2026 Predictions for Freight Forwarders: The Future Belongs to the Agile
2025 was a rollercoaster year for logistics service providers. And not the fun kind.
Trade policies shifted almost weekly (and sometimes even faster). Tariffs were announced, paused, renegotiated, and reinstated. The de minimis exemption was suspended. The ripple effects were felt far and wide. And freight forwarders were left adjusting to a market where “normal” seemed to change by the day.
Coming out of such a volatile year, one thing is certain: uncertainty isn’t going anywhere.
If 2025 proved anything, it’s that volatility is central to the environment we operate in. So as we head into 2026, the one prediction that feels safe is this: we’ll need to be ready for anything.
Ready to digitize and modernize your freight forwarding operations?
See how Magaya can help.
AI Becomes Part of the Workflow, Not a Replacement for It
Artificial intelligence isn’t a force that’s coming to wipe the slate clean. It’s becoming interwoven, embedded into very specific workflows that eliminate friction where it matters most.
At Magaya, our approach to AI is grounded in experimentation. We move fast, learn fast, and collaborate closely with customers to focus on targeted, high-impact use cases.
A great example is the Broker AI Assistant, which automates invoice data extraction and HTS code recommendations, cutting classification time from minutes to seconds.
Our Freight Forwarding at a Crossroads report supports this direction. Nearly half of forwarders (48%) cite “lack of internal AI expertise” as the top barrier to adoption. The organizations finding success aren’t those waiting for a sweeping, disruptive AI overhaul, they’re the ones experimenting in small, meaningful ways today.
Freight Rate Management Becomes a Shock Absorber
If there’s one thing freight forwarders have learned in 2025, it’s that tariffs can change even faster than shipments can move.
The U.S. government’s cycle of tariffs, suspensions, and bilateral trade agreements created a chain reaction across global pricing and rate volatility became the new normal.
In that environment, rate management becomes the ultimate shock absorber. Forwarders and NVOCCs that can’t adjust freight rate quotes, surcharges, and free-time agreements quickly are left exposed. Those that can price and respond in near real time will protect margins, and strengthen customer trust in the process.
Compliance Uncertainty Isn’t Going Away
Trade compliance is evolving faster than ever. The suspension of de minimis exemptions, new tariff structures, and shifting bilateral agreements have made compliance a moving target. What’s true in this instant could change before close of business, and forwarders need systems that can keep up.
Technology will play a critical role here. Features like automatic tariff updates, entry conversions, and pre-filing error validation will become standard for staying competitive. Brokers using Magaya Customs Compliance are already automating updates for Section 301 tariffs, converting entries where needed, and validating filings before submission.
Visibility Needs to Drive Action
Visibility has become a priority for larger forwarders, and for good reason. According to the Crossroads report, 49% of large forwarders said improving real-time visibility and milestone tracking is a top modernization initiative, compared to just 30% of smaller ones.
That’s not just a difference in focus; it’s becoming a competitive divide.
But visibility for visibility’s sake isn’t enough. Forwarders don’t just need to see what’s happening, they need to act on it. The next frontier is actionable visibility: systems that surface exceptions, trigger alerts, and automate the next step before the customer even asks.
Connected Supply Chains Are More Resilient Supply Chains
In 2025, many forwarders learned the hard way that disconnected systems make recovery slower. In 2026, resilience will come from connection: from ecosystems where freight, customs, warehousing, and accounting tools share data seamlessly.
That’s why the industry’s next wave of modernization is about unification, not isolation. Solutions like Magaya Connect are leading that charge, giving logistics service providers the ability to integrate their Magaya systems with third-party tools like NetSuite, Xero, Shopify, and more, without the burden of complex custom code.
Readiness Is the Real Advantage
In the Crossroads report, author Adrian Gonzalez put it best, “the greatest risk in this moment isn’t the turbulence of the market itself; it’s staying still.”
2026 won’t reward the boldest predictions. It will reward readiness, the ability to act quickly, experiment confidently, and evolve continuously.
The forwarders who thrive will be those who automate what can be automated, modernize where it matters most, and keep people at the center of every transformation. In logistics, standing still is the only move that guarantees you’ll fall behind.
Ready to digitize and modernize your freight forwarding operations?
See how Magaya can help.