Insights for Fulfillment Teams and Operators
Clear, practical writing that helps 3PLs improve their sales process and helps brands make stronger fulfillment decisions.
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Articles That Answer Real Fulfillment Questions
Short, actionable pieces that help operators make better decisions, run cleaner processes, and understand the patterns that matter.
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Hidden 3PL Fees: Why Your Invoice Keeps Growing Faster Than Your Orders
he invoice is 30% higher, order volume is flat, and the line items are new. See where hidden 3PL fees come from, why a proposal can look cheaper than the invoice, how to audit what you were billed, and how an RFP makes provider pricing comparable before you sign.
Slotted Team
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3PL Late Shipments: 7 Signs the Problem Is Bigger Than a Bad Week
Orders placed before the cutoff keep shipping a day or two late, and customers keep asking where their packages are. Learn seven signs that your 3PL late shipments are a pattern, the usual root causes, what to ask your current provider before you leave, and which service terms to require in your next RFP.
Slotted Team
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RFI vs RFP for 3PL Selection: What Each One Actually Does
The real difference between an RFI and an RFP in 3PL selection, what to include in each, and why treating RFQ as a distinct third step doesn't hold up in practice.
Slotted Team
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The Big Providers Keep Getting Bigger
C.H. Robinson buys RXO and CEVA closes on FedEx Supply Chain, plus Nike wants to own less of its network.
Fulfillment Focus
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3PL Consolidation and What It Means for Independents
3PL consolidation changes service, pricing, and loyalty for the brands involved. Here is how to read a deal, what recent acquisitions like C.H. Robinson and RXO and CEVA and FedEx Supply Chain suggest, and where independent providers can earn the brands that leave.
Joe McIntyre
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3PL Marketplaces: Who's the Buyer, and Who's the Product?
3PL marketplaces often work by selling a brand's requirements as leads to multiple providers or running price-driven bidding. Neither approach is wrong, but it's worth understanding what it optimizes for before you pick a provider on price alone.
Slotted Team
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Walmart WFS vs. Amazon MCF vs. a 3PL: 2026 Fees and Fit Compared
A side-by-side look at Walmart Fulfillment Services, Walmart Multichannel Solutions, and Amazon MCF, and where a traditional 3PL fits alongside them.
Joe McIntyre
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What 3PL Proposal Evaluation Actually Looks Like (When It's Not a Spreadsheet)
Running a 3PL RFP out of email threads and a shared spreadsheet makes it easy to lose track of who submitted, who went quiet, and which bid deserves a second look. Here's what a structured 3PL proposal evaluation process needs, and what it looks like inside Slotted's proposals dashboard.
Slotted Team
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Competing With Amazon's Logistics Offering
Where Amazon's fulfillment products are strong, where they aren't, and how an independent 3PL sells against them without pretending they don't exist.
Joe McIntyre
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7 Common 3PL RFP Mistakes That Cost Brands Time and Money
The 7 most common 3PL RFP mistakes we see, from vague scopes to lowest-bid thinking, and what each one actually costs brands in time and money.
Slotted Team
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3PL Matchmaker vs. Directory vs. Consultant vs. Marketplace: What's the Difference?
The four ways brands find a 3PL, who pays for each one, and why none of them replaces a structured RFP before you sign.
Slotted Team
ReadBig Logistics Wants Your Accounts
Amazon keeps expanding its fulfillment offer beyond the marketplace, Maersk opens automated capacity to other brands, and USPS warns of Midwest delays.
Fulfillment Focus
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