Where Freight Forwarders Lose Margin | The Loadstar Podcast

For a freight forwarder, margin is the gap between what it buys and what it sells, and almost everything that happens to a shipment in between can affect it. D&D charges, misquotes, costs that never get billed back and hours of manual rework all take a share, often without anyone noticing until shipment P&Ls roll up to branch or regional level.

In a recent episode of The Loadstar podcast, host Charlotte Goldstone looks at where these margin leaks come from and what forwarders can realistically do about them. She is joined by Emma Crumpton, Enterprise Solutions Director at Portcast, and Ian Powell, Tech and Solutions Director at Metro, an international freight forwarder and one of Portcast’s customers.

Why this conversation matters now

Forwarders have access to more shipment data than ever, along with a growing list of AI tools that promise to protect margin. Yet many of the same problems remain, from D&D charges that end up being absorbed to manual processes that make it hard to grow without adding headcount.

The episode looks at why these issues are so hard to fix, and what needs to be in place before technology can make a real difference to a forwarder’s bottom line.

What you’ll hear in the episode

• The two lenses Emma uses to look at margin, and why both show up in a forwarder’s P&L
• Ian’s view of the most common margin leaks between quote and delivery
• Why D&D remains one of the hardest problems in the industry to manage at scale
• How Portcast approaches D&D both before and after charges are incurred
• Why forwarders haven’t simply automated their margin problems away
• What happens when AI is placed on top of poor-quality data
• How Metro approached piloting and rolling out new technology with Portcast
• Where visibility and AI are heading over the next few years

Meet the guests

Emma Crumpton, Enterprise Solutions Director, Portcast
Emma has around ten years of experience across logistics technology and freight forwarding. At Portcast, she works with teams across the business to make sure solutions are built around how forwarders operate and the challenges they face every day.

Ian Powell, Tech and Solutions Director, Metro
Ian leads Metro’s work on using technology to reduce manual effort across its operations. He shares how Metro, as a Portcast customer, decides which problems to solve with technology and how it brings new capabilities into its branches and country operations.

A practical view from both sides

What makes this episode useful is the mix of perspectives. Emma brings the view of a technology partner working with forwarders of different sizes and needs, while Ian speaks from inside a forwarder that uses Portcast in its day-to-day operations.

Ian is open about what it took to move from pilot to full rollout, including the parts that didn’t go to plan, and he closes with his advice for forwarders dealing with margin leaks of their own. Emma adds her view on why adoption by operators matters as much as the technology itself, and how forwarders and AI will work together in the years ahead.

Listen to the full episode

If D&D, unbilled charges or manual rework are showing up in your P&L, this episode of The Loadstar podcast is a practical place to start.

Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7mcMydSxCI

To see how Portcast helps freight forwarders handle disruptions proactively and protect margins, talk to our team.