3PL Technology Companies

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers are undergoing a digital revolution – leveraging AI, digital twin solutions, and real-time intelligence to radically redefine supply chain performance. These standout 3PLs drive unparalleled efficiency, end-to-end visibility, and sustained growth through technology innovations.

IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions

China Eastern Air Logistics Co., Ltd. (CEAL) deployed high-capacity automated guided vehicles (AGVs) from Lödige Industries to automate transportation of unit load devices. Six 10-foot AGVs have been implemented in CEAL’s cargo terminal 4 at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Conquer the Chaos: Why Global Trade Management Systems Matter Now

With tariffs, disruptions, and rate swings reshaping global trade, shippers need better visibility and agility. GTM systems help them keep up.

Supply Chain Takeaways: Returns, Resilience, and AI Trends

Logistics and supply chain news and highlights shaping the future of global logistics.

The Top 20 Fleet Management Challenges Faced By Owners and How to Overcome Them

By addressing fleet management challenges head-on, businesses can build resilient, efficient, and future-ready fleet operations.

The Next Great Convergence in Global Commerce: DPP, Ambient IoT, and GS1

Global businesses are standing at the edge of a new era in supply chain visibility and product intelligence. As the European Union begins implementing Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements across key sectors, companies must prepare for a future in which every product is expected to carry a dynamic, digital record of its lifecycle. These mandates are already influencing how products are being designed, manufactured, tracked, and verified across global supply chains.

Unpacking Supply Chain Certifications

The right certifications—the ones recognized across the industry—can pay off in a big way. Here’s how to choose strategically and take action.

Risky Business: Inside the Freight Fraud Surge

Escalating cargo crime is forcing shippers and carriers to rethink risk, visibility, and security.

Iran Conflict Strains Global Supply Chains, With Secondary Impacts Emerging

Rising fuel costs and shipping delays are just the start, as the Iran conflict begins to ripple through global logistics, manufacturing, and industrial markets.

RFID vs. Barcode: Their Key Differences

In today’s fast-paced supply chains and data-driven environments, tracking technologies play a critical role in maintaining visibility, accuracy, and efficiency. The debate around RFID vs. Barcode continues to shape how businesses manage inventory, assets, and logistics across industries. This article explores the differences between RFID and barcode technologies, outlining their strengths, limitations, and real-world applications. […]

Understanding Incoterms: Definition, Importance, and Key Responsibilities

Incoterms are a foundational element of global trade, providing a standardized framework that defines the responsibilities of buyers and sellers in international transactions. Whether goods are shipped across oceans or borders, incoterms help clarify who pays for what, who bears risk, and when ownership responsibilities shift. In simple terms, Incoterms (International Commercial Terms) are globally […]

Building an Automation-Ready Warehouse Workforce in a Volatile Labor Market

Why workforce readiness—not technology alone—has become the defining factor in warehouse resilience.

Podcast Roundup: Press Play on Progress

These popular Inbound Logistics podcasts set the supply chain agenda in 2025.

2026 READING GUIDE: There’s a Book For That!

These 15 top reads will help you address many key concerns likely to hit your supply chain in 2026.

How Automation Builds Resilient Supply Chains

Resilience is the new efficiency. As automation touches every supply chain process—from picking to final delivery—future-proof solutions demand clean data, a holistic vision, and the right software backbone to weather any disruption.

Overcoming Geopolitical Uncertainty and Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Q. What are the biggest challenges facing the freight market? A. The most obvious answer is the ever-changing geopolitical landscape. Globally there have been some headwinds in the trade routes, with many ocean carriers shifting how they operate. Tariffs have certainly forced many to shift aspects of their supply chain or for some, unfortunately, halt […]

2026 Top 100 Logistics & Supply Chain Technology Providers

Selected by Inbound Logistics editors, these 100 companies provide a range of solutions from widely adopted technologies such as Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) to newer offerings such as AI and robotics.

Supply Chain Orchestration: Enabling End-to-End Visibility and Smarter Decision-Making

Enhance your business efficiency by mastering supply chain orchestration. Discover practical strategies and insights to streamline operations.

