Often production and manufacturing companies find that in the early days of their business, shipping was a relatively simple component of the job. Then, as the business grows and expands into new and more distant markets, shipping turns from a simple aspect of the business to one that is a continual nightmare.
When companies try to contract individually with freight service companies, a lot of problems suddenly become obvious. The company may have irregular shipping schedules; the trucking company may not have the capacity to handle the increased demand, and the prices may seem to continually skyrocket with each new contract.
To work around these very real issues, savvy businesses turn to experienced 3PL providers . 3PL or Third Party Logistics services specialize in freight management and transportation solutions. There are different types of 3PL companies and choosing the right option for your freight requirements will be important.
Niche or Specialization Areas
Some, but not all, 3PL providers offer specialized freight services for specific industries. For a company shipping non-perishable boxed or palleted items, this may not be a critical factor. On the other hand, for a craft beer company, winery or a distilling company, using a specialized provider will be essential to understanding the complexity of shipping their product safely and with state and federal regulations.
Types of Shipping Required
While all 3PL providers will offer basic freight management services for local, state or national shipping needs, not all companies can provide multimodal transportation services.
The more specialized your shipment will be from the need for temperature controlled shipping though to time-sensitive deliveries, the best third-party logistics services have the capacity to create customized logistics for your shipping needs.
Using these companies will result in a lowered cost of delivery and may even find ways to combine outbound shipping with inbound shipping requirements, further saving money and increasing the efficiency of your supply chain service.