Select a result to preview

Warehouse Type Distinction Table

Category Feature Dedicated Warehouse (Standalone) Multi-Client Warehouse with Dedicated Cells Shared / Public Warehouse
STRATEGY Definition Entire facility legally & operationally ring-fenced for one client. Dedicated zone (fenced) within a larger multi-client facility. No dedicated zones by client.
Ideal Clients Enterprise Brands. High & very predictable volume (5k+ orders/day) and/or complex compliance needs. Scaled Brands with incremental growth. Generally predictable volume (2k+ orders/day) and/or complex compliance needs. Startups / Volatile Volume. <100 orders/day or highly seasonal "overflow."
Contract Length 3–7 Years 1–3 Years Month-to-month or <1 Year
Sales Cycle 12–36 Months
(Strategic alignment, selection, MH Engineering, lease negotiation).		 9-18 Months
(Fit-out of existing shell, MH Engineering, staffing planning).		 1–3 Months
(Contract review, simple IT plug-in).
FINANCIALS Cost Model Management Fee + Expenses (Cost Plus).
You pay for every lightbulb and hour worked.		 Hybrid.
Minimum Fixed Fee (Space/Core Staff) + Variable Transaction Fees.		 Transactional.
Activity-based pricing (per pallet, per order). No volume? No cost.
SLA Accountability Gainshare / Painshare.
3PL profit margin is often tied to KPI performance. Missed goals = forfeited management fees.		 KPI Credits.
Missed SLAs result in small invoice credits (e.g., 2–5% of monthly fees). It stings, but doesn't bleed.		 Best Efforts.
SLOs are "targets." Financial penalties are rare or practically unenforceable unless failure is total.
Cost "Gotchas" Facilities Mgmt.
You are responsible for roof leaks, HVAC repair, and guard shack costs.		 Allocated Overhead.
You pay a "shared overhead" % that is opaque and rises if other tenants leave.		 Accessorials.
Low storage rates are subsidized by high "touch" fees (labeling, pallet in/out).
CapEx / MHE Client Funded.
Client pays for custom automation (AutoStore, conveyors) or amortizes it.		 Shared Backbone.
3PL owns sorters/conveyors; Client pays for cell-specific racking/carts/shipping stations.		 3PL Owned.
Standard forklifts and pallet jacks only. No custom automation.
OPERATIONS Closed Deal to First Shipment 3 - 9 months depending on MHE build-out and IT Integration needs 1 - 3 months depending on MHE build-out and IT Int 1 - 15 days
Space Allocation 100% Private (Walls & Docks). Hybrid: Private picking/storage; Shared Docks, