Home Freight Forwarder Resume template
Freight Forwarder resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what freight forwarders actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most freight forwarders should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Freight Forwarder experienced in coordinating international and domestic cargo movements, from carrier bookings through to customs clearance and final delivery. Comfortable managing multiple shipments at once, resolving delays as they arise, and keeping clients informed at every stage. Strong grasp of Australian import/export documentation requirements and carrier rate structures.
Key skills
- Supply chain planning
- Regulatory compliance
- Account and relationship management
- Data analysis
- CargoWise One
- TradeGate
- Fourkites
- SAP
- Microsoft Excel
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Customer service
Experience: example bullet points
- Booked cargo space across sea, air and road carriers for a portfolio of import/export clients, balancing transit time against cost
- Prepared and lodged customs declarations and import/export documentation in line with Australian Border Force requirements, reducing avoidable clearance delays
- Tracked shipments end-to-end using CargoWise One and Fourkites, giving clients real-time status updates rather than reactive check-ins
- Negotiated freight rates with shipping lines, airlines and trucking companies, securing more favourable terms on regular high-volume routes
- Investigated and resolved damage claims and shipping delays, working with carriers and insurers to reach outcomes clients accepted without escalation
Education
Typical entry is via a Certificate III/IV in International Freight Forwarding or a Diploma of Logistics, often combined with on-the-job training; many forwarders later add a Bachelor degree in supply chain, business or international trade, and CargoWise One system accreditation is common across the industry.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Australian Border Force (ABF)
- Integrated Cargo System (ICS)
- Incoterms
- Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
- CargoWise One
- TradeGate
- biosecurity import conditions (BICON)
- customs broker
- bill of lading
- air waybill
- FIATA
- Certificate IV in International Freight Forwarding (Senior Operator)
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.