Karsten Kaya
Freight forwarding will not be transformed by another chatbot. It will be transformed by people who run better systems. Twenty years in freight taught me that. Now I build those systems.
The industry ran on Excel. Most of it still does.
I started in freight operations more than twenty years ago and worked through every layer of the business: operations, sales, business development and leadership in international freight forwarding, hands on in project cargo and out of gauge, across Europe, the Middle East, LATAM and Asia.
Today I am based in Dubai and work globally. Everything I build follows one conviction: logistics does not need more promises. It needs better systems, real relationships and people who take responsibility. The TMS is the system of record. AI is the system of action. The human stays the accountability.
“Your TMS knows every shipment. It does not know which quote went cold yesterday. That gap is where independent forwarders lose margin, and it is the gap I work on.”
Karsten at work: laptop, meeting
or Dubai environment
Owners and sales heads of independent forwarders, 10 to 200 people. Partners who pick up the phone at 2 a.m. and already know the alternative.
Twenty years of real cargo. Project shipments, out of gauge, yachts, cars. The home turf and the proof.
Not another chatbot. Systems that follow up every quote, on top of the TMS you already run, with a human accountable at the point that matters.
Three ventures.
One mission.
Every venture answers a problem I lived through myself. The mission behind all three: give independent forwarders the systems, the network and the operations to grow without the chaos.
Freight forwarder? Start with YES and RYNR.
Responsible for a valuable asset? Go straight to High-Value & Project Logistics.
YES NextGen Network
A vetted network of independent forwarders who actually move business with each other. Relationships, not a badge.
Why YES exists ↓
RYNR
Your TMS moves cargo. RYNR moves the sale. CRM, follow-up and AI outreach built for forwarders, plugged on top of the TMS you run.
Why RYNR exists ↓High-Value & Project Logistics
Operations and advice for cargo that cannot go wrong. Project cargo, out of gauge, yachts, collector cars, mission-critical equipment. Under KKKonsulting.
Why this exists ↓The next generation of freight forwarding networks.
The freight network model hasn’t fundamentally changed in decades. Annual meetings, membership fees, round-robin introductions. It worked, but the industry has outgrown it. I saw it from the inside: networks that sell a badge, not a relationship.
YES NextGen Network is built for forwarders who want something different: a community where collaboration happens year-round, relationships are built on trust and real business, and digital infrastructure supports the connections, not replaces them.
- Year-round collaboration, not just annual conferences
- Business development built into the network
- Focus on the next generation of freight leaders
- Global reach with regional depth
Your TMS moves cargo. RYNR moves the sale.
Sales in freight forwarding rarely fails because of demand. It fails because too much depends on too few people and too little structure. Quotes go out, follow-up depends on who is busy, and the deals you lose are the ones nobody chased.
RYNR is the sales and marketing layer on top of your TMS: CRM, automated follow-up, AI outreach and pipeline visibility in one system, built for independent forwarders with 10 to 200 people. In use with forwarders in the USA, the UAE, Thailand and Poland. 30 day trial, no TMS replacement.
- Pipeline and CRM built for forwarding workflows
- Every quote followed up, automatically
- AI calls and outreach that answer in minutes, not days
- Plugs on top of your TMS, email and communication tools
Some cargo forgives mistakes. This cargo does not.
Project shipments, oversized loads, collector cars, yachts and mission-critical equipment need more than a freight rate. They need someone who has planned, routed and managed complex international shipments for more than two decades, with one point of contact from collection to final delivery. Yacht logistics is project cargo with a heartbeat.
- Logistics consulting & operations
- Project cargo & oversized shipments
- Yachts & high-value cars
- Mission-critical equipment
- Risk management, routing & insurance coordination
- Vetted global specialist network
References available in direct conversation.
Talk Freight →or enclosed car transport / yacht
premium, no logos
In good company.
Two decades in freight forwarding build more than a track record. They build relationships. Six voices from people I have worked with, taken from public LinkedIn recommendations.
His understanding of global logistics and agent networks is truly impressive. Karsten has a unique ability to bridge perspectives, opening new doors, enabling partnerships and generating business opportunities that might not have existed otherwise.
Beyond a strong business relationship, we have built a genuine partnership based on trust and shared values. He stands out for his problem-solving mindset and consistently prompt and precise support. We are co-founders of the YES network, a vision we turned into reality together.
Karsten has a rare ability to quickly understand complex technological concepts and translate them into practical, business-relevant insights. He bridges the gap between technology and real-world application, asking the right questions and making sure solutions are feasible and scalable.
Since 2019 I have had the pleasure of working with Karsten both as a client and as a service provider. I particularly appreciate his commitment and his ability to quickly resolve complex issues. Whenever I have a concern, I can count on him and his team to find a solution.
An exceptional logistician whose deep industry knowledge and data-driven approach consistently translate into smarter, more efficient solutions for his clients. Always seeking new opportunities to optimize operations and deliver tangible value.
Karsten is a genuine people-oriented professional. He consistently puts customer service at the forefront. I am always amazed by his desire to innovate and how he uses technology to his advantage.
Focus areas.
The person behind the ventures.
Everyone talks about logistics. Nobody explains it. Explaining it, discussing it and sometimes making a six-year-old understand it is the real test.
Cargo und Kontext
A German-language logistics podcast: market trends, carrier analysis and the operational reality of global supply chains, discussed with depth, not jargon.
Listen on Spotify →
Kika · Logistics for Kids
Why would someone with 20 years in logistics write a children’s book? Because everybody talks about logistics, but explaining it to a six-year-old is another matter. Available on Amazon in English, German and Spanish.
View on Amazon →or LinkedIn visual
LinkedIn & Speaking
Four posts a week on what is changing in freight forwarding: sales systems, AI that actually follows up, networks that get business done and the cargo that cannot go wrong.
Follow on LinkedIn →Dubai skyline / Marina
Airport / travel moment
Conference / event with people
Business dinner / meeting
One email when there is
something worth saying.
The pattern behind a market shock before it hits your rates. The process a forwarder fixed and what it returned. The tool decision most people get wrong. One pattern, one move, three links. Five minutes. No daily noise, unsubscribe any time.
If follow-up is the leak in your sales, talk to me.
Twenty minutes on your sales follow-up, your network or a complex shipment. No pitch deck. Bring the one thing that costs you the most time right now.
People · Freight · AI