Third-party logistics (3PL) companies have become an essential player in the modern economy. These companies bring your fulfillment needs under a single roof, provide customers with the means to target multiple marketing channels, manage inventory and keep orders cost-efficient. 3PLs provide an array of services, as per the table below:
The best 3PL fulfillment services by provider |
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| Category | Cart.com | ShipBob | Flexport | Quiet Platforms | |
| Omnichannel fulfillment | 9.6 | 9.6 | 7.8 | 3.9 | |
| Customer support/returns | 9.8 | 7.8 | 6.5 | 9.1 | |
| OMS/WMS systems | 9.6 | 9.4 | 5.5 | 8.9 | |
Of course, the implementation of these services depends greatly on the provider themselves - not all OMS systems are the same, for example. With that in mind, the following article details the best 3PL fulfillment services of 2025, as well as what to look for when making your decision.
Omnichannel fulfillment
Having a detailed omnichannel fulfillment strategy creates a seamless experience for customers regardless of where they make their initial purchases. On the supplier end, it allows for:
- Faster delivery
- Improved inventory management
- Consistent branding
- Easy BOPIS and BORIS options
Leading 3PLs like Cart.com are developing this strategy further by creating multi-node fulfillment strategies, which allow them to utilize multiple fulfillment centers through a single interface, as pictured below. These strategies provide business owners with the means to optimize their delivery times while maintaining flexibility.
By contrast, most other 3PLs who advertise omnichannel fulfillment services typically operate out of a single distribution center. While this isn’t necessarily bad, it isn’t as comprehensive; in some cases, it can lead to delays depending on where a package is being shipped relative to that center.
Having these options at your disposal is essential for companies experiencing rapid scaling or inventory management problems that require additional locations closer to their customer hubs. Businesses with plans to implement an omnichannel strategy will require a dedicated team to manage different locations or an exceptional 3PL.
| Category | Cart.com | ShipBob | Flexport | Quiet Platforms | |
| Omnichannel fulfillment | 9.6 | 9.6 | 7.8 | 3.9 | |
Customer support & returns services
Whereas Omnichannel support is largely a standardized service amongst the bigger 3PL providers, the range of customer service and returns support is significantly more varied.
To boil it down to larger categories, the central services include:
Customer support tiers |
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| Tier | Description | Examples | |||
| 1 | Dedicated account reps to help clients with onboarding, setup and ongoing account management |
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| 2 | Live chat or automated support center |
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| 3 | Online ticketing only |
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The central quality distinguishing a top-tier option from the lower levels is the presence of a personalized account representative. Having someone at the 3PL with a more intimate knowledge of your logistical needs creates a faster-moving environment that reduces errors and the need for returns.
On the note of returns, these services, too, come in varying levels of quality:
Returns services tiers |
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| Tier | Description | Examples | |||
| 1 | Dynamic routing integrating returns with inventory data and refund triggers |
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| 2 | Branded return portal with restocking/disposal options |
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| 3 | Returns are sent to warehouse with minimal tracking |
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Our best advice when selecting the best 3PL fulfillment services for your company is to carefully evaluate your level of need; not every company will require a unique account representative, depending on the projected volume and level of branding/customization behind their operation.
| Category | Cart.com | ShipBob | Flexport | Quiet Platforms | |
| Customer support/returns | 9.8 | 7.8 | 6.5 | 9.1 | |
Order/Warehouse Management Systems (OMS/WMS)
One of the biggest benefits of working with a 3PL is getting access to a unified portal capable of bringing order management and warehouse management under one roof. These platforms save your employees time and energy by handling the granular, time-consuming work of order management while streamlining your tech stack at the same time:
OMS/WMS tech stack: An overview |
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| Tier | Stack | |||
| Tier 1 |
Sales channels Handles the initial orders from your stores as they come in (e.g., website, brick & mortar and social media). The information from these orders are sent straight to the OMS. |
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| Tier 2 |
Order management system In charge of processing order information and sending it to the appropriate warehouse based on location/inventory. Also manages changes in orders, returns and BOPIS/BOSFS orders. |
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| Tier 3 |
Warehouse management system Receives orders from the OMS and locates designated item(s) within the warehouse. Also used to manage workflows within the warehouse like coordinating labor and packing/shipping methods. |
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| Execution |
3PL fulfillment The physical 3PL team that stores and ships products. Not technically tech, but is driven by the tech. |
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The tech stack of your chosen 3PL is a critical choice affecting the future of your deliveries. While the options above are what you typically find in a 3PL OMS, you should also be on the lookout for additional options such as:
- Transportation management software (TMS): Coordinates transportation for ground, air and sea ensuring that deliveries are made on time and as cost-effectively as possible.
- Marketplace management: Software designed to integrate with online marketplaces (e.g., Amazon, Facebook, Temu) which offers automated repricing, scaled product listings and automated order routing.
- Feed marketing: Software designed to present your products in the most appealing way possible. Automated across thousands of marketing channels, these options provide the ability to automate promotions and optimize feeds to feature your best products.
- B2B commerce options: Designed for intracompany interactions, B2B commerce software provides B2B business owners with internal portals and internal management tools, as well as multi-store options that allow a single admin to run thousands of unique stores.
Regardless of these extras, it’s important to remember that OMS/WMS systems are the bare-bones requirements; you will likely want both to make the most of your 3PL fulfillment services. Very often, you will find that a 3PL provides one (typically OMS) but not both.
| Category | Cart.com | ShipBob | Flexport | Quiet Platforms | |
| OMW/WMS systems | 9.6 | 9.4 | 5.5 | 8.9 | |
You deserve the best 3PL fulfillment services on the market
Identifying and implementing the best 3PL fulfillment services for your business is a surprisingly hard thing to do once you know what you are actually looking for.
That’s where we come in. Cart.com provides end-to-end 3PL fulfillment services across industry verticals to provide customers with seamless fulfillment anywhere in the country. If your current fulfillment strategy is not producing the desired results, talk to our team about what can be done.