Hire a Freight-Forwarding Assistant Who Keeps Shipments Moving
A full-time remote assistant for your forwarding desk. They send status updates, chase documents, follow up with carriers and agents and flag problems early. Your licensed broker still files customs.
What is a freight-forwarding assistant? A full-time remote team member who keeps your freight files moving. They send shipment updates, chase the bill of lading, commercial invoice and packing list, follow up with carriers and agents, and flag delays early. They are not a licensed customs broker.
What does it cost? Your assistant earns $1,500–$1,800 a month. Pay us month-to-month from $2,000/mo, all-in, or pay the assistant directly plus a one-time placement fee. A US administrative assistant costs about $5,700 a month with overhead, so the desk costs 72% less.
How fast? Finalists in 5–8 days and an assistant on your desk in 1–2 weeks. We source from 57+ countries. You pay nothing until you hire, and a 6-month replacement guarantee applies from day one.
Updated November 9, 2026 · By the Talentige recruitment team, recruiting international talent since 2015
Ocean, air and road: what the assistant does on each
| Mode | Assistant focus | Escalate when |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean FCL/LCL | ETD and ETA, cutoffs, SI and VGM reminders you approve, arrival notices | Rolled cargo, customs holds, demurrage risk |
| Air | Flight milestones, AWB documents, tight customer ETAs | Missed flights, missing DG paperwork |
| Road / dray | Pickup and delivery times, chasing PODs, detention notes | Accessorial disputes, drivers who don’t show |
The documents that prevent delays
Most “where is my shipment?” calls start with a document that went missing days earlier. Your assistant works from a checklist for each mode, not from memory.
| Mode | Common chase items | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean | Booking confirmation, SI, VGM details you approve, commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin | A missing document before cutoff can mean rolled cargo |
| Air | AWB details, commercial invoice, packing list. DG paperwork goes to certified staff. | Flight cutoffs leave no room for error |
| Dray / delivery | Delivery order, appointment, POD and accessorial notes | A POD nobody chased means a billing fight later |
Where freight files get stuck
Your team loses hours when milestones go quiet, invoices never arrive, carriers need a second chase and customers call because nobody updated them. A freight-forwarding assistant keeps that information moving, so your ops managers and brokers can work the real problems.
Ocean, air and road run on different clocks. Your hire should know the milestones (ETD, ETA, gate-in, onboard, arrival notice, delivery order) and speak up when a quiet file is a real risk.
- Morning milestone checkCheck overnight tracking. Flag shipments with no update in time.
- Document chaseBill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and ISF details you approve. Oldest first.
- Carrier and agent follow-upAsk for status with your script. Log what they promised and when to check again.
- Customer updatesETA and delay updates from your templates, before the customer asks.
- End of dayCallbacks and files that need attention in the morning.
- Problems that need a decisionCustoms holds, DG questions and credit issues go to the right person.
What to do when a shipment goes quiet
- 01Spot silence earlyNo update in time means a risk. Treat it like one.
- 02Chase with a deadlineLog what the carrier or agent promised and when to check again.
- 03Update the customer before they call youUse your templates only.
- 04Escalate with the full fileDocuments, last updates and who promised what.
- 05Log it in the TMSNo email threads left outside your system.
Where we find freight-forwarding assistants
Latin America works US daytime hours and adds Spanish. The Philippines is strong for English and paperwork. Other countries overlap with origin offices in the evening. We hire in 57+ countries.
TMS, carrier portals and tools we test for
Tell us which systems they must know on day one. Before you interview, we show you each finalist’s real experience with them.
Operations systems
- Your TMS or forwarding software
- Carrier and terminal portals
- Track-and-trace tools
- Shared ops inboxes
Adjacent workflows
- Customer status templates
- Document checklists by mode
- Problem alerts in Slack or Teams
- Account notes kept up to date in your CRM
Software names belong to their owners. Talentige is not affiliated with these companies.
Which TMS do you run? We hire for it.
Pay nothing until you hire · 6-month replacement guarantee · Shortlist in 5–8 days · Hire in 1–2 weeks
Book a free hiring call →What they handle, and what your licensed and sales staff keep
| Workflow | Hire owns | Your team keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Shipment status and ETA updates | Assistant | Ops manager sets the rules |
| Document completeness chase | Assistant | Shipper is responsible for the documents |
| Customs entries and advice | — | Licensed broker |
| Rate quotes and sales | Passes it on | Account owner or sales |
| DG classification | Passes it on | Compliance or certified staff |
| Credit and collections | Status notes only | Finance or account manager |
| Carrier claim decisions | Puts the file together | Claims lead |
How much does a freight-forwarding assistant cost?
See this chart as a table
| Seat | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| US administrative assistant, loaded | ≈ $5,700/mo |
| Talentige freight-forwarding assistant pay | $1,500–$1,800/mo |
Pay month-to-month from $2,000/mo, all-in, or pay your assistant directly plus a one-time placement fee. See pricing. You spend 72% less than on a US hire. Related: truck dispatch outsourcing.
