Career change as a freight forwarding clerk

Career change paths

• Buyer

  Also: Logistics services buyer

  With on-the-job training

  In the purchasing department of an industrial or trading company you procure goods and transport services, collect quotes, negotiate framework agreements and monitor suppliers.

  What you bring:

  You know freight rates, transport routes, delivery terms and how to negotiate with carriers from hands-on experience.

  How to get there:

  You can switch into purchasing or logistics procurement with a few weeks to a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). Your knowledge of Incoterms, customs and transport is needed there. Later, you can take further training courses in purchasing at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) alongside your job.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible

  €4,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Logistics sales representative

  Also: Key account manager at a freight forwarder

  With on-the-job training

  In sales at a freight forwarder or logistics provider you win new customers, prepare quotes and tender documents, and look after existing major customers.

  What you bring:

  You know the services, transit times and how transports are priced, and you know what shippers expect from their freight forwarder.

  How to get there:

  This is an internal switch from dispatching or customer service into sales, with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) that usually lasts a few months. You are expected to have a class B driving license and be willing to travel. For field sales jobs, look for a permanent salaried position rather than pure commission.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Ship broker

  Also: Chartering broker

  With on-the-job training

  As a ship broker or chartering broker you match cargo with ship space between shippers and shipping lines, negotiate freight rates and look after ships during their stay in port.

  What you bring:

  If you work in sea freight, you know shipping lines, ports, containers and sea freight documents.

  How to get there:

  You can switch to a shipping agency or a brokerage house, mainly in Hamburg, Bremen and other port cities, with a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). Very good English is required. If you want a qualification of your own, you can do the vocational training (Ausbildung) as shipping clerk (Schifffahrtskaufmann), which can be shortened on request based on your existing qualification.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,955gross per monthMedian salary

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• Marine insurance clerk

  Also: Transport underwriter

  With on-the-job training

  At a transport insurer or insurance broker you assess risks, prepare policies for goods and freight forwarders, and handle transport damage cases.

  What you bring:

  You know liability rules, claims, packaging and transport risks from freight forwarding.

  How to get there:

  Insurers and specialized brokers hire freight forwarding clerks for transport insurance and give them a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), supplemented by courses on insurance law. If you work directly on arranging insurance at a broker, you need to pass the expertise exam (Sachkundeprüfung) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). In the inside service of an insurer, this is usually not required.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible

  €4,797gross per monthMedian salary

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• Road inspection officer

  Also: Road haulage case officer

  With on-the-job training

  In the road inspection service you check trucks and buses on the road for tolls, social regulations, load and permits, and start proceedings in case of violations.

  What you bring:

  You know freight documents, permits, driving and rest times, load securing and dangerous goods rules from working with transports.

  How to get there:

  The Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität) and state authorities also hire freight forwarding clerks and professional drivers for inspection services and train them in-house over several months. Shift work and work in the field are part of the job. The job ad states exactly what applies.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLots of contact with peopleLots of time outdoors

  €3,715gross per monthMedian salary

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• Materials planner

  Also: Production planner

  With on-the-job training

  In the materials planning of an industrial company you make sure that material and parts arrive on time for production.

  What you bring:

  You plan under time pressure, juggle capacities and deadlines, and work confidently with planning software.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in dispatching or production planning of an industrial company, usually lasting a few weeks to a few months, often with training in the ERP system. Commercial training is usually expected.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,873gross per monthMedian salary

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• Logistics staffing coordinator

  Also: Recruiter for drivers

  With on-the-job training

  In the staffing coordination of a personnel services provider you look for drivers and warehouse workers, interview them and plan their assignments at client companies.

  What you bring:

  You plan drivers and shifts, find replacements at short notice and know exactly what is required of driving staff.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at a temporary staffing or personnel services provider with a focus on logistics, usually lasting a few weeks to a few months. Knowledge of the industry is a clear advantage there.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,046gross per monthMedian salary

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• Warehouse dispatcher

  Also: Warehouse administrator

  With on-the-job training

  In warehouse dispatching you manage goods receipt, stock and shipping, and schedule the warehouse staff.

  What you bring:

  You know goods flows, loading times, documents and the coordination between office and loading dock.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in the warehouse of a freight forwarder, retailer or industrial company, usually lasting a few weeks, often with training in the warehouse management system. You can earn a qualification as warehouse logistics specialist (Fachkraft für Lagerlogistik) through retraining (Umschulung). You are admitted to the external exam (Externenprüfung) only after four and a half years of work in the warehouse, and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) decides whether time in dispatching counts.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €3,235gross per monthMedian salary

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• Branch manager at a freight forwarder

  Also: Head of logistics department

  With further trainingPromotion

  As head of a department or branch you lead a team, are responsible for results and customers, and develop new transport routes and services.

  What you bring:

  You know cost calculation, dispatching, customs and customer care from daily business, and you can tell when an order stops being profitable.

  How to get there:

  Alongside your job, you can take the further training course for certified senior specialist for freight transport and logistics (Fachwirt für Güterverkehr und Logistik) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). It can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). With a qualification as freight forwarding and logistics services clerk (Kaufmann für Spedition und Logistikdienstleistung) you are admitted directly, and without that qualification after five years of relevant work experience. To manage the transport operations of a haulage company, you also need to pass the professional competence exam for road haulage (Fachkundeprüfung Güterkraftverkehr) at the IHK.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically lightLots of contact with people

  €6,004gross per monthMedian salary

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• Customs officer in the mid-level civil service

  With vocational training

  At customs you clear goods, check declarations and documents, inspect shipments, or work in areas such as excise taxes and undeclared work checks.

  What you bring:

  You know the customs tariff, export procedures, tariff preferences and accompanying documents from your daily work with imports and exports.

  How to get there:

  After a selection procedure, you start the preparatory service as a customs officer candidate (Zollsekretäranwärter) in a revocable civil servant relationship (Beamtenverhältnis auf Widerruf), which usually takes two years. You need an intermediate school-leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss), or a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) with completed vocational training (Berufsausbildung). You must also meet the general requirements for becoming a civil servant, such as health suitability.*Regulated by law (Ordinance on the Preparatory Service for the Federal Mid-Level Non-Technical Customs Service (MntZollDVDV), Federal Career Ordinance (BLV)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift work

  €4,985gross per monthMedian salary

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• Instructor for freight forwarding and logistics

  Also: Trainer for freight forwarding and logistics clerks

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an instructor at a training provider or a trainer at a large logistics company, you prepare trainees and retraining students (Umschüler) for the exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).

  What you bring:

  You know freight forwarding processes, freight law, customs and dangerous goods from hands-on experience, and you can explain complex procedures clearly.

  How to get there:

  To train apprentices you need trainer aptitude (Ausbildereignung) under § 30 BBiG, which you prove in an exam at the IHK. Preparation courses are optional, and their length depends on the provider. For instructor jobs, training providers usually expect several years of work experience and often a further qualification such as certified senior specialist for freight transport and logistics (Fachwirt für Güterverkehr und Logistik). Some instructors work freelance on a fee basis.*Regulated by law (Vocational Training Act (BBiG) § 30, Trainer Aptitude Ordinance (AEVO)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contact

  €5,075gross per monthMedian salary

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Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.