What is an open seat costing you?
Most logistics teams underestimate vacancy cost by half. Enter four numbers and see the real damage of every day this role stays open.
Tell us about the open role.
Formula, multipliers, and sources.
Vacancy cost is not just lost salary. It is the productivity that does not happen, the decisions that get delayed, the revenue the role would have generated, and the load that shifts onto the rest of your team. Industry research consistently puts the daily cost at one to three times the daily salary, depending on seniority and how revenue-direct the role is.
daily_salary = base_salary ÷ 260 work days
daily_vacancy_cost = daily_salary × role_multiplier × (1 + industry_adjustment)
total = daily_vacancy_cost × days_vacant
Role multipliers reflect how much of the role's value disappears the moment the seat goes empty. Individual contributors lose roughly their salary in productivity. Managers and directors compound that loss because their subordinates slow down. Executives compound it again because strategic decisions stall.
Industry adjustments reflect where logistics roles sit on the revenue and margin curve. Freight brokerage and cold chain take the largest hits because the work is more revenue-direct and compliance-sensitive. Generalist logistics roles take a smaller adjustment.
These are estimates, not promises. They are designed to be defensible, not dramatic. Your actual cost depends on the team and the role.
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