3PL spotlights
3PL & eCommerce Fulfillment Insights
Guides to choosing a 3PL, spotlights on providers in our network, and fulfillment news.
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How to Choose a 3PL Provider: 7 Steps, Quotes and Red Flags
How to choose a 3PL provider in 7 steps: build a data pack, compare quotes on cost per order, check location, score providers, pilot, read the contract.
The 7 steps
- Decide What You Are Outsourcing and Why
- Build a Data Pack Every Provider Quotes From
- Build a Longlist That Fits Your Profile
- Compare 3PL Quotes on Cost per Order, Not Headline Rates
- Check Location Against Where Your Customers Are
- Score the Shortlist
- Visit, Call References and Run a Pilot
Editor's picks
Choosing a 3PL
How to Switch 3PL Providers: Steps, Checklist and KPIs
Shipping and operations
Dark Stores: What They Are, How They Work, and Examples
Latest articles
DDP vs DAP vs DDU: Which Terms Your 3PL Should Ship On
Under DDP the seller pays import duty and tax; under DAP, and the older DDU, the buyer does. How each works for ecommerce and what to ask your 3PL.
Shipping and operationsNovember 2, 202610 min read
Real-Time Shipping Rates: How Live Rates Work at Checkout
How real-time shipping rates reach your checkout on Shopify, WooCommerce and Adobe Commerce, why the quote can miss the label, and what a 3PL changes.
Shipping and operationsNovember 2, 202610 min read
3PL EDI: The 940, 945 and 856 Explained for Brands
How EDI works with a 3PL: the 940 shipping order, 945 shipping advice, 856 ship notice and 846, what a late 856 costs, and what to ask a 3PL.
Choosing a 3PLNovember 2, 202610 min read
Cross-Docking: What It Is and When It Beats Warehousing
Cross-docking moves freight from inbound to outbound trucks with little or no storage. When it beats warehousing, what it needs, and what to ask a 3PL.
Shipping and operationsNovember 1, 202610 min read
Contract Warehousing vs a 3PL: Dedicated or Shared Space
Contract warehousing is a multi-year deal for space, staff and systems run for one company. How it differs from a shared 3PL, and which one fits.
Choosing a 3PLNovember 1, 202610 min read
3PL Billing Software: How It Works and How to Choose
How 3PL billing software turns warehouse activity into client invoices, where billing revenue leaks, WMS billing modules vs standalone tools, and what to ask.
For 3PLsNovember 1, 20269 min read
Cartonization Software: How It Works and How to Choose
How cartonization software picks each order's box, how right-size packaging cuts billable weight, what two tools cost as listed, and what to ask.
Shipping and operationsNovember 1, 202610 min read
Intermodal Drayage in Georgia: Savannah to Atlanta Guide
How drayage works from the Port of Savannah to Atlanta: truck and rail routes, terminal free time, GPA storage and chassis rates, and choosing a carrier.
Shipping and operationsNovember 1, 202610 min read
UPS and FedEx Late Delivery Refunds: What Qualifies in 2026
UPS and FedEx refund a late delivery only on certain air and international express services, and you have 15 days to ask. See what qualifies and how to claim.
Shipping and operationsNovember 1, 20269 min read
Warehouse Management System for Small Business: Teamship
What a small warehouse or 3PL needs from a WMS, what drives WMS cost, and how Teamship handles receiving, picking, client billing and pricing.
Partner spotlightsNovember 1, 20269 min read
Paccurate: How Its Cartonization Engine Picks the Box
Paccurate picks each order's box from item sizes, packing rules and shipping costs. How it works, where it fits beside a WMS, and what to ask your 3PL.
Partner spotlightsNovember 1, 20268 min read
3PL Marketing: How Warehouses Win Ecommerce Brands
How 3PLs win ecommerce brands: pages for each sales channel, place and product brands search, a warehouse tour video that captures leads, and what to measure.
For 3PLsNovember 1, 20269 min read