Hire a freight-forwarding assistant
Pay nothing until you hire · 6-month replacement guarantee · Shortlist in 5–8 days · Hire in 1–2 weeks
Book a free hiring call →Customer updates without false ETAs
Consignees hate silence. They also hate an ETA that turns out wrong. Give your assistant templates that state the last confirmed milestone, the next checkpoint and what is still unknown.
- Start with the last confirmed event (gate-in, onboard, arrived, out for delivery).
- Give the time of the next checkpoint. Don’t promise a delivery date you can’t keep.
- If there is a problem, say what is being done and who is on it.
- Log the update in the TMS, so the account owner isn’t surprised.
That keeps your customers happy, while your brokers and account managers keep control of filings and terms.
Freight assistant or another ops hire: which do you need?
If you’re behind on customs entries, you need more licensed brokerage help. If you’re buried in quiet milestones, missing documents and “where is my freight?” calls, hire a freight-forwarding assistant. Growing forwarders often need both. Hire them one at a time.
| Symptom | Likely seat | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Entries backing up, compliance questions | Licensed broker | Needs a license |
| Customers chasing status | Freight-forwarding assistant | Updates before customers ask, milestones kept current |
| Docs missing at cutoff | Freight-forwarding assistant | Chases the checklist before cargo gets rolled |
| Hard sales and rate questions | Account owner or sales support | Your sales team owns pricing |
Write your SOPs first. A strong hire with weak checklists still escalates too much. An average hire with great checklists and regular checks often does better than a “senior” hire with no routine.
Five checks before you meet anyone
- Document checkFinds the gaps in a sample invoice and packing list.
- Exception emailWrites a delay update without promising an ETA.
- Systems proofShows the TMS and carrier portals they’ve used.
- Trade basicsExplains Incoterms and ISF timing in plain words.
- ShortlistYou interview the ones who passed.
How we test freight-forwarding assistants, and what to ask them
Tests before shortlist
- English test, written and spoken
- Mock document checklist for an ocean shipment
- Sorting a list of delayed shipments
- Rewriting a customer update in your tone
- Walkthrough of the TMS and portals they’ve used (no real shipment data)
Ask finalists
- How do you follow up on a file that’s waiting on a commercial invoice?
- What do you say when a consignee demands a guaranteed ETA?
- Walk me through escalating a customs hold.
- Which TMS have you used every week?
- When is a silent milestone an emergency?
Degrees are common in this pool. We choose on how well they follow SOPs and handle a shipment that goes wrong.
What to track in the first 90 days
| Metric | Why it matters | Who reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Shipments with no update in time | Prevents demurrage and surprise delays | Ops manager |
| Documents complete at cutoff | Stops rolled cargo and entry delays | Assistant + broker |
| How often customers chase you | “Where is my freight?” calls should drop | Account owner |
| Clean TMS records | Notes and next steps are in the TMS | Ops manager |
Their first 30 days
Hiring timeline
- Day 0Ops briefTell us your modes, volumes, systems and SOPs.
- Days 1–5Sourcing and testsCandidates chase documents and handle a delay in role plays.
- Days 5–8ShortlistYou interview the best few.
- Week 1–2HireContract signed, Hubstaff set up, shadowing planned.
Nothing is due until you hire. You get 6 months of replacement cover, at 72% less than a US hire.
Freight-forwarding assistant FAQs
What does a freight-forwarding assistant do?
A freight-forwarding assistant supports your ops and customer service team. They send status updates, chase documents (bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, ISF details you approve), follow up with carriers, flag problems and keep your TMS and CRM current. They follow your SOPs.
Is this a licensed customs broker?
No. Your brokers keep licensing, customs entries and compliance sign-off. Your assistant handles information and status.
Which systems can they use?
Your TMS or WMS, carrier portals, shared inboxes, phone queues and CRM. Before you interview, you see which of these each finalist has used.
Can they cover different time zones for ocean/air milestones?
Yes. Many forwarders want hours that overlap with origin offices, or evening cover for delays. We write the hours into the brief.
How much does a freight-forwarding assistant cost?
Your assistant earns $1,500–$1,800 a month. A US administrative assistant costs about $5,700 a month with overhead. Pick month-to-month from $2,000/mo, all-inclusive, or pay the assistant directly plus a one-time placement fee. Either way you pay 72% less than for a US hire.
How fast can we hire?
We send finalists in 5–8 days, and you can hire in 1–2 weeks. You pay nothing until then, and the 6-month replacement guarantee starts when they do.
Will they talk to shippers and consignees?
Yes, for status updates and document requests, using your scripts. Your account owners set pricing and credit.
What about dangerous goods or compliance questions?
They pass DG and compliance questions to your certified staff. They never give regulatory advice.
Can they handle ISF and arrival notices?
They can collect ISF details and chase arrival notices and delivery orders, using your checklists. Your licensed staff file and sign off.
Related pages: truck dispatch outsourcing · remote dispatcher · customer support · SDRs for manufacturing · pricing.
Sources: BLS median pay for administrative assistants; BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (1.43 overhead); Talentige pricing and hiring timelines.