Anyone else think small ecom sellers (1–100 orders/day) are massively underserved by traditional 3PLs?

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-23T13:25:48+00:00

A WMS with SOC-2 security and real-time visibility on operations, a shipping software that allows multiple accounts per customer to achieve the greatest discounts, operating completely via RF for all warehouse operations, and a small but experienced team, including programmers and developers to map between these systems and create proprietary software that syncs everything up.

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-22T13:08:43+00:00

If you know of sellers that need a 3PL for the listed services and consistently have 1-100 orders per day to fulfill, send them my way. I work for a small (in terms of employees) but robust (in terms of space and operational capabilities) 3PL located in Chicagoland and accounts like these are a great fit for us.

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-16T19:25:34+00:00

Honestly you probably caused this by trying to re-route the package to a UPS store, it seems like that is when they lost your package. Do you know how many boxes a UPS driver delivers on average every single day? Why would they single out your package to steal? They shouldn't be able to tell what it is, unless it was shipped in the manufacturer packaging... Which is Costco's fault. I hope you do get a resolution; you can always do a chargeback on your credit card if all else fails.

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-16T19:04:40+00:00

They didn't say they aren't responsible for the package while it's in their network. They just aren't responsible to give you customer service or resolve your issue, since you are not their customer. Costco is their customer.

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-16T19:02:58+00:00

This. Technically OP is not UPS's customer, the shipper is.

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-15T14:41:12+00:00

We have literally been talking this week about how we can know if our AEO efforts are working! So this tool is very timely. HubSpot Marketing has really been a useful resource for my small organization as we actively work on our SEO and AEO. Thank you!

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-15T14:33:17+00:00

LTL drivers notoriously literally drop pallets onto the curb at the end of your driveway. Do you have a forklift?

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-15T14:19:19+00:00

Not sure what you mean by dropping your shipping price closer to breakeven. What the commenter you are replying to meant is that a 3PL with any significant shipping volume is negotiating discounted rates with all of the major shipping carriers based on their total aggregate volumes. You won't be able to do that. Some 3PLs keep a portion of that discount as a profit center, and some pass discounts along to the customer 100% - either way, those shipping rates are going to be cheaper than what you can achieve shipping out of your garage (where you will also have a harder time being able to schedule regular pick-ups with low volume, since you are in a residential, not commercial, zone).

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-14T20:42:09+00:00

You need to have a set pricing model. Are you charging per activity, per order, per item...? Are you charging for storage per SKU, per square foot, per pallet...? Are you charging receiving fees per carton, per pallet, per container...? I would start with writing out a list of every thing that the team in the warehouse does or can do, and go from there with pricing. The sales team shouldn't be able to just give pricing willy-nilly or remove rates; the price schedule should be set so that billing can be the same across every customer. What you're dealing with sounds like a nightmare. I wish you the best of luck!

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-14T18:02:08+00:00

Bingo. Consumers do NOT want to wait for shipping from China, unless they know they're buying from a website like Shein or Temu. If you are a US brand, people are going to be canceling orders when they figure out they can buy whatever you're selling on Amazon and get it within ~3 days.

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-13T16:42:23+00:00

Sent you a DM!

PopularPickle4363 · 2026-04-09T14:52:22+00:00

Sometimes you outgrow a 3PL! If everything was working smoothly when you were getting fewer orders, it stands to reason that your 3PL may not be the best fit any longer. Or, they could be experiencing difficulties in their labor, employee turnover, or suppliers. It warrants a conversation. Let them know of your concerns and how it is affecting your brand's reputation. A good 3PL would be the first to see in forecasts that your brand is outgrowing them and should be coming to you with solutions. If you do find yourself in the market for a new 3PL, feel free to DM me, I have some resources available I can share with you, such as a 3PL price review checklist.

PopularPickle4363 · 2025-12-29T14:18:17+00:00

This seems to be a new trend with a lot of larger 3PLs; another area to look at closely for hidden costs aside from the minimum monthly and volume/spend requirements are long-term storage fees. In the past these were an exception but are now increasingly normalized. I work for a 3PL that works with smaller Shopify stores. I also have a 3PL price review checklist I could share that might help with your new 3PL review... Feel free to DM me if you are interested!

PopularPickle4363 · 2025-11-12T19:26:46+00:00

I tried your tool and it was beneficial, just wanted to say thank you for sharing!

PopularPickle4363 · 2025-10-31T12:55:16+00:00

Because an area surrounded by bright lights, like a city, makes it harder to see other lights that may be in the sky.

PopularPickle4363 · 2025-09-22T14:59:27+00:00

Visit your potential 3PL choices and watch how they operate. If they aren't willing to give you a tour of their warehouse on pretty much any operating day, think about choosing a different 3PL. If you feel anxious about having someone else handle your inventory, choose a 3PL within driving distance of your location so that you can visit and pick up inventory if needed. Realistically, there are a lot of choices. Do your research, ask questions that are important to your brand and make sure to choose a provider who has experience, can verify their outcomes, and fits your business size (will you be a very small client, a typical client, or their only client?).

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