Logistics and Supply Chain Recruiters: 19 Firms Compared

A logistics leader takes responsibility for how goods move, how teams perform and how reliably customers are served. Hiring that person means finding experience that fits your operation, whether you run a carrier, use outside logistics providers or manage a supply chain that spans plants, warehouses and suppliers.

This guide compares 19 logistics and supply chain recruiting firms, from transportation specialists to global executive search practices. It shows who each firm serves, what three firms publish about fees, and how to brief and compare a search, including carrier, 3PL and chief supply chain officer hires.

Which logistics and supply chain recruiters fit your hire?

Match the firm to the operation the leader will run. Transportation and logistics operations recruiters suit a carrier, freight broker, 3PL or distribution business hiring the people who run its network. Supply chain specialists suit a manufacturer, consumer brand or shipper whose logistics leader sits inside a wider supply chain function. Executive search firms with supply chain practices suit senior appointments, from logistics executives to board-level roles. The groups overlap, so check role coverage as well as the group.

Carrier, 3PL and logistics operations leaders

7 of 19 firms

These firms’ logistics pages center on transportation, freight and warehouse operations. Consider them when the leader will run fleets, terminals, brokerage desks or distribution sites.

CS Recruiting

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CS Recruiting website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Hiring a leader and the brokerage or operations team under them

CS Recruiting works across North America in freight brokerage, trucking, warehousing, freight forwarding and logistics technology. Its services span executive search, professional recruiting, recruitment process outsourcing and interim talent. The positions it lists as filled run from dispatcher and load planner to CEO, COO and executive vice president roles.

Ask first

If we hire a VP of Operations and then the brokerage team under them, would one recruiter run both, and how would the fee differ for the team hires?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Direct Recruiters Inc.

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Direct Recruiters Inc. website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Operating leaders and logistics software sales from one practice

Direct Recruiters Inc. lists logistics roles from coordinator to VP and COO, alongside logistics software sales. Its logistics practice offers executive search, retained, contingency and temporary solutions. That combination suits a business hiring both operating leaders and commercial staff for logistics software. A revenue leadership role is a separate comparison, covered in the guide to sales recruiters.

Ask first

Will the team assigned to us specialize in logistics operations, software sales or both?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

GESG

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GESG website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Executive search matched to one transport segment

GESG (Global Executive Solutions Group) offers executive search alongside talent assessment and advisory services. Its transportation practice lists separate segments, including freight brokerage and managed transportation, forwarding, intermodal, truckload, heavy haul and final mile.

Ask first

Which consultant covers our segment, and which target employers are off limits because of your client relationships?

Sources

Company (opens in a new tab)Transportation and logistics (opens in a new tab)Services (opens in a new tab)

Goodwin Recruiting

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Goodwin Recruiting website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Manager and director roles spanning logistics, procurement or inventory

Goodwin’s logistics and transportation page lists logistics operations managers, directors of logistics, transportation directors and specialist roles. It also names procurement and inventory management among its recruiting specialties, which fits a management or director-level role that spans more than one of those areas.

Ask first

You list procurement and inventory management among your specialties. For a director who will own logistics and inventory, will one recruiter assess both, or will two specialists share the search?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Pender & Howe

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Pender & Howe website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

A distribution leader who needs onboarding support after the hire

Pender & Howe’s supply chain practice describes recruiting and onboarding leaders in warehousing, transportation and distribution. The onboarding element matters when a new leader has to learn an established network, its stakeholders and its expectations quickly.

Ask first

What onboarding support forms part of the engagement, and who delivers it?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Robins Consulting

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Robins Consulting website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Senior hires at carriers, brokers and PE-backed transport companies

Robins Consulting recruits senior management, VPs and C-suite leaders across trucking, freight, distribution, rail, air and ocean. Its stated clients include carriers, freight brokers, third-party logistics providers and private equity-backed transportation businesses. Its FAQ calls retained executive search its core service and says most executive searches are completed within 30 to 90 days, depending on role complexity, market conditions and client requirements.

