5 Best Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Companies for 2018

5 Best Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Companies for 2018. Third-party logistics (3PL) companies handle outsourced logistics functions for client businesses.

Inbound and outbound shipping, freight and parcel distribution, and import/export services are a few of the many services that 3PL companies provide. We reviewed top 3PL companies across all operational areas and settled on 5 top picks that cover every small business 3PL outsourcing need. Best Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Companies for 2018 – Summary Table. How We Evaluated & Selected the Best Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Companies for 2018. Most 3PL companies offer an array of services that focus on certain operational areas, such as ecommerce order fulfillment, freight shipping, multichannel sales support, or import/export logistics. There are 3PL companies that offer logistics solutions across all operational areas, but this type of 3PL company really caters to enterprise-level clients with very large budgets. We found that the best 3PL companies for small businesses are those that focus on specific logistics functions. These 3PLs combine expertise, service, and value in specific operational areas rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Using that criteria, we settled on 5 top 3PL companies that cover distinct service groupings: ecommerce fulfillment, freight shipping, warehousing, and import/export. As expected, there is overlap since each of our top 5 picks are multifunctional companies. We’ll cover each of our top 3PL’s core strengths and related services in detail below, but here’s a overview of the range of services each offers: Third-party Logistics (3PL) Services Comparison Chart. Best 3PL Company for Ecommerce & Crowdfunding: ShipBob. ShipBob tops our list of small business ecommerce 3PL fulfillment companies for several reasons, but one really stands out: It operates a nationwide network of warehouses. With warehouse locations near the country’s major population centers, ShipBob is able to deliver orders to most US buyers within 1-2 days, just like the internet’s biggest names. Plus, orders don’t have to travel as far which dramatically reduces your shipping costs. This allows you to charge lower shipping fees and attract more buyers. Most fulfillment companies with nationwide distribution networks service only larger clients, but not ShipBob.

If you sell as few as 100 orders per month (that’s just 3-4 orders per day), ShipBob is happy to talk with you. That alone puts it at the top of small business fulfillment stack, and other factors move it soundly into first place. Add to that ShipBob’s quick integration with virtually all top online sales channels and intuitive seller portal, and it’s an ideal 3PL company for small ecommerce sellers. What ShipBob Can Do for Your Business. Like all 3PL fulfillment companies, ShipBob stores and manages your inventory, pulls and packs products, and ships orders to your customers. What makes ShipBob stand out from the rest of the ecommerce fulfillment crowd is its personalized handling of small business accounts and ability to meet specific needs with a customized solution, this can include: Targeted warehouse locations — ShipBob tracks where your order ship and positions your stock in the nearest warehouse. This is where ShipBob’s standout nationwide warehousing network comes into play. Batch shipping — If you don’t ship daily but instead ship a group of orders all at once, like for a crowdfunding project, ShipBob delivers. Ecommerce integrations — ShipBob integrates with top ecommerce shopping carts, seller marketplaces, and crowdfunding platforms to download orders and upload tracking data. Intuitive client dashboard — See everything that’s happening with your stock, sales, and orders, regardless of where they originate, in ShipBob’s centralized dashboard Inventory forecasting — ShipBob’s dashboard gives you the tools to see what’s happening with your stock. Detailed data tells you what’s selling, what’s not, and when it’s time to buy. Discounted shipping rates — ShipBob negotiates extremely low rates with all major parcel carriers and passes those rates on to its clients. Free perks — Unlike many small business fulfillment 3PL services, ShipBob handles your returns and provides basic shipping boxes with no added costs. The biggest perk is that ShipBob positions itself as your 3PL fulfillment business partner and understands that their success is connected to yours. This is a very important piece of the 3PL fulfillment puzzle, especially for smaller businesses that don’t have budgetary or human resources to spare. When you hand your fulfillment operations over to ShipBob, you know it’s being done right, freeing you to focus on business-building tasks. What ShipBob’s 3PL Ecommerce & Crowdfunding Services Cost. Rather than applying a blanket fee structure to all clients, ShipBob customizes a fulfillment program with fees based on your specific storage, packing, and shipping needs. That said, there are a few set charges for certain tasks: