A $1.5 Trillion Industry Where 76% of Employers Cannot Find the Talent They Need.
Freight demand is soft. Tariffs are reshaping cost structures. AI is rewriting operations. And the experienced leaders who built today's logistics networks are retiring faster than the industry can replace them. Only 28% of logistics companies rate themselves as digitally advanced. Artemis places the executive leadership that moves goods, manages complexity, and transforms operations for what comes next.
Transport and logistics employers who cannot fill open roles
Growing at 10% CAGR through 2034
Projected growth through 2034 per BLS
Logistics companies that rate themselves as digitally advanced
The Market Reality
Freight Is Soft. The Talent Crisis Is Not.
Freight shipping entered 2026 in one of the softest demand environments the industry has seen in more than a decade. Shipment volumes remain depressed, tariff volatility is reshaping cost structures overnight, and carriers are competing aggressively for limited freight. And yet 76% of transportation and logistics employers still cannot fill the roles they need.
The paradox makes sense when you look at what the industry actually requires. The shortage is not in bodies. It is in experienced leaders who can simultaneously manage traditional freight operations and navigate a digital, AI-driven, tariff-disrupted operating environment. Demand for high-level logisticians is projected to grow 17% through 2034, far outpacing most professions, because the complexity of moving goods has fundamentally changed.
The workforce demographics compound the problem. Transportation has one of the highest proportions of workers aged 55 and older of any sector. Only 13% of the logistics workforce is under 25. The people who built today's supply chain networks are leaving, and the next generation lacks both the operational depth and digital fluency to replace them without significant development.
Meanwhile, 71% of logistics companies offered AI-enabled solutions in 2025, up from 50% the year prior. Tariffs have added layers of compliance and cost recalculation. E-commerce continues to reshape last-mile economics. The industry needs executives who can manage what exists today while building what the operation must become tomorrow.
What We Are Seeing
Aging Leadership Pipeline
Transportation has one of the highest concentrations of workers over 55 in any sector. Only 13% of the workforce is under 25. The succession gap at the executive level is widening every quarter.
Tariff-Driven Disruption
25% tariffs on imports from key trading partners have reshaped routing, sourcing, and cost structures. Companies need leaders who can reconfigure networks in months, not years.
AI Adoption Accelerating
71% of logistics companies now offer AI-enabled solutions, up from 50% in 2024. But only 28% rate themselves as digitally advanced. The gap between AI availability and AI leadership is the real bottleneck.
Mixed Hiring Signals
36% of logistics companies added personnel last year while 32% froze hiring and 21% reported layoffs. The industry is simultaneously expanding and contracting depending on segment and geography.
Retention Under Pressure
Average turnover in supply chain and logistics sits at 11.6%. 16% of professionals changed jobs in 2024 alone, often for better pay or broader responsibilities. Experienced candidates are selective and move fast.
Roles We Place
Logistics Leadership That Moves Product and Transforms Operations
Artemis focuses on the senior logistics and transportation executives who own the systems, relationships, and decisions that determine whether goods arrive on time, at cost, and at scale. These are the leaders who turn supply chains into competitive advantages.
Chief Logistics Officer / Chief Supply Chain Officer
The senior-most logistics leader in the organization. Owns end-to-end supply chain strategy, carrier relationships, distribution network design, and transportation spend. Increasingly a board-level role as logistics becomes a primary driver of margin and customer experience.
VP of Operations
Manages day-to-day execution across warehousing, distribution, fleet, and fulfillment. Responsible for service level performance, labor productivity, safety compliance, and operational cost control. The leader who keeps the network running when volumes spike or contracts shift.
VP of Transportation
Oversees freight procurement, carrier management, mode optimization, and transportation spend across TL, LTL, intermodal, and parcel. Manages rate negotiations, capacity planning, and compliance with FMCSA, DOT, and hazmat regulations.
VP of Distribution / Warehousing
Manages multi-site distribution networks, warehouse automation, inventory flow, and labor planning. With 75% of large warehouses expected to deploy smart robotics by 2026, this role increasingly requires both operational depth and technology leadership.
Chief Financial Officer
Manages financial planning, freight cost modeling, capital allocation for fleet and facilities, and margin analysis across service lines. In asset-heavy logistics, the CFO determines which investments in equipment, technology, and network expansion actually generate returns.
VP of Technology / Chief Information Officer
Leads TMS, WMS, and ERP implementations. Manages AI-driven route optimization, real-time visibility platforms, predictive analytics, and cybersecurity. The executive who determines whether technology investments deliver operational improvement or just add complexity.
Chief Commercial Officer / VP of Sales
Owns revenue strategy, customer acquisition, pricing architecture, and contract negotiations. In 3PL and freight brokerage, this role builds the relationships and rate structures that determine whether the company wins or loses margin on every load.
VP of Last-Mile / E-Commerce Fulfillment
Manages the most expensive and most visible segment of the supply chain. Owns delivery speed, customer experience, returns processing, and cost-per-delivery economics. Parcel rates are nearly 39% above 2018 levels, making this role a direct margin driver.
VP of Safety & Regulatory Compliance
Manages DOT and FMCSA compliance, driver safety programs, hazmat protocols, environmental regulations, and audit readiness. With enforcement intensifying and insurance costs climbing, this role protects both the workforce and the operating license.
