One of the clearest use cases today? Quoting. Traditionally a process that could take hours or even days, quoting in modern freight operations is being transformed by AI platforms that automate rate lookups, calculate end-to-end pricing, and surface optimal routing in seconds—not hours.

“We’ve automated what used to be a full-time job,” Roenen added. “From cost calculation to margin optimisation and transit-time analysis, AI handles it all with up to a seventy-five percent reduction in quoting time.”

Wisor’s platform aggregates pricing from carrier APIs, internal rate sheets, and historical win–loss data to recommend the most profitable RFQs to respond to—and how to do so.

“Our models look at capacity, reliability, cost, transit time, and even carbon impact,” Roenen said. “They don’t just automate, they guide decision-making.”

Beyond quoting, Wisor’s system learns from team performance, win rates, and historical pricing data to refine its recommendations over time. As AI models evolve, they’re not just automating routine tasks; they’re becoming strategic co-pilots for commercial freight teams.

“We’re working on predictive pricing, automated negotiation logic, and deep integration with compliance and visibility tools,” Roenen explained. “The future of freight isn’t just digital—it’s intelligent.”

Beyond spreadsheets

In many logistics firms, quoting and routing still rely on manual tools and email threads. AI enables a move away from these outdated methods, introducing speed and precision that human teams alone can’t match—without sacrificing profitability.

“We saw that freight forwarders—especially in airfreight—still relied on spreadsheets, email threads, and outdated rate sheets,” Roenen said. “The quoting process was slow, error-prone, and costly. AI is solving for speed, accuracy, and scale—without compromising margin.”

Rate volatility is one of the biggest challenges in freight forwarding. AI addresses this by learning from historical data and applying margin strategies that help forwarders stay both competitive and profitable.

“We’ve built dynamic pricing models that adapt to market fluctuations,” said Roenen. “By analysing trends and rate histories, AI helps forwarders anticipate shifts and adjust quotes accordingly—protecting margin while staying competitive.”

Learning systems

Machine learning plays a crucial role in refining logistics operations. By analysing win/loss data, quote patterns, and carrier performance, AI systems continually self-optimise—becoming smarter and more efficient with every transaction.

“Our ML models continuously learn from win/loss data, carrier performance, and quoting patterns,” Roenen shared. “Over time, this enhances pricing precision and routing efficiency.”

As AI continues to mature, it’s moving beyond quoting and routing into strategic territory. Advanced dashboards now offer forwarders data on market trends, lane performance, response times, and win rates, providing insights that guide smarter business decisions.

“We’re working on predictive pricing models, AI-assisted negotiation tools, and deeper integrations with visibility and compliance platforms,” Roenen said. “The goal is to evolve logistics systems into complete command centres for digital-forward freight operations.”

With volatility, complexity, and competition all increasing in global freight, companies like Wisor are betting that AI won’t just optimise margins—it will redefine how forwarders work, quote, and grow.

As AI improves, it won’t just be a back-office tool; it will become a strategic co-pilot for every forwarder aiming to scale smarter, not just faster. “Don’t be afraid AI will replace you. Be afraid of the freight forwarder who’s already using it,” Roenen warned.

Because in this new era of logistics, it’s not man vs. machine—it’s man with machine vs. man without.