Inside Job: Embedding Risk Protection Where Freight Decisions Happen

For decades, cargo insurance has been an afterthought in freight operations, an administrative box to tick after rates are negotiated and the load is on the move. That separation made sense when every policy required phone calls, paperwork, and manual underwriting. But in a digital, data-driven supply chain, risk protection can no longer live outside the workflow. It belongs inside it.

Break Bulk vs Cross Docking: Which Shipping Service is Right For You?

In today’s fast-moving global economy, efficient shipping and logistics strategies are essential for any business involved in trade. Two commonly used methods—break bulk shipping and cross docking—play a critical role in modern supply chain management. While both approaches aim to move freight efficiently, they are often used to handle bulk shipments, which involve consolidating or […]

IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions

The Hyster J45-70A is an updated electric counterbalanced forklift, with zero exhaust emissions, in the 4,500- to 7,000-pound capacity range. Designed for industrial operations, it can be configured with a range of drive motor and battery options for outdoor and indoor applications.

Fuel Volatility is Back: Diesel Prices Top $5 for First Time Since 2022

Diesel prices surpass $5 for the first time since in four years, raising transportation costs and adding new pressure on trucking, freight, and supply chains.

Most Read Articles of 2025

As supply chains navigated volatility, risk, and transformation, these stories stood out to our readers—offering practical insight into the systems, partners, and strategies shaping logistics in 2025.

Betting on the Right Transportation Provider

Stack the odds in your favor with these six best practices for selecting a winning transportation partner.

The Choreography of Complex Cargo: Intricate Steps, High Stakes

From tearing down an aircraft to choreographing the move of fire-fighting helicopters to affected areas, top logistics providers execute every step of these high-stakes shipments carefully and precisely.

WHAT’S THE WORD: The Language of Logistics

From refreshers to recently coined terms and emerging concepts (should we be concerned about shadow AI?), here are some quick definitions to add to your logistics dictionary.

Supply Chain Predictions: Roadmap to 2030

Explore the strategic roadmap to 2030. Industry experts share predictions on AI adoption, autonomous vehicles, and the critical technology shifts required to stay competitive over the next decade.

Robotics Turbocharge Inventory

With AI-optimized intelligence and storage-capacity boosting configurations, these robotics systems speed order fulfillment and enable supply chain efficiency gains.

Dead Stock: What It Is and How to Avoid It

For any business that stores or sells products, dead stock is more than a minor inconvenience—it’s a silent drain on resources. Items that sit unsold for too long take up space, tie up capital, and reduce efficiency across the operation. In warehouses and backrooms around the world, shelves filled with unsold goods represent money that […]

Why “Global” Freight Audit Isn’t a Buzzword… It’s a Business Requirement

In today’s freight audit and payment environment, the word global is used loosely. A truly global freight audit provider does more than process invoices from around the world.

Real-Time Sales Data: The Missing Link

Despite progress in supply chain digitization, automation, and AI, one gap undermines sales efficiency: real-time sales data sharing between retailers and suppliers. This disconnect creates forecasting challenges, burdens inventory systems, and slows responsiveness at a time when speed and agility are critical for competitiveness.

The Pendulum Swings Towards Dedicated Capacity…AGAIN

For as long as I can remember there has been a pendulum that swings between heavy use of the carrier spot market and the use of dedicated/contracted resources. Traditionally, when rates are low, shippers rely heavily on the spot market, and when rates increase or capacity tightens, shippers shift more towards the dedicated or contracted model. However, after 25 years in the industry…this swing feels different.

New Restrictions on Non-Domiciled CDLs Spark Debate Over Safety, Workforce Impact

As regulators review non-domiciled CDL licensing practices, fleets and logistics providers are watching closely for changes that could affect driver availability, compliance requirements, and freight capacity.

Making the Business Case Amidst the Rapid Proliferation of Advanced Fleet Technology

Commercial fleets have never had more technology available to them. Advanced powertrains, AI-driven analytics, connected vehicles, new safety systems, and digital platforms – all promising better visibility, lower costs, and improved uptime. For shippers and carriers alike, the question is no longer whether these solutions exist. The question is whether fleets are deploying the right […]

What is Lead Time in Supply Chain?

