What a 3PL needs to know…

At Masters we cover the entire UK, so our friendly team would be delighted to help you with your 3PL needs.

A question that we are asked frequently by businesses that require warehousing support is ‘how much will it cost?’. Unfortunately, there is no easy ‘one size fits all’ answer to this question as there are a number of things that we need to know before you can be given a quote.

If you’re considering using a 3PL, here are 6 things they need to know to price your warehousing requirements:

1. What are the reasons for your requirement?

In order to help your business, a 3PL needs to know why you require their services. This could be down to an overflow of stock, a problem with an existing supplier or the need to have logistics experts in your supply chain. By knowing this, an efficient 3PL will be able to provide the suitable support for your needs.

2. What industry do you operate in?

Different industries have different logistics requirements. While most 3PLs should be able to work with most industries, it is an important question to be asked as it means that the 3PL can provide a service that is as tailored as possible.

3. How much inbound freight will there be?

The quantity of freight, and how it will arrive (in a container, palletised etc.) is also important when putting together a warehousing quote. Containers will need to be unloaded and palletised which will incur additional costs.

4. What are your pallet specifications?

Freight can come in different shapes and sizes, and this needs to be accounted for when putting together a warehousing quote. A 3PL will need to know the minimum height, maximum height and average height of your pallets so they know how best your freight should be stored.

A 3PL will also need to know the minimum, maximum and average quantity of pallets that will be stored per week. Businesses with a higher quantity of pallets will require a different service to a business with a lower quantity of pallets. 

5. What are your handling requirements?

In order to understand how much handling your pallets will need, a 3PL will need to know your estimated quantity of inbound and outbound pallets per week.

You will also need to specify if picking is required in your warehousing solution. If it is, you will need to tell the 3PL if it is a full pallet, carton or unit pick.

6. What are your administration requirements?
   A 3PL will need to know how many product codes you will need, the amount of orders per week and the quantity of order lines per order to give you an accurate quote. If your freight requires any specific reports, e.g. stock or movement, please let the 3PL know.

Would you like your warehousing requirements pricing? Contact Masters today on 01353 648222