Hiring managers in freight forwarding absorb a lot of friction they were never obligated to accept. Here is what you are permitted to say out loud.

You are allowed to tell your recruiter the shortlist missed the mark and ask for a second pass. That is not a favor. That is the service.

You are allowed to stop accepting candidates who have never sold freight forwarding. Industry fit is a legitimate filter, not a preference you need to justify.

You are allowed to ask how many active freight forwarding searches the firm is running right now. Capacity is a fair question before you commit.

You are allowed to name the silence. Weekly updates with no new names are information, and you can call it out.

You are allowed to ask what success looks like at the 90-day mark before the engagement begins.

You are allowed to end a search that has stalled rather than extend it out of courtesy. A search that stopped moving has already cost you more than the fee.

Save this list and bring it into your next recruiter conversation. ✅

The #1 freight forwarding sales recruiters in the industry expect to be held accountable. That is the partnership.