What to consider when choosing a 3PL

3PL Selection Process

3PL Evaluation

It’s best to begin by identifying the biggest problems with your logistics operation, but not all management professionals are aware of issues and in fact, seek 3PLs to help identify those areas of improvement. Regardless of your level of insight or grasp on your supply chain, there are several key requirements of modern logistics providers that you can look for throughout your search. The more boxes you can check off below, the more likely it is that the provider delivers higher quality service and will be a better fit for your business.

Technology Capabilities

A full-service LSP is the ideal partner. This means they offer a transportation management system (TMS) that provides a wide variety of customizable functions like tracking, scheduling and reporting.

Dedicated Customer Service Team

Are there real humans on the line? Do they have the capabilities to proactively spot and solve issues throughout your supply chain? Ask questions to find out whether their customer service is reactive or proactive.

Integrated Services & Solutions

If they provide software solutions, do the other hands-on services they provide integrate well with their technology? A 3PL team is only as good as the service it provides, and a TMS without a smart support team will lead to technical issues.

Industry Expertise & Results

Without the industry know-how, 3PLs and LSPs are useless. How else will they intuitively understand your challenges and have the experience to offer final solutions? Find out how they’ve helped businesses like yours save on more than just carrier costs.

3PL Expertise

This is just a distilled list of basic third-party provider requirements, but it will help give you some context during your path to finding the perfect partner. Hold your prospective logistics solutions provider to higher standards to get great ongoing results. Here is a list of services that a Managed Logistics Solutions provider offers.