Ask first

Your clients include private equity-backed transportation companies. Have you run COO or VP of Operations searches for portfolio companies, and if so, how did you assess a candidate’s record against a value-creation plan?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)About and FAQ (opens in a new tab)

SCOPE Recruiting

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SCOPE Recruiting website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Logistics manager-to-VP hires with a choice of search model

Published pricing

18% retained; 20% exclusive contingency (30 days’ exclusivity); 25% contingency (base not stated).

SCOPE Recruiting lists roles from warehouse and transportation managers to logistics VPs, with retained, exclusive contingency and contingency options. It publishes a different fee for each model and describes its retained search as designed for director, VP, C-suite, confidential or highly specialized searches.

Ask first

What compensation figure is your percentage applied to, and what guarantee applies to this role?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Logistics leaders inside a wider supply chain

7 of 19 firms

These supply chain specialists place logistics leaders within a broader supply chain function, several of them for particular sectors such as industrial manufacturing or consumer goods.

Avery Point Group

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Avery Point Group website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

A leader hired to drive supply chain transformation

Avery Point Group emphasizes supply chain and operations transformation. Its logistics coverage includes reverse logistics, fulfillment, intermodal transportation and distribution operations. The firm says its partners are Six Sigma Master Black Belts and Lean-trained professionals.

Ask first

How will you distinguish a leader who delivered an improvement from one who participated in it?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

JMJ Phillip

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JMJ Phillip website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Logistics leaders for manufacturers, on retained, hybrid or contingent terms

JMJ Phillip specializes in manufacturing, supply chain and technology and has a dedicated logistics recruiting practice. Its listed services include retained, hybrid retained and contingent search, discreet searches and interim hiring.

Ask first

How will you protect the employer’s identity while checking a candidate’s suitability and interest?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Mangrum Solutions

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Mangrum Solutions website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Supply chain leaders for a small or midsized industrial manufacturer

Published pricing

average 25–30% (FAQ, base not stated); C-level retained paid in thirds.

Mangrum Solutions focuses on small and midsized industrial manufacturers nationwide. Its supply chain role list includes logistics and transportation managers and directors, plus VP of Transportation. It offers a Specialty Search for mid-to-executive roles, which starts with an initiation fee, and a separate fully retained model for C-level searches. For a wider leadership search in a manufacturing business, compare manufacturing recruiters and executive search firms.

Ask first

What are the written conditions of your 5-Year Replacement Program for the model you propose, including exclusions and any charges?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Nigel Wright Group

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Potential fit

Logistics and supply chain leaders for US consumer and CPG brands

Nigel Wright’s US logistics practice serves American consumer businesses, including consumer packaged goods companies. Its roles include chief supply chain officers, supply chain VPs and directors of logistics, distribution and transportation. For commercial or general leadership roles in the same sector, see the comparison of CPG recruiters.

Ask first

Your US practice serves consumer and CPG businesses. For a director of distribution, which shippers would be on your target list, and which are off limits because of your client relationships?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Optimum Supply Chain Recruiters

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Optimum Supply Chain Recruiters website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Manager-to-VP supply chain hires, or three or more roles at once

Published pricing

25% of base salary (FAQ); dedicated engagement also requires a small upfront payment.

Optimum’s transportation and logistics page covers roles from transportation manager to VP. Its FAQ describes contingency, engaged and retained services and manager-to-C-level coverage, and its dedicated engagement service is described as ideal for three or more mid-to-senior supply chain hires.

For a C-suite search, ask whether Optimum or HART Executive Search will run it. HART Search Companies owns both, HART Executive Search is its retained practice for private equity portfolio-company leadership, and HART’s page describes Optimum as manager-to-VP.

Ask first

Will Optimum or HART Executive Search own the assignment, and which service’s fee and guarantee apply?

Sources

Logistics recruiting (opens in a new tab)Fees and guarantees (opens in a new tab)HART ownership (opens in a new tab)Dedicated engagement terms (opens in a new tab)

SCM Talent Group

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SCM Talent Group website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Logistics leadership for a network change, such as a new DC or outsourcing

SCM Talent Group covers logistics executives, transportation directors, distribution center operations and fleet leadership. The firm offers executive and professional search as well as contract and interim talent; its executive search service is retained.

