3PL SERVICES + CAPABILITIES TRANSPORTATION
LOGISTICS
Inbound logistics 88% Integrated logistics 71% Inventory management 69% Lead logistics provider 66% Just in time 61%
Truckload 94% LTL 91% Intermodal 82% Rail 69% Dedicated contract carriage 63% Final mile/white glove 56% Air cargo 53% Small package 53% Ocean 51% Bulk 48% Fleet acquisition/equipment/drivers 20% None 1%
Vendor management 58% Omnichannel logistics 53% Logistics process reengineering 52% Shared services 45%
Global trade services 36% Supply chain finance 35% None 1%
A hefty 88% of 3PL respondents o¥er services for inbound logistics. Nearly three-quarters provide integrated logistics, coordinating many facets of an operation. Sixty-six percent can also take the coordination a level higher, managing the activities of several 3PLs.
If you need over-the-road capacity, 94% of the 3PLs in our survey can provide truckload transportation, and 91% o¥er less-than-truckload (LTL). A large proportion (82%) provide intermodal services, while 69% o¥er general rail services, 53% offer air cargo, 53% do small package transportation, and 51% provide ocean transport. More than half also have specialized services in their portfolios, such as dedicated contract carriage, final mile/white glove, or bulk transportation.
TECHNOLOGY
Electronic data interchange 94% Transportation management system 89% Visibility 84% ERP integration 72% Optimization 70% Customer/supplier relationship management 66% Warehouse management system 64% Supply chain design (modeling, simulation) 54% Predictive analytics 53% RFID 38% Global trade management solutions 26% IoT / IIoT enablement 20%
WAREHOUSING
Crossdocking 83% Transloading 73% Pick/pack, subassembly 64% Fulfillment 62% DC management 58% Ecommerce 55% Site selection 54% Vendor managed inventory 50%
The top warehousing services that 3PLs provide include crossdocking (83%), transloading (73%), pick/pack and subassembly (64%), and fulfillment (62%). In addition, at least half of 3PL respondents o¥er DC management, help with ecommerce, site selection, and/or vendor managed inventory.
Shippers and their service providers have many options for sharing data, but the old standby, electronic data interchange (EDI), remains important. Ninety-four percent of our 3PL respondents o¥er that capability. Shippers needing help with day-to-day execution can turn to 3PLs for technology focused on transportation management (89%), visibility (84%), optimization (70%), and warehouse management (64%).
76 Inbound Logistics • July 2023
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