Freight forwarders know delays are part of the job. But in recent years, the delays caused by extreme weather events have gone from occasional hurdles to massive, recurring disruptions. Floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and heatwaves are no longer “black swan” events. They’re becoming part of the baseline operating environment. What this really means is that supply chain resilience, specifically climate resilience, is now a critical competitive edge. Forwarders who can anticipate, adapt, and keep cargo moving when weather chaos hits will earn the trust (and repeat business) of shippers navigating an uncertain future.
Real-world examples: climate change disrupting logistics
It’s one thing to talk about “extreme weather” in the abstract. But let’s break down a few recent cases that show how climate change is already rewriting the rules of global freight.
1. The Panama Canal drought crisis
In 2023 and 2024, the Panama Canal experienced record-low water levels due to prolonged drought. The canal authority had to restrict the number of daily ship transits and reduce draft limits, creating a bottleneck on one of the world’s most critical trade lanes. Freight rates spiked, delays piled up, and forwarders scrambled to reroute cargo through alternative (and costlier) paths like the Suez Canal or intermodal U.S. routes.
2. Hurricane Ian’s impact on Florida ports
When Hurricane Ian struck Florida in 2022, it caused widespread damage to port infrastructure and road networks. Terminals were shut for days, containers piled up, and time-sensitive cargo missed critical delivery windows. For forwarders handling perishables, pharmaceuticals, or just-in-time shipments, this was a stark reminder of how a single storm can unravel weeks of planning.
3. European floods and rail chaos
In 2021, catastrophic flooding in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands damaged rail infrastructure across the Rhine region, a major artery for inland Europe cargo movement. Freight forwarders had to secure scarce trucking capacity to bypass rail outages, driving up costs and straining delivery commitments.
4. Canada’s wildfires are choking air freight
In 2023, Canada’s wildfires blanketed major regions with smoke, disrupting flights across North America. Air freight schedules were thrown off, airports faced operational challenges, and shippers relying on fast transit saw delays that rippled across supply chains.
Each of these cases highlights the same truth: weather events don’t just affect one mode of transport but cascade across the entire logistics ecosystem.
How climate disasters hit freight forwarding
Extreme weather brings multiple layers of disruption for freight forwarders:
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Infrastructure breakdowns: Ports, rail lines, and warehouses are often the first casualties. Damaged or inaccessible infrastructure creates bottlenecks at every stage of transit.
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Capacity crunches: When one route is knocked offline, everyone scrambles for alternatives. This drives up freight rates and reduces availability.
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Regulatory delays: Customs authorities may shut down temporarily or face backlogs when border points are disrupted.
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Cargo damage risks: Flooding, heatwaves, and storms all increase the chance of cargo spoilage or physical damage, especially for temperature-sensitive goods.
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Uncertainty for clients: Forwarders often take the brunt of customer frustration when shipments stall, even if the root cause is outside their control.
Building climate resilience in supply chain: strategies for forwarders
The good news is, while forwarders can’t control the weather, they can build strategies to keep supply chains moving when it strikes. Here are the pillars of climate resilience:
1. Invest in risk mapping
Know your vulnerabilities. Use historical data, climate models, and supply chain visibility tools to identify routes, ports, and regions most exposed to weather risks. For example, shipments passing through Gulf Coast ports should have contingencies for hurricane season.
2. Diversify routing options
Relying too heavily on one shipping lane (like the Panama Canal) can leave you exposed. Forwarders should develop relationships with carriers across multiple routes and modes- sea, air, and intermodal- so rerouting can happen quickly when disruptions occur.
3. Strengthen partnerships
No forwarder can manage climate risk alone. Close ties with agents, carriers, and network partners provide the flexibility to find capacity or storage when primary options fail. This is where being part of a global freight forwarders network like Conqueror can make a real difference.
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4. Improve communication with clients
During weather disruptions, silence kills trust. Forwarders should proactively update clients on potential risks, alternative plans, and realistic timelines. Transparency about challenges helps preserve relationships even when shipments are delayed.
5. Invest in digital tools
AI-driven predictive analytics, cargo visibility platforms, and real-time weather tracking can give forwarders an edge. If you know a storm is coming or a canal is likely to restrict capacity, you can act before competitors scramble for alternatives.
6. Build resilience into contracts
Forwarders can protect themselves financially by revisiting terms of service, insurance coverage, and force majeure clauses. Encouraging shippers to invest in cargo insurance tailored to climate risks is another smart move.
7. Plan for sustainability
Ironically, the logistics industry is both a victim of and a contributor to climate change. By embracing low-carbon solutions like green fuels, modal shifts to rail, and optimized routing, forwarders not only reduce emissions but also future-proof themselves against tightening climate regulations.
What climate resilience looks like in practice
Imagine two freight forwarders in the face of a major storm shutting down a port:
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Forwarder A has no alternative routes lined up, scrambles for trucking last-minute, and leaves clients in the dark until it’s too late.
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Forwarder B has already mapped out contingency ports, pre-arranged air freight options for priority cargo, and sends daily updates to clients about shifting ETAs.
Both are facing the same storm. But only one comes out with client trust intact. That’s the essence of climate resilience in supply chain management.
The way forward
Climate change isn’t a future threat, it’s here, disrupting freight forwarding already. Forwarders who treat weather risks as central to their strategy will not just survive but thrive in this new reality.
The logistics industry has always been about solving problems and finding a way forward. The difference now is that the problems are bigger, more frequent, and more interconnected. Building climate resilience isn’t about eliminating risk, it’s about adapting fast enough to keep cargo moving when the world doesn’t cooperate.
For freight forwarders, the question is no longer if the weather will wreck the supply chain, but when and how ready you’ll be when it does.