In the midst of peak shipping season, global shippers are busy preparing themselves for the onslaught of holiday orders needed to supply the vast North American consumer landscape. And what they cannot fit in their stores, shippers turn to 3PLs with warehouse and distribution services to provide replenishment when it’s needed most. Some of the most dependable transportation providers out there are ones that have their own brick-and-mortar warehouse facilities, and can provide the middle-mile distribution to ensure supply chains run smoothly no matter what the shipping season might be. This article is intended to inform readers about the variety of extra services that some 3PLs provide shippers on a regular basis.
Types of Warehousing and Distribution Services Offered by 3PLs
The following section will describe the different types of services that are available from 3PLs that offer the additional incentives of warehouse and distribution services. If your company is actively looking for a provider, it’s a good idea to onboard companies that provide these added values because you never know when it will come in handy. Even if you need to store a few pallets, or a truckload of goods, look for 3PLs that can handle your supply chain no matter what the requirements might be.
Warehouse and Storage
One of the busiest ports in the United States is located at the Georgia Ports Authority in Savannah, Georgia. One of the largest warehouse facilities located there is owned by PortCity, which offers over 4 million square feet of storage space. Their operations team works seven days a week, ensuring supply chains run smoothly week long. And the added incentive is their personnel track KPIs for customers that help ensure your delivery goals are met.
Order Fulfillment
Shippers expect that their products arrive and are delivered on time. The importance of on-time delivery has been quantified following the global transformation of consumer spending habits that prefer e-commerce spending over in-store shopping. Order fulfillment involves a multi-step process. Once a purchase order has been received, a company’s sourcing team must coordinate with members of inventory, supply chain partners, operations, and customer service to make sure the product delivers. Much of this process can be streamlined by partnering with a 3PL that offers their own warehouse and distribution services, which can stock overflow merchandise and provide the middle-mile solutions necessary so the order arrives at the distribution or receiving facility.
Transportation Services
Outsourcing transportation to an experienced 3PL provider allows shippers to focus on processing sales orders and expanding business verticals beyond their current customer base. Whether your company is shipping FTL, LTL, specialized, or drayage, make sure to partner with a dedicated logistics service that will offer peace of mind that your loads will deliver on time and in full.
Cross-Docking Services
Cross-docking is a reliable shipping option for shippers looking to quickly replenish stock in their stores and reduce cost and reliance on warehousing their goods. Cross-docking facilities range in size and location, but they generally have at least two doors that trucks dock at. Shippers can use cross-docks to consolidate shipping orders to a single store, loading a single truck with merchandise instead of coordinating multiple deliveries. Products that have a short shelf life, like produce, dairy, or other perishable goods, and be replenished quickly, which helps reduce turnover rates and improve customer satisfaction.
Inventory Management
Reduce the headache of wondering where your stuff is by partnering with a 3PL that offers Inventory Management. Some modern 3PLs offer their customers the ability to manage their entire supply chain. This includes drayage, warehouse and delivery, cross-docking, long-haul over-the-road transportation, and final mile solutions. If you are looking for help optimizing your supply chain, make sure to contact experts that offer inventory management.
Other Value Added Services
When partnering with a transportation solutions company, make sure to check what other value added services they offer, which includes processes such as:
- Carrier Management
- Mode Selection
- Freight Bill Audits
- Consolidated Billing
- Vendor Management
- Pick and Pack Services
- Packaging and Palletizing
- Bulk Transfers
- Web Based Inventory Systems and Real Time Visibility
The Benefits of Hiring a 3PL for Warehousing and Distribution
Instead of investing in additional storage facilities or hiring and managing a fleet of trucks and drivers, most shippers outsource these services and look for companies that provide their own brick-and mortar warehouse space. Shippers reduce costs and optimize their supply chain when they partner with a provider that manages every step of the supply chain. 3PLs with their own warehouse and distribution services provide an added incentive during peak shipping season. Their ability to store, manage inventory, and quickly fulfill merchandise ensures that customer orders are processed quickly. Instead of partnering with multiple service providers and having to coordinate individually with each of these entities, it is way easier and more dependable to utilize a single provider like PortCity.
Count on PortCity as your Single Source Provider
Each day, thousands of customers depend on PortCity to help optimize their supply chain. Their dedicated team of logistics professionals have decades of experience working with shippers and ensuring their unique needs are met. With over 4 million square feet of warehouse space in Savannah, Georgia, and a dense carrier network connecting customers across the United States, PortCity is the single source logistics solution that has you covered 7 days a week. Contact our experts today! We are ready to help.