Its logistics page describes two senior assignments. Pure Fishing engaged it to hire a VP of Logistics, reporting to the COO, whose role included standing up a new 1 million square foot distribution center. For Crown Holdings, it placed a Director of Logistics to oversee a transition to an outsourced logistics function.

Ask first

Which assignments match our change, such as opening a distribution center or outsourcing logistics?

Sources

Logistics practice and cases (opens in a new tab)Retained executive search (opens in a new tab)

StevenDouglas

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StevenDouglas website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Hires that cross supply chain operations and engineering

StevenDouglas places logistics work within a combined Supply Chain & Engineering practice. It lists logistics and transportation managers, logistics directors and VP of Supply Chain roles, and serves industries including manufacturing, consumer goods and logistics providers. That combination suits a hiring brief that crosses technical and operational responsibilities.

Ask first

How will your team assess both the logistics operation and the technical responsibilities of this hire?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Senior supply chain and logistics executives

5 of 19 firms

These firms run supply chain or logistics practices inside broader executive search businesses. Boyden, Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds and Spencer Stuart describe international, C-level or board reach; Alpha Apex Group’s logistics page describes executive search across operations, trade compliance and sustainability.

Alpha Apex Group

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Co-founded by Jake Jorgovan, the author

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Alpha Apex Group website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Executive hires with trade compliance or sustainability responsibilities

Alpha Apex Group’s logistics practice recruits executives across operations, global trade compliance and sustainability. Its page describes assessing logistics expertise, strategic judgment, leadership and cultural fit.

Ask first

Your page names global trade compliance and sustainability. If our role carries either, how will you assess it alongside operational leadership?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Boyden

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Boyden website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Supply chain leadership across several countries

Boyden’s supply chain and logistics practice works with manufacturers, logistics providers, consumer brands and technology-enabled networks. Its stated scope includes international organizations, large mid-market businesses and niche companies, which suits a role spanning planning, sourcing, fulfillment and logistics across several countries.

Ask first

Who will lead the search across our markets, and what relevant work have they delivered together?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Korn Ferry

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Korn Ferry website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Permanent and interim supply chain hiring from one firm

Korn Ferry’s logistics recruiting page covers managers, directors and C-level executives for mid-tier through Fortune 500 clients. Its wider supply chain offering covers permanent and interim hires, from professional to executive level, so a proposal for one search should say which of those services it includes.

Ask first

If our search takes longer than we can leave the role empty, could you place an interim leader, and how would that be priced alongside the permanent search?

Sources

Logistics recruiting (opens in a new tab)Supply chain services (opens in a new tab)

Russell Reynolds Associates

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Russell Reynolds Associates website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

An enterprise role where logistics is one of several operations responsibilities

Russell Reynolds Associates offers executive search, C-suite succession and transformation services through its operations and supply chain practice. The practice page frames the work around operations and supply chain leadership as a whole, which fits an enterprise role where logistics is one of several responsibilities.

Ask first

Your practice covers operations and supply chain leaders, including C-suite succession. Which of your consultants have led searches where logistics was a large part of the role?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

Spencer Stuart

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Spencer Stuart website, captured October 2026.View source (opens in a new tab)

Potential fit

Board-level or C-suite supply chain appointments

Spencer Stuart’s supply chain and operations practice describes access to senior talent at board and C-suite level across logistics, distribution, procurement, manufacturing and other functions. Its leadership advisory work includes succession, onboarding and team effectiveness.

Ask first

Is the leadership advisory work (succession, onboarding) part of this search, or a separate engagement with its own fee?

Sources

Recruiting practice (opens in a new tab)

What do logistics and supply chain recruiters charge?

SCOPE Recruiting, Optimum Supply Chain Recruiters and Mangrum Solutions publish fee rates on their own pages: SCOPE Recruiting charges 18%, 20% or 25% depending on the search model, Optimum Supply Chain Recruiters charges 25% of base salary, and Mangrum Solutions puts its average fee at 25–30% without tying it to a search model. SCOPE and Mangrum do not state the compensation base. These are named firms’ published examples, not a market-wide fee range.

Compare each proposal’s fee base, payment trigger and replacement remedy along with its percentage. For the wider picture, see how search fees are calculated.

How do you choose a logistics search partner?

Start with the business responsibility, then use the comparison to find firms that have recruited for it. A VP running a carrier’s operation, a director overseeing outsourced logistics and a chief supply chain officer have different jobs, and a good headhunter knows where people who have done that job work today.

Write down what the leader will own: transport modes, facilities, teams, customers, budget, systems and decisions. Then name the measures they will answer for, with today’s baseline and the period over which you expect change. Use the ones your operation already reports; these are examples, not targets:

• Service: on-time-in-full (OTIF), the share of orders delivered complete and on the agreed date. Write down how your company counts it.
• Cost: cost per unit shipped, or freight cost as a share of sales, with the costs included.
• Warehouse: dock-to-stock time, from receipt to stock available to pick, and space or labor utilization.
• Safety: injury rates for warehouses and plants, such as a total recordable incident rate. Carrier safety is covered below.
• Systems: whether the leader will select, implement or run a warehouse management system (WMS) or transportation management system (TMS).
• Providers: which 3PL contracts the leader will negotiate, renew or exit, and how provider performance is measured.

I’d also write down what the leader should have achieved after 90 days, so the recruiter and the candidates are working toward the same picture of success.

Include what must change and what must be kept. SCM Talent Group’s Crown Holdings placement shows the kind of change worth naming: the company needed a Director of Logistics to oversee a transition to an outsourced logistics function, and SCM says the role required strategic vision and change management skills. For a brief like that, a useful assessment question is what the candidate ran in a previous outsourcing move: which work transferred, how the provider’s service was measured and what they did when it fell short.

What should carriers, 3PLs and shippers look for in a transportation recruiter?

Look for a recruiter whose candidate network matches how your company moves freight. A leader at an asset-based carrier, a broker and a shipper managing 3PLs answers for different things:

• Asset-based carrier: the leader answers for drivers, equipment, maintenance and safety. A carrier’s FMCSA safety rating and its Safety Measurement System (SMS) data are company records, looked up by carrier name or USDOT number, so they show the fleet’s history without isolating the candidate’s part in it. Ask what the candidate changed in the fleet they ran, over what period, and what happened to the company’s results.
• Freight broker or non-asset 3PL: the leader’s results depend on carrier relationships, capacity and customer accounts. The recruiter needs a network among brokerage and managed transportation leaders.
• Shipper using 3PLs: the leader governs contracts and service levels that someone else delivers. Ask which contracts they negotiated, how they measured the provider and what they did when service slipped.

Firms here describe these segments differently. GESG lists freight brokerage and managed transportation separately from truckload and heavy haul. Robins Consulting names carriers, freight brokers and 3PLs among its clients. CS Recruiting lists 3PL and freight brokerage separately from asset-based trucking.

How do you hire a chief supply chain officer?

Decide what the role will own before choosing a firm. A chief supply chain officer may run planning, procurement, manufacturing and logistics, or only some of them, and that scope decides which practice can run the search. Write down which functions report to the role, who it reports to, and whether a board or private equity sponsor will approve the appointment.

Several firms here document C-suite supply chain coverage. Spencer Stuart describes board and C-suite reach across sourcing, procurement, manufacturing, distribution and logistics. Russell Reynolds Associates offers C-suite succession within its operations and supply chain practice. Nigel Wright lists chief supply chain officers among its US consumer roles. For a private equity portfolio company, Optimum’s sister firm HART Executive Search, which has no entry of its own here, runs retained searches from VP of operations and supply chain up to CEO, COO and CFO.

If procurement will stay a separate function, compare procurement executive search firms for that leader. If the role will run the whole operation, including plants, it may be closer to a COO appointment; see COO executive search firms.

How do you compare the proposals?

Give each firm the same brief, meet the consultant who will run the search and compare their written answers. Their account of the candidate market should name where suitable people work now and which employers are off limits because of their existing clients.