So, what is lead time in supply chain operations? This article provides a comprehensive overview of lead time in supply chain management, tailored for supply chain professionals, business managers, and anyone involved in logistics or operations. You’ll learn what lead time is, why it matters, the different types of lead time, how to measure and […]

Follow This Roadmap To a Lean, Sustainable Supply Chain

Few companies realize that, when implemented in the supply chain, Lean and Green are not contradictory but can be mutually beneficial. This is a good reason for firms to adopt an integrated Lean and Green strategy.

Renewable Energy Fuels the Future

Renewable energy is becoming an increasingly essential component of sustainable supply chains for many interconnected reasons that address both environmental imperatives and business realities.

Yard Management: Grounds for Improvement

Depending on the amount of attention companies pay them, the yards outside warehouses and manufacturing plants can either be models of efficiency or a source of delays. A supportive yard management system (YMS) can make all the difference as Westrock Coffee Company has learned. Having gained a YMS during its acquisition of another company, Westrock continues to unlock impressive gains in efficiency, real-time visibility and operational control.

Lush Gets a Store-Level Inventory Control Makeover

Lush, the cosmetics company known for its fresh and handmade products, has experienced tremendous growth. Across the globe, it boasts more than 850 store locations, including more than 250 in North America.

Seeing Around the Next Bend

Global supply networks involve many partners and recent shocks have shown how quickly a single disruption can ripple through the system. Traditional visibility stitched together data from transportation, warehouse, and enterprise systems and augmented it with GPS or RFID tags; those tools provide only snapshots of past movements.

Are Humans in “The Loop” of Your Future-fit Strategy?

I recently counseled a stealth startup on its go-to-market strategy. It’s a familiar story—Silicon Valley-based, computer science DNA, venture capital funding, and an ambition to jump on the AI train and automate backend processes better than predecessors.

What Is Logistics Tracking? Types, Benefits, And Best Practices

Modern logistics depends on visibility. From order placement to final delivery, businesses must know where goods are, what condition they’re in, and when they will arrive. That’s where logistics tracking plays a crucial role in today’s supply chain environment. As customer expectations rise and global commerce expands, companies can no longer rely on guesswork. Businesses […]

Foresight and Flexibility: Winning in a Constrained Semiconductor Market

Amidst a memory chip shortage, maintaining a long-term view on cost versus continuity will not only weather this cycle but gain a competitive advantage in the market that follows. 

Powering Progress with Electrification

The utility sector is at the heart of an electrification wave. As societies pivot from fossil fuels to electricity, utilities and power generation companies are not just managing grids; they are driving the charge. Power providers are being asked to deliver more electricity than ever—faster, cleaner, and more reliably—while modernizing outdated infrastructure and contending with fragile global supply chains.

The 6 Types of Transportation in Logistics

In today’s complex global marketplace, understanding the types of transportation in logistics is essential for building resilient, cost-effective supply chains. Each mode offers distinct advantages depending on shipment size, urgency, cost sensitivity, and geographic reach. Shippers that strategically leverage the six primary transportation modes can improve service levels while controlling freight spend. Here’s a closer […]

Deploying Physical AI for Smarter, Safer Inbound Logistics

Physical AI will transform many aspects of the supply chain. Starting with a small, focused inbound logistics use case now can make your warehouse operations more efficient, accurate, and safe, as well as help your organization build the skills needed to extend Physical AI into other areas of your business.

How Data Can Fix Demand Matching

Supply-demand mismatches are more than just inconvenient; they are costly. From inflated transportation spend to missed SLAs, poor alignment erodes both profitability and customer trust. The solution? Advanced analytics, not just for hindsight, but for foresight and real-time agility.

Enabling Smarter Government Logistics

If I have learned one thing in my decades of navigating defense logistics, it’s that we can’t afford to solve tomorrow’s readiness problems with yesterday’s systems. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the first new technology with the viability to change how we forecast demand, manage obsolescence, and optimize supply chains. But the path to realizing its potential is met with structural, cultural, and bureaucratic hurdles.

