Small shippers cannot find or compare 3PL warehouse providers
19 posts across 7 communities in the last 90 days; 26% from r/ecommerce.
“Not sure if this is the right subreddit but here goes. I need to be in LA (Burbank) in mid-September to palletize items for a shipment. They should fit on four pallets. However, I need to find the pallets and the proper materials (straps, pallet wrap, and moving blankets for…”
“Okay, good. [re: Anyone have a good 3PL/warehouse recommendation in the US?]”
“I need a piggyback flatbed, I'm based in Oregon, shipping primarily in Pacific Northwest but potentially into California. Any experience sourcing this with third party brokers? Is it successful or no? I Spoke with two 3pls and they sounded confident based on my needs, but I…”
Several posts highlight layoffs at CH Robinson and broader challenges within the logistics industry, including FedEx issues, apparel returns complexities, warehouse provider evaluations, and rising shipping costs. This suggests a period of restructuring and cost-cutting impacting both companies and consumers.
SOURCES (33)
“I need a piggyback flatbed, I'm based in Oregon, shipping primarily in Pacific Northwest but potentially into California. Any experience sourcing this with third party brokers? Is it successful or no? I Spoke with two 3pls and they sounded confident based on my needs, but I don't need someone who backs out with truck troubles when my customers depend on the forklift. Ps I called locals relentlessly both trucking companies also including lumber, building supply etc for recommendations and”
“I run a decently sized fashion brand in the UK (7-figures currently). As we scaled, our former 3PL couldn't quite keep up and it almost led to our demise. I spent a month or so speaking to over 15 3PLs to ensure they could store our inventory accurately (thousands of SKUs), were priced super competitively, and could fulfil orders on the same day. Was shocked by the discrepancy of quotes. Really liked this particular 3PL and we took the bet to move across. Now having been there, these guys ar”
“I run a decently sized fashion brand in the UK (7-figures currently). As we scaled, our former 3PL couldn't quite keep up and it almost led to our demise. I spent a month or so speaking to over 15 3PLs to ensure they could store our inventory accurately (thousands of SKUs), were priced super competitively, and could fulfil orders on the same day. Was shocked by the discrepancy of quotes. Really liked this particular 3PL and we took the bet to move across. Now having been there, these guys ar”
“I bought a large warehouse (30K sq ft) and my company isnt that large yet but located next to a lot of distribution centers. I noticed theres only a few companies that offer rework / crossdocking services in my area and it seems like a reasonable way to help me pay some bills while my main company takes off. Just wondering how much you guys typically pay for rework fees and general things to look out for? I made policy documents etc and will take photos before and after working the pallets. It s”
“Maybe check out clickpost? I'm pretty sure it let's you track the entire return journey, so you can track it properly. If you're dealing with multiple carriers then also it's a good option”
“I’m looking for a 3PL that can handle LTL frozen seafood out of southeastern MA. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance. submitted by /u/floodmatt [link] [comments]”
“I need to move one pallet from one city to another in Oklahoma. Is there a website where I can submit the request and individuals can submit bids for it? submitted by /u/No-Cartoonist-6875 [link] [comments]”
K.fraise@tql.com I’m happy to provide quotes, shipping and warehouse solutions.
“I am looking for a US based micro 3PL for an e-commerce business. We need a place to accept and store returns and exchanges that we get from our customers. Because this is for exchanges and returns only, the volume is going to be quite small. If anyone can point me in the right direction that would be great. Thanks! submitted by /u/FacelesArtist [link] [comments]”
“The fabric will be rolled and it will be less than truck load. It’s approx 1000 yards of heavy waxed cotton. I’ll coordinate with the supplier to ask about efficient packing methods.”
