Freeze on recruitment

Several of the top global logistics services providers have frozen their recruitment activities in poorly performing regions and/or business units. 
 
As the 2012 Transport & Logistics Financial Ratio Report published by Ti Transport intelligence (London) reveals operating revenues of the 20 world leading listed transport and logistics companies flattened in 2011. Operating margins remain below 2007 levels although freight forwarding divisions’ operating margins have moved above 5%. Contract logistics burdened with more assets should make bigger margins but that has not happened. In the recession the margins in this sector even fell below 2% for a short while. It is questionable whether the industry’s low margins are sufficient to carry the companies through the stormy weather ahead, especially in many European markets. 
 
 According to the Ti report Deutsche Post DHL clearly tops the industry with €14.3 billion in terms of freight forwarding revenue,, followed (in order) by Kuehne + Nagel, DB Schenker, CH Robinson, Expeditors, UPS, Panalpina, Agility, CEVA, UTi, DSV, Damco, Toll, and Logwin. However, these are also some of the companies that have frozen recruitment activities except for sales executives. These remain much sought after by every company in the business.

Source: Paula Stobbart