Asking for a pay rise in logistics: how to build the case

Benchmark before you ask

Find out what your role pays in your area, not nationally — the difference between a port town, Cambridge and London is significant. Our salary guide gives a low, mid and top range by role and location, drawn from published UK pay data.

If you're already at the top of the range, the conversation is about scope or a different role, not a percentage.

Build the evidence over a few weeks

• ▸Responsibilities you've picked up that weren't in your original job description
• ▸Cover you provide when someone's off, and how often
• ▸Anything measurable you've improved — cost, error rate, turnaround, retention
• ▸Tickets, licences or training you've gained since your last review

Time it sensibly

Ask for a short meeting rather than raising it in passing. Avoid the middle of peak or the week of a system go-live. If your employer runs annual reviews, get your case in before the budget is set, not after.

How to open the conversation

Say what you want, what the market rate is and what you've contributed, then stop talking and let them respond. Keep it to two or three sentences. A calm, specific ask is much harder to brush off than a long preamble.

Handling a no

Ask two questions: what would need to change for the answer to be yes, and when can we revisit this. Get the answer in writing if you can. A no with a clear path is workable; a no with no path is useful information about your future there.

Don't use an offer as a lever unless you'd take it

Counter-offers accepted under pressure have a poor survival rate on both sides. If you're interviewing elsewhere, be clear with yourself about whether you want a rise or a move — they lead to different conversations.