“Not sure if this is the right subreddit but here goes. I need to be in LA (Burbank) in mid-September to palletize items for a shipment. They should fit on four pallets. However, I need to find the pallets and the proper materials (straps, pallet wrap, and moving blankets for some of the more fragile items). Problem is, I'm flying to LA and can't rent a car (no driver's license). So I am stuck using public transit and/or Uber/Lyft. The question is, how am I going to be able to even fi”
“Moving to a much better 3PL, with efficiencies of scale mapped out clearly and built to decrease fulfillment & shipping costs as we scaled from $10M to $25M, then $56M, then $78M and eventually $125.5M+. Let alone faster shipping, much improved order shipment accuracy, far fewer damaged or missing items, and resources to flex during projected high volume periods of time. A bad 3PL can ruin all the blood, sweat, tears and $$$ that led to any and all orders. Everything prior to package recepti”
“That's kinda what I thought....however most of the quotes I've received are for. The 3PLs. Was wondering if just straight warehousing exists without paying the extra 3PL premium”
“We are reviewing our third party logistics budget for inventory storage and order fulfillment in mainland China. The price spread across 3PL providers is bigger than expected. Key Factors We're Seeing Storage Structure: Pallet storage vs. square meter allocation. Hidden Add ons: Value added services (kitting, barcoding, quality control) drastically shift the final bill. Location: Shanghai/Jiangsu facilities vs. secondary logistics hubs. Our team benchmarked standard operational management mo”
“previously worked with bad companies, would appreciate feedback from others who have performed similar evalutions submitted by /u/WinifredE_Miller [link] [comments]”
“Location: Phoenix, AZ Does anyone have any insight into any warehouse, distribution, or fulfillment center positions that are actively, currently interviewing / hiring? I've been applying and applying but haven't had any luck. 🙅♀️🚫 Really needing a Thurs - Sat or Fri - Sun, day (1st) shift availability. Petsmart, Target, Hello Fresh, McLane, Winco, etc. have all been on my list. 10+ years of experience. TYIA. 🤗 submitted by /u/No_Information_3469 [link] [comments]”
“Hey, I'm looking for a small to mid sized 3PL partner in Poland that could handle product labeling, picking, packing and sending. - We don't do much for now - 500-700 ord. per month. - We need a dedicated contact to handle issues. - It's a BIG BIG advantage if you have fast 1-2 shipping accross EU via fedex, ups or dhl. With a reliable partner, we could definitely scale a lot more. Any type of suggestions are appreciated. submitted by /u/Professional-Blood76 [link]”
“Try Portal Warehousing. I've seen strong feedback from e-commerce business owners and small-bay operators who like the all-inclusive pricing, flexible month-to-month leases, and built-in logistics support. Having loading dock access and on-site equipment included also seems to make day-to-day operations a lot easier.”
“Took me too long to move my fulfillment west. For like a year I kept telling myself I'd figure it out next quarter and then next quarter would come and I'd still be running Pennsylvania outbound on a customer base that was mostly California, Oregon, Washington. What finally pushed me was running the actual numbers on per order shipping cost vs where my orders were going. Once I mapped it I felt kind of dumb for waiting. The thing that took the longest to figure out: 3PL logistics Los Ang”
“Hey folks, it would benefit the company I work for to have someone in our back pocket that could temporarily store hazmat materials in the NY/NJ area. Primarily, we're looking for a place to do transloading. Unloading the incoming container and loading it onto a truck for an FTL shipment soon after. Materials we would need to store/transload: Calcium, UN1401, 4.3, PG II Arsenic, UN1558, 6.1, PG II Something like 16,000-20,000 kg net. Packed in drums, stacked on pallets. Not many warehouses h”
“If I’ve worked in the port multiple times and have a twic would I be able to use my company marked truck and flat deck trailer to pick up a palletized item.”
“I have an interview tomorrow in orange county California. I heard I will have to be doing dock work as well? My question is, is this a high stress job? I’m starting at $29 per hour. I also have another job interview with XGS express global systems LLC working nights for $23 an hour sounds more chill. I’m wondering which one I should take I don’t know what else. submitted by /u/AccomplishedAmount62 [link] [comments]”
“I have an interview tomorrow in orange county California. I heard I will have to be doing dock work as well? My question is, is this a high stress job? I’m starting at $29 per hour. I also have another job interview with XGS express global systems LLC working nights for $23 an hour sounds more chill. I’m wondering which one I should take I don’t know what else. submitted by /u/AccomplishedAmount62 [link] [comments]”
“I'm curious to hear from warehouse managers and 3PL operators. What takes up the most time in your daily operations? Inventory accuracy? Manual data entry? Client billing? Picking & packing? Returns? Multi-warehouse management? WMS integrations? I'm researching how warehouses are improving efficiency, and I'd love to hear what's working (or not working) for you. submitted by /u/TuneCrazy8870 [link] [comments]”
“Are there common disagreements between the two fields/departments? Both fall under the category of Logistics but I’d assume they have two very different views/approaches. submitted by /u/PrimitiveScribe [link] [comments]”
“New 3PL owner here looking for some industry advice. I recently transitioned out of the military after spending 11+ years in logistics and supply chain operations. My business partner and I launched a 3PL in the Chicagoland area, focusing on warehousing, fulfillment, and value-added services. One area I'm trying to learn more about is cross-docking. For those of you in freight brokerage, transportation, or warehouse operations: How do brokers typically find cross-dock partners? Where are bro”
“Put together what I found during my own 3pl warehouse california search since there's no good consolidated view anywhere. Most threads are either too old or only cover one provider. This is mostly relevant if you're pulling containers through the LA/long beach complex and distributing to west coast destinations. The structural question that mattered most was whether the provider owns and operates the california facility directly or runs it through a partner warehouse. The partner model i”