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AI exposure Office and administrative support

Will AI replace cargo and freight agents?

Cargo and Freight Agents. US occupation 43-5011.

1.7%

of the time cargo and freight agents spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of cargo and freight agents' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 328 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 56% of them.Further along than 56% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

Around the middle of the pack.Keeping pace with the average job.

What AI already does for cargo and freight agentsWhat cargo and freight agents no longer do alone

O*NET lists 55 tasks for cargo and freight agents. AI use at work shows up in 2 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.

  1. Monitor or record locations of goods in transit.Core task mostly automated 1.00
  2. Verify adherence of documentation to customs, insurance, or regulatory requirements.Core task mostly automated 0.96

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

53 of the 55 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.Core task
  • Arrange delivery or storage of goods at destinations.Core task
  • Arrange for applicable duties, taxes, or paperwork for customs clearance.Core task
  • Arrange for special transport of sensitive cargoes, such as livestock, food, or medical supplies.Core task
  • Arrange for transport, using a variety of modes, such as rail, short sea shipping, air, or roadways, to minimize carbon emissions or other environmental impacts.Core task
  • Calculate weight, volume, or cost of goods to be moved.Core task
Show the other 47
  • Complete customs paperwork.Core task
  • Consolidate loads with a common destination to reduce costs to individual shippers.Core task
  • Determine efficient and cost-effective methods of moving goods from one location to another.Core task
  • Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents.Core task
  • Enter shipping information into a computer by hand or by a hand-held scanner that reads bar codes on goods.Core task
  • Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights.Core task
  • Inform clients of factors such as shipping options, timelines, transfers, or regulations affecting shipments.Core task
  • Keep records of all goods shipped, received, and stored.Core task
  • Keep records of goods dispatched or received.Core task
  • Maintain current knowledge of relevant legislation, political situations, or other factors that could affect freight shipping.Core task
  • Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies.Core task
  • Negotiate shipping rates with freight carriers.Core task
  • Notify consignees, passengers, or customers of freight or baggage arrival and arrange for delivery.Core task
  • Obtain or arrange cargo insurance.Core task
  • Pay or arrange for payment of freight or insurance fees or other charges.Core task
  • Prepare invoices or cost quotations for freight transportation.Core task
  • Prepare shipping documentation, such as bills of lading, packing lists, dock receipts, or certificates of origin.Core task
  • Provide detailed port information to importers or exporters.Core task
  • Provide shipment status notification to exporters, consignees, or insurers.Core task
  • Reserve necessary space on ships, aircraft, trains, or trucks.Core task
  • Retrieve stored items and trace lost shipments as necessary.Core task
  • Select shipment routes, based on nature of goods shipped, transit times, or security needs.Core task
  • Track delivery progress of shipments.Core task
  • Verify proper packaging and labeling of exported goods.Core task
  • Analyze shipping routes to determine how to minimize environmental impact.
  • Arrange insurance coverage for goods.
  • Assemble containers and crates used to transport items, such as machines or vehicles.
  • Assist clients in obtaining insurance reimbursements.
  • Attach address labels, identification codes, and shipping instructions to containers.
  • Check import or export documentation to determine cargo contents and use tariff coding system to classify goods according to fee or tariff group.
  • Consider environmental sustainability factors when determining merchandise packing methods.
  • Contact vendors or claims adjustment departments to resolve shipment problems or contact service depots to arrange for repairs.
  • Coordinate and supervise activities of workers engaged in packing and shipping merchandise.
  • Direct delivery trucks to shipping doors or designated marshaling areas and help load and unload goods safely.
  • Direct or participate in cargo loading to ensure completeness of load and even distribution of weight.
  • Inspect and count items received and check them against invoices or other documents, recording shortages and rejecting damaged goods.
  • Install straps, braces, and padding to loads to prevent shifting or damage during shipment.
  • Maintain a supply of packing materials.
  • Make arrangements with customs brokers to facilitate the passage of goods through customs.
  • Open cargo containers and unwrap contents, using steel cutters, crowbars, or other hand tools.
  • Pack goods for shipping, using tools such as staplers, strapping machines, and hammers.
  • Prepare manifests showing numbers of airplane passengers and baggage, mail, and freight weights, transmitting data to destinations.
  • Recommend or arrange appropriate merchandise packing methods, according to climate, terrain, weight, nature of goods, or costs.
  • Recommend shipping solutions to minimize cost or environmental impacts.
  • Refer exporters to experts in areas such as trade financing, international marketing, government export requirements, international banking, or marine insurance.
  • Review the environmental records of freight carriers to inform shipping decisions.
  • Route received goods to first available flight or to appropriate storage areas or departments, using forklifts, hand trucks, or other equipment.

How that compares

Among the 50 office and administrative support occupations, cargo and freight agents rank 40. The group averages 19.1%, and its most exposed job is Customer Service Representatives at 70.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Just above in the ranking

  1. 326Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary 1.8%
  2. 326Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers 1.8%
  3. 328Audio and Video Technicians 1.7%

Just below

  1. 331Roofers 1.6%
  2. 332Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 1.5%
  3. 333Industrial Production Managers 1.3%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.