As the global transportation industry continues to evolve, Third Party Logistics or 3PL is becoming a global norm, part of the expectations for businesses, who expect door-to-door delivery and total management of their delivery needs at every place in between. At this very moment, intensive market research is underway to study Third Party Logistics, the sudden growth of 3PL and future prospects for this avenue of business.
If you are currently considering which Third Party Logistics companies are right for your business, or deciding whether 3PL is the way to go, bear in mind that sooner is better. As a growth industry, Third Party Logistics is one way to get ahead of the curve, into an area where many of your competitors have likely already gone, or will consider going in the future.
Third Party Logistics encompass a broad range of end-to-end transport needs, not only transporting goods, but maintaining inventory logs and travel insurance, shielding against property loss while ensuring the most efficient delivery system possible. By placing the responsibility for transportation with a third party, corporations can tap global resources, while maintaining a level of insulation from operations so as to avoid costly unnecessary complications.
For example, lets say there is a commodity trader which transports goods on a regular basis through ten or more different countries, without knowing for certain what countries they will be shipping to and from on any given day. Even if localized with the United States, there are state and local regulations and particularities to be taken into account. In order to maintain their reach, such a company would be wise to utilize a business specializing in global and interstate transportation, while focusing on what they know best: the products they buy and sell, and the supply and demand of those products.
If such a company waited until they were hit by an unexpected regulation in one of those countries, it might be too late to avoid a costly mistake. A last-minute phone call with even the best experts may not get the job done in time. Infrastructure and a working business relationship takes time. Third Party Logistics companies work best when allowed time to study and work with a business to develop an overall plan, whatever the stakes.
3PL Third Party Logistics companies are changing the face of business in a globalized world. Is today the time to find out if Third Party Logistics is right for your company? If you are thinking about incorporating a Third Party Logistics company into your business, one thing is sure: the sooner you get started, the better it will be.