The industry is coming off the rate recession. According to DAT, national average linehaul rates in early September were up 34% year over year for van and reefer and 31% for flatbed, near the top of their nine-year seasonal range. As pricing recovers, transportation and logistics companies are shifting from protecting margin to targeting growth. That shift is changing who they hire, and decisions made this quarter will shape how well positioned they are entering 2027.
Private equity is re-evaluating leadership
Private equity ownership is driving two distinct talent agendas, and the right hiring approach depends on where a company sits in its ownership cycle.
Firms that acquired before the 2024 rate recession are working to get back to purchase price so they can sell. Private Equity Info reports that the median holding period for PE-backed companies has reached 6.0 years, the longest since it began tracking the metric. For these companies, every leadership seat should be judged against the exit plan. Prioritize executives with a record of hitting defined targets on a set schedule, and who have been through a sale process before. A leader learning how to prepare a company for buyer diligence is a risk the timeline may not absorb.
Firms that acquired during the rate recession face a different question. As they finish their first cycle, they are reviewing the executive teams they retained at close to determine which retained employees are ready to step up and where outside replacements are needed. Complete that assessment before Q1 planning, and evaluate each executive against the plan for the next cycle, not the last one. Where internal successors exist, name them and build development plans now. Where they don’t, start the outside search early. A vacancy discovered mid-cycle is harder to fill well.
Sales hiring is returning to fundamentals
Companies are taking a harder look at sales numbers established between 2022 and 2024. Those results were built while rates were growing aggressively, and many of the salespeople behind them have had a hard time holding onto or maintaining that business since.
Hiring criteria are shifting back toward long-lasting relationships and proven tenure. Rather than prioritizing career longevity, companies are increasingly targeting seasoned sellers, often in the back half of their careers, who can confidently bring the business with them.
To hire well in this environment, change what you verify. Ask candidates to separate business they won from business they kept, and to show how their accounts performed after rates shifted. Reference-check the relationships they say will follow them. Weigh account retention and relationship depth above peak volume. And plan for the shorter runway that comes with later-career hires: pair them with developing sellers so their relationships and market knowledge stay with the company after they retire.
Final mile is becoming a strategic priority
Final mile continues to gain ground as a growth lever. In the big and bulky segment alone, Armstrong & Associates estimates the 3PL market at $11.42 billion in 2026, rising to $12.34 billion in 2027. Companies are pursuing final mile in one of two ways: establishing consistent final mile relationships to lock in business, or bolting on their own final mile divisions as an added sell. Warehousing companies in particular are looking to work their way into final mile.
Decide build versus partner before you hire, because each path calls for different talent. A partnership strategy requires commercial and vendor-management leaders who can structure relationships that hold up under service pressure. A bolt-on division requires operators who have stood one up, along with sales talent who can sell an integrated warehousing and delivery offering rather than two separate services. Warehousing companies should expect to look outside their current bench for final mile operating experience, which is a different discipline from running a four-wall operation.
Planning ahead
The common thread across all three trends is precision. Growth is returning, but companies that hire for the market of 2022 will be poorly positioned for the one ahead. Leaders who tie each hire to their ownership timeline, to business that has been retained, and to a clear final mile strategy will enter 2027 with the right people in the right seats.
GESG (Global Executive Solutions Group) specializes in executive search across transportation, logistics, and supply chain. Whether you are preparing leadership for an exit, building a succession plan, recruiting sales talent with a book that lasts, or standing up a final mile division, our team can help you find the people to get there. Contact GESG to discuss your Q4 and 2027 talent plans.
Josiah is a Managing Director and within the Transportation, Logistics, & Supply Chain Management practices, with a focus in Intermodal, Drayage, and Port Logistics. Throughout his career in the executive search industry Josiah has established himself as a top resource in his respective niches in order to provide the top level of both search and consultative practices to his clients and candidates. Through a strong understanding of the industry both on a micro and macro level he is able to efficiently identify the right people and develop strong lasting relationships.
Josiah has worked with over 50 organizations both domestically and globally and has been recognized as a top 10% performer within a nationwide network of 600 executive recruiters for 2021 & 2022.