Where We Place Logistics Leaders
Executive Talent Across Every Mode and Model
A VP of Operations at an asset-based carrier faces different challenges than one at an asset-light brokerage or a PE-backed 3PL platform. We place logistics executives into the specific operating model and freight environment where their experience creates immediate impact.
Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
Contract logistics, managed transportation, multi-client warehousing
Freight Brokerage
Asset-light intermediaries, digital freight platforms, capacity networks
Truckload & LTL Carriers
Asset-based fleets, regional and national networks, dedicated services
E-Commerce Fulfillment
Direct-to-consumer, omnichannel, marketplace fulfillment, returns
Intermodal & Rail
Container-on-flatcar, drayage, terminal operations, rail logistics
Freight Forwarding
International shipping, customs brokerage, trade compliance
Cold Chain & Temp-Controlled
Refrigerated transport, food safety, pharmaceutical logistics
Last-Mile Delivery
Final-mile networks, white-glove, big and bulky, parcel optimization
PE-Backed Logistics
Platform investments, roll-ups, portfolio company leadership
Warehousing & Distribution
Multi-site networks, automation, robotics, inventory management
Specialty & Hazmat
Dangerous goods, oversized freight, high-value cargo, defense
Courier & Express
Time-critical delivery, same-day, medical courier, regional express
Why Logistics Executive Hiring Is Different
Logistics Leaders Are Built in the Network, Not in the Classroom.
The best logistics executives are forged through decades of managing what cannot be predicted: weather disruptions, carrier failures, port congestion, regulatory changes, and customer demands that shift faster than contracts allow. Their judgment comes from pattern recognition across thousands of operational decisions, not from frameworks learned in an MBA program.
The most common logistics hiring mistake is promoting strong operators into strategic roles without assessing whether they can think beyond the current network. An executive who can manage today's freight spend brilliantly may have no instinct for building the automated, AI-optimized, multi-node operation the business needs in three years. The reverse is equally dangerous: hiring a technology-forward leader who cannot earn credibility with dispatchers, drivers, and warehouse teams.
Artemis evaluates logistics leaders across both dimensions. We assess operational credibility alongside strategic vision, ensuring that candidates can manage what exists while building what comes next.
Asset Model Fit
Asset-heavy carriers, asset-light brokerages, and hybrid 3PLs require fundamentally different leadership instincts. We match candidates to the capital structure and operating model they have actually led, not just the one they describe in interviews.
Technology & Automation Readiness
TMS, WMS, AI-driven optimization, warehouse robotics, and real-time visibility are reshaping every logistics operation. We assess whether candidates can lead digital transformation or only manage systems someone else implemented.
Tariff & Trade Fluency
Tariff volatility, USMCA uncertainty, and nearshoring are forcing network reconfiguration. We evaluate whether candidates have navigated trade disruption at the strategic level or simply absorbed cost increases downstream.
Scale & Complexity Match
Managing a 50-truck regional fleet is not the same as overseeing a 2,000-trailer national network. We assess the scale, complexity, and modal diversity of what candidates have actually managed, not what their titles imply.
Labor & Safety Leadership
With 90%+ driver turnover at some carriers and warehouse labor challenges persistent, logistics leaders must retain talent in an industry that struggles to attract it. We evaluate workforce strategy as a leadership competency, not a side responsibility.
PE & Growth Readiness
For PE-backed logistics platforms pursuing acquisitions and integration, the executive must professionalize operations, build reporting infrastructure, standardize processes across bolt-ons, and prepare the platform for the next stage of investment.
How We Work
Our Search Process for Logistics Leadership
Logistics executive searches require speed, operational knowledge, and the ability to evaluate candidates who have spent careers solving problems under pressure. Our process is designed to identify leaders who perform in the real world, not just in interviews.
Scope & Strategy
We work with ownership, the C-suite, or PE operating partners to define the role in operational terms. What freight modes and volumes does this person manage? What technology decisions are imminent? What is the real P&L responsibility? The formal job description rarely captures the actual complexity of the role.
Network Sourcing
The best logistics executives are running operations, not browsing job boards. We source through confidential outreach to leaders across carriers, 3PLs, freight brokerages, shippers, and PE-backed platforms. Houston's position as a logistics hub gives Artemis direct access to one of the deepest talent pools in the country.
Behavioral Assessment
Every candidate is A.I. (Actually Interviewed) with deep evaluation of how they have handled capacity crises, technology transitions, customer losses, labor disputes, and network redesigns. We dig into the conditions where they succeeded and the conditions where they struggled to predict performance in your environment.
Integration & Success
Logistics leaders face immediate operational pressure from day one. Our 90-Day Success Plan provides structured integration support, helping new executives understand network dynamics, carrier relationships, technology stack, and team capabilities before making changes that could disrupt service levels.
Client Testimonial
"The talented team of experts at Artemis have been an intricate part of our success in selecting and retaining the top 10% of our talent."
CFO / Logistics / Houston
The Right Logistics Leader Moves More Than Freight
Your Next Hire Should Outlast the Next Disruption.
Schedule a 30-minute conversation with Johanna Watson to discuss your logistics leadership needs, the current talent landscape across transportation and supply chain, and how Artemis places the operational and strategic executives that keep networks running and companies growing.
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