Mastering the Last Mile of Premium, Perishable Food

For the past decade, Crowd Cow has partnered with ethical farms, fisheries and other food producers from around the world to source sustainable, quality beef, seafood, pork, and other items. By sourcing from small farms and managing the processing, Crowd Cow can bring its products to many consumers who otherwise might not have access to them. At the same time, Crowd Cow offers many of its suppliers a customer base they might struggle to reach.

Tariff Ruling, Refund Uncertainty and Border Violence: Mounting Risk for Supply Chains

By Amy Roach | February 24, 2026 A trio of fast-moving developments is reshaping the risk landscape for supply chain and logistics leaders: the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidates key tariffs imposed under emergency powers; mounting legal and political uncertainty over whether importers will receive billions in tariff refunds; and escalating cartel violence […]

7 Principles That Make Strategic Relationships Work

Over my years of being part of the third-party logistics discipline, I have often seen and heard shipper/3PL relationships characterized as a marriage. This is a fitting characterization, given the covenant nature and commitment of these strategic business agreements.

NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights

MILESTONES: Boeing set a new record for Boeing 777 Freighter deliveries in 2025, with plans to deliver at least 35 by year-end, surpassing previous highs and reflecting strong demand as airlines modernize fleets and face limited new freighter options.

Humble Bragg: Ashton Roberts Bridges Sales, Supply Chain, and B Corp

RESPONSIBILITIES: Implementing data-driven forecasting models, enhancing supplier partnerships, leveraging technology to increase agility and reduce waste, and modernizing the company’s supply chains without compromising quality or values. EXPERIENCE: Manager of supply chain and analytics, senior supply chain analyst, supply chain analyst, all with Bragg; research analyst life cycle, carbon, and zero energy, New Buildings Institute; […]

AI by the Numbers

2 much hype? Here’s how industry leaders quantify the supply chain impact of artificial intelligence.

“Essential, Not Optional”: FedEx CEO Elevates AI to Strategic Imperative

By Amy Roach | February 19, 2026 In remarks delivered at the AI Impact Summit 2026 this week, Rajesh Subramanian, president and CEO of FedEx Corporation, positioned artificial intelligence as a cornerstone of modern logistics — not a nice-to-have, but an essential infrastructure for the future of global commerce and supply chain resilience. Addressing an […]

Crises in the Middle East Call for a New Approach in Supply Chain Resilience

By focusing on four key strategic imperatives — identifying risks, understanding their origins, and knowing when and how to activate resilience measures — businesses can transform their Middle East and global supply chains and seek competitive advantage.

Last-Mile Solutions: Delivering the Future

New technologies are transforming last-mile delivery from a cost center into a strategic differentiator. Drones, robots, intelligent routing, and other innovations are reshaping how goods move and how brands win loyalty.

Matching Demand to Supply: The Stakes are Higher Than Ever

Rising capital costs and soaring customer expectations mean inventory mismatches—from excess stock to empty shelves—are a direct threat to profit and reputation. Here’s how leading brands address the challenge.

What’s Driving Auto Logistics?

Four major challenges are reshaping how automakers and suppliers move parts and vehicles in a rapidly changing industry.

Random Stow or the Disorganized Warehouse?

Random Stow is a warehouse putaway method driven by an algorithm developed by Coupang, an ecommerce monster and formidable Amazon competitor. For the Korean market, Coupang uses this counterintuitive warehouse management method, which stores items wherever there is open shelf space, rather than grouping similar SKUs together. The warehouse might look disorganized. But it is […]

How Agentic AI Is Redefining Route Optimization in Last-Mile Delivery

Traditional route optimization generates plans based on the data you give it. Agentic AI takes those plans and manages them through execution, making adjustments as new information arrive.

Synchronizing the Supply Chain: Building Shared Consciousness

Technology bridges awareness and action. Organizations that operate from one truth can shift from reactive firefighting to proactive margin management.

BUILT TO LAST: Inside Harley Davidson’s Evolving Supply Chain

From hand-built engines and just-in-time inventory to electrification and global sourcing, Harley-Davidson’s supply chain is revving up for a future that balances heritage with transformation.

Building a Continuous Vendor Feedback Loop with TransportGistics

In today’s fast-paced supply chains, vendor performance directly impacts your ability to deliver on time and on budget. Stop relying on ad hoc reviews and static scorecards.

