3PL MARKET RESEARCH REPORT
SHIPPER SIDE SURVEY RESULTS
Top Challenges Shippers Face AI
Shippers, What Is the Number-One Reason for a Failed 3PL Partnership?
73%
54%
Cutting transport costs
33%
52%
Improving customer service
Poor customer service
47%
Business process improvement
29%
Failed expectations
40%
Supply chain visibility
22%
35%
Freight fraud
Cost
34%
Managing inventory
8%
25%
Vendor management
More competitive options
7%
21% 20% 18%
Ecommerce
Loss of control
Expanding to new markets via selling
2%
Shifting tariff policies
Cultural dissimilarities
15% 15% 14% 16% 16% 15%
Expanding to new markets via sourcing
Risk management/contingency planning
Is Price or Service More Important for Measuring 3PL Performance?
Corporate social responsibility/sustainability
Finding/retaining/training qualified labor
Reducing labor costs
Price 22%
Service 78%
Technology strategy and implementation
10%
DC network optimization
9%
Regulations/security/other compliance issues
7%
Reducing assets and/or infrastructure
Services Shippers Recommend, Specify, Approve, or Purchase Third-party logistics Trucking 93%
78%
Should Companies Generally Partner with One 3PL or More than One?
73%
Supply chain technology
71%
Ecommerce, small package
37%
Rail, intermodal Materials handling, automation, robotics
More than one 24%
22%
Just one 47%
citing it. Cutting transport costs (54%), improving customer service (52%), business process improvement (47%), and supply chain visibility (40%) are other pressing challenges that shipper respondents note. “Mid-market shippers are under sustained pressure from volatile capacity, rising operating costs, and tariff-driven sourcing shifts,” one 3PL respondent observes. Shippers continue to prioritize service over price with 78% of respondents pointing to service as more important when measuring 3PL performance. The top reason shippers list for a failed 3PL partnership is poor customer service (33%) with failed expectations (29%) again close behind in second place—further highlighting the value that shippers place on service from 3PLs.
It depends 29%
88 Inbound Logistics • July 2026
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