From Robinson to Expeditors & UPS via K+N & DSV – the ladder is burning
Jobs most at risk in T&L? AI, layoffs and the broken talent pipeline
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By The Stath
Kuehne + Nagel (K+N) was respected for its dominance in sea freight and air freight well before the powerful DSV-Schenker combination was created, stealing the Swiss forwarder’s crown at the top of the global rankings.
Those two divisions built the company’s reputation as a global benchmark in logistics, admired and often copied but rarely matched.
Yet, there has always been a weak leg: road transportation.
For more than 40 years, K+N has stumbled on the asphalt – losing control of its German road ...
Comment on this article
Alexander Kozij
October 07, 2025 at 2:00 amAnyone who has studied organizational success knows, higher rates of success have historically been achieved local/regional accountability. This combined with P&L share gets the best of people.
Recipes for failure often include too much centralized decision making. The logic that some that senior management in Switzerland will drive the most optimal growth in global market place is very misguided.
Clients crave and need local expertise. Even if the client’s HQ’s are in Europe. As global organization, K&N needs their local teams to support their local counterparts, in a fully functional and accountable way.
Lastly, I don’t know how many more organizations need to learn from other people’s mistakes, when it comes to appointing ‘Road’ execs to drive growth for International Freight Forwarding businesses.
I would love if one person can provide an example of an LTL, Road or Rail exec. Who made a global International Freight Forwarding business better.