AI transforms freight forwarding: real-world deployments reshape industry

The freight forwarding industry is experiencing a significant wave of AI integration that extends far beyond marketing hype. Erik Muttersbach, founder of Zauber and former Forto technology executive, discusses real-world AI deployments that are already delivering measurable results, including time savings of approximately eight hours per air cargo shipment through truck dispatch optimization. The conversation addresses critical misconceptions around AI capabilities while highlighting that successful implementation depends as much on organizational change management and adoption strategies as on the technology itself.

For supply chain professionals, the key takeaway is that AI adoption in forwarding is no longer theoretical: companies are actively deploying these tools and learning which capabilities deliver genuine value. The industry faces a critical decision point between building custom AI solutions internally versus purchasing vendor offerings, with considerations around integration, cost structure, and competitive advantage. Separating genuine AI innovation from marketing-driven hype will be essential for companies making technology investments over the next three to five years.

The most transformative opportunities appear concentrated in data consolidation and process automation areas where fragmented systems currently force manual re-keying and rate sheet management. Companies that prioritize change management alongside technology implementation will likely capture disproportionate value from AI investments.