John Deere Bolsters U.S. Supply Chain With New Distribution Hub, Doubling Down on Domestic Manufacturing

John Deere is expanding its U.S. industrial footprint with a major investment in a new distribution center near Hebron, Indiana, positioning the agricultural and construction equipment maker to sharpen parts logistics and reinforce its supply chain resilience. The facility, announced alongside a new excavator manufacturing plant in Kernersville, North Carolina, underscores Deere’s strategy to bring […]

Riding the 2026 Wave

While doom-scrolling through Facebook late one night, I saw a painting by a friend that captured something I hadn’t quite been able to put into words—so much so that I reached out and asked if we could use it for our January cover. It perfectly reflects a good way to look at the year ahead. […]

Why Transportation Strategy Can’t Be Static in a Volatile Market

Transportation planning is often anchored to historical pricing, static forecasts, and the belief that volatility is temporary. But that’s no longer the environment we’re facing.

The Differences Between Long-Term 3PL Partnerships and Short-Term Contracts

With volatility becoming the norm in the supply chain, shippers have begun reevaluating their third-party logistics (3PL) providers. Here’s how to choose the right 3PL model.

When Minutes Mattered: An After-Hours Save That Averted A Critical Line-Down Overnight

Keeping production moving for a manufacturer, ProTrans quickly coordinated a late-night charter flight and delivered a critical shipment under extreme time pressure and demanding circumstances.

10 Tips for Improving Yard Visibility

Transportation and warehouse activities may be well tracked, but once a trailer enters the yard, visibility breaks down. Improving visibility is not a data problem but an operating model problem, requiring a system governing how work is planned, executed, measured, and improved—making visibility actionable rather than merely descriptive.

Scaling Without Losing Control: How a Modern WMS Supports Sustainable Growth

A modern warehouse management system can address the core pain points of growing warehouses, enabling them to scale, maintain accuracy, and improve performance.

3 Ways Outdated WMS Systems Are Killing Your 3PL Business

If your warehouse management system can’t deliver confidence, control, and clarity, your best clients are already evaluating competitors.

Building a Reputable Brand as a 3PL within the Life Science and Pharmaceuticals Industry

2026 marks MD Logistics’ 30th year in business. Here’s how the 3PL built a reputation as a leading partner within one of the most regulated industries.

Ecommerce Fulfillment: 7 Pitfalls to Avoid

Seven costly mistakes can slow your shipping and sink customer trust. Here’s how to avoid those errors and build an agile, resilient ecommerce fulfillment operation.

Supply Chain Takeaways: Decarbonization, Tariff Updates, Automation Trends

Logistics and supply chain news and highlights shaping the future of global logistics.

Holman Logistics Uses Artificial Intelligence to Transform Operations

Holman’s partnership with OneTrack brings AI solutions for increased safety and digital visibility.

18 Must-Attend Logistics and Supply Chain Trade Shows in 2026

It’s trade show time! Plan ahead and be sure these 19 top events are on your calendar for 2026.

Making Automation Less Scary: Addressing Obstacles and Setting Goals

Deploying automation can feel overwhelming. That’s why the starting points can’t be technology. It must be people and process.

Top 10 Limousine Service Companies in Europe 2026

Expectations for premium transportation have long gone beyond simple comfort when it comes to moving around European megacities. It has long been known that the market often offers only a beautiful wrapper, but in 2026, logistics for business and VIP travel require far more. It is not just punctuality but also flawless coordination, which becomes […]

J&J Strengthens U.S. Pharma Supply Chain with Two Next-Gen Facilities

The company is making moves to strengthen its pharmaceutical supply chain, boost resilience, and support advanced manufacturing capabilities.

A Closer Look: Insights on Parcel Costs In Medical Manufacturer Supply Chains

CTSI-Global brought the logistics vision of one eyecare supply manufacturer into focus with Parcel Spend Management, streamlining processes and managing costs for a clear experience.

What You Should Look for in a Freight Audit & Payment Partner

When evaluating an FAP provider, look beyond surface-level claims and focus on long-term stability, capability, and real operational value.

