The End of Manual Shipment Operations: A New Model for Forwarders
Freight forwarders don’t fall behind because they lack expertise.
They fall behind because shipment operations are still overwhelmingly manual.
Every day, operators dig through inboxes, split apart multi-page PDFs, search for ETAs/ETDs across carrier websites, and re-key shipment information into their TMS. For consolidated shipments, the problem only gets worse: each house shipment demands its own documentation, data entry, and updates. It’s repetitive, high-stakes work — and as volumes rise, so does the operational strain.
This is the reality for most growing forwarders today.
The Challenge: Manual Work That Slows Everything Down
As volumes climb, every forwarder eventually hits the same problem: scaling operations without letting service slip.
Most operators are buried under tasks like:
- Digging through email chains for shipment details
- Splitting documents manually
- Copying data across Outlook, Excel, and their TMS
- Chasing carriers for updated ETAs and exceptions
Instead of spending time with customers, problem-solving, or managing exceptions, they’re trapped in manual workflows that don’t scale.
Forwarders know they need to break this cycle, but many don’t know how to do it without adding more headcount.
What Happens If the Problem Isn’t Solved
Leaving shipment operations fully manual comes with serious, predictable outcomes:
- Slower response times as operators get overwhelmed
- Higher error rates, leading to rework and customer frustration
- Burnout and turnover, especially during peak periods
- Growth bottlenecks, because scaling requires hiring faster than revenue grows
In a market where customers expect real-time updates and flawless communication, manual operations become a competitive disadvantage.
The Solution: AI-Powered Shipment Operations
Today’s AI now gives forwarders a way to automate the tedious, repetitive parts of shipment operations while keeping operators firmly in control.
With an AI shipment operations platform like Cervo, forwarders can:
- Automatically extract and structure shipment data from emails
- Split and classify documents — no manual PDF downloads and uploads
- Map extracted data and documents directly to the correct split shipments in a consolidation
- Automated retrieval of ETAs/ETDs from carrier websites
- Generate ready-to-review updates in one unified dashboard
The AI handles the heavy lifting; operators stay in the loop to validate, confirm, and send updates with confidence.
This is not “full automation.”
It’s human + AI working together so operators can move faster with fewer mistakes.
The Impact: Faster Operations, Happier Operators, Stronger Customer Experience
Forwarders adopting AI-enabled shipment operations see consistent, measurable improvements:
✅ 30+ minutes saved per shipment
Operators redirect those hours toward customer experience and revenue-generating work.
✅ Faster, more accurate updates
No more inbox digging, manual document splitting, or repetitive keying.
✅ Full visibility in one place
A single dashboard shows what the AI has completed and what needs operator review.
Most importantly, operations teams finally escape the cycle of reacting — and can focus on delivering proactive, high-quality service.
Ready to Transform Your Shipment Operations?
The forwarders that win over the next decade will be the ones that pair their operational expertise with the efficiency of AI.
If you want to cut manual work, get updates out faster, and scale without adding headcount…
Book a demo to see how Cervo can transform your shipment operations.
