When growing your small business there will be many aspects that will require your attention. You will soon find that shipping, receiving and all around logistics will be an integral part of your day to day operations. You will have many interactions with LTL and truckload service providers making it cumbersome and time consuming for your company’s shipping department. Having a business that reflects a stronger bottom line and is successful is dependent upon a reliable, professional and knowledgeable logistics team that will source the best rates for your shipping needs.

Buying by the pallet can be a smart business decision for your business as the more quantity you buy from your supplier the lower the cost per item. This difference can make your business stand out in your market beyond your competitors and you may even gain market share by offering lower pricing or consistent availability because of the use of reliable transportation and logistics. This use of LTL shipping will make your bottom line better.

LTL is the acronym for less than truckload shipping and is a very common way that most businesses purchase their goods.  For example, a provider may offer you a great deal by the pallet but you are responsible for shipping cost. What do you do?  Who do you call?  LTL can be confusing to say the least with NMFC codes, freight classes and weight all contributing to the cost to ship your goods. Having a good discount established can only really be obtained by medium and large shippers otherwise you will most likely not receive the best possible pricing.A professional informed 3PL can many times offer better pricing because of the volume of shipments they tender to different carriers.

How do you choose a reliable 3PL?

Many businesses prefer to deal with local vendors for their shipping needs while other shippers source out the best price and value throughout the country. There are many aspects that separate a good 3PL from an exceptional 3PL. Can you spot the difference?

We will continue this informative blog on the value your 3PL should be bringing to your company. In our blog A Professional 3PL-Part 2 you can find more information about what to expect from a 3PL.