Building the Supply Chain Tech Stack

Why supply chain leaders must stack their tools wisely—and how the right configuration can boost visibility, efficiency, and control.

For Shauna Bowen, Curiosity and Accountability are Non-Negotiable

Shauna Bowen embraces three pillars of leadership—servant leadership, transparency, and a growth mindset—to power Radial’s digital transformation and help clients achieve their goals.

What’s Your Supply Chain Acronym for 2026?

SIPOC will remain the king acronym in supply chain. It serves as an organizing framework to design material flows and to explain basic supply chain concepts to the uninitiated. While it papers over a lot of detail, process, and difficulty of course, it remains a powerful concept for its simplicity, accuracy, and functionality.

–Joe Adamski
Senior Director
ProcureAbility

How Digital Transformation Elevates Inbound Logistics Management

Digital transformation can turn inbound logistics into a competitive advantage, supporting a faster, more responsive supply chain.

Why a Profitable 3PL Will Matter More Than Ever in 2026

Q. Why does profitability matter more when choosing a 3PL in 2026? A. Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable shift, not just in the 3PL space, but across industries. Profitability took a backseat to market share for a while. That worked fine when capital was cheap, but that’s no longer the […]

Artificial Intelligence and Transportation: Making Sense of AI’s Real Impact

Q. There’s a lot of talk about AI in transportation right now. From your perspective, where does AI actually create real value for carriers today? A. AI creates value where carriers already feel pain. Tight margins, nonstop decisions, teams doing too much with too little. That’s the reality. AI helps when it steps into that […]

How Jocko Fuel Manages DTC And Retail Fulfillment at Scale

As a fast-growing sports nutrition brand, Jocko Fuel faced mounting logistics challenges as it expanded from direct-to-consumer (DTC) fulfillment into national retail distribution.

Navigating GRI and Surcharge Changes

Understanding the 2026 GRI requires clarity into how those changes behave across real shipment data and how pricing strategy is evolving beneath the headlines. This guide will help.

3PL Longevity: How They Survive and Thrive Through the Decades (or Centuries)

Here are the core strategies—from continuous disruption to customer focus—that have helped some leading third-party logistics providers grow and succeed for generations.

Supply Chain Takeaways: Warehouse Market Trends, Visibility Tech, Disruption Mitigation

65M SF of new supply in 25Q3 ↓ 14M SF YOY
60M SF of net absorption in 25Q3 ↑ 20M SHF YOY

10 Tips for Deploying AI in Your Supply Chain

Artificial intelligence can transform the supply chain. Because the infrastructure already exists, adoption can be quick—though it can be challenging to know where to start.

6 Ways to Reclaim Margin

For many mid-size companies, freight costs have quietly become a dangerous threat to profit margins. These six strategies offer actionable starting points to reclaim margin and build more resilient logistics operations.

NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights

Two Lufthansa Cargo subsidiaries—CB Customs Broker and heyworld—will merge into a single company effective January 2026. The goal of the merger is to unite complementary capabilities and create a unique one-stop offering for cross-border logistics solutions at parcel level.

Info Snacks: Bite Sized Supply Chain Information

LEO Satellites: A New Frontier for Supply Chain Resilience In a move set to redefine supply chain connectivity, Crane Worldwide Logistics announced a partnership to integrate low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology from Amazon LEO across its global operations, beginning in 2027. The primary impact is on business continuity and resilience: As climate events and […]

AI in Supply Chain Management: How Useful Will It Be in 2026?

Rating Highly Readers rated AI’s expected usefulness on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being transformative). Note: Fractions were rounded up. Average rating: 8 Range of answers: 3 to 10 Artificial intelligence will be transformative—driving forecasting, inventory optimization, and decision-making. It’s also powering digital twin roadmaps by connecting AI-driven forecasts to simulation models […]

IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions

DHL Global Forwarding launched DHL Consolidated Clearance Service for U.S. imports. DHL’s new service offers a customs clearance process that consolidates multiple shipments under a single entry. It is designed to support businesses, particularly with high-volume operations, that are transitioning from de minimis clearance for their U.S. imports to clearance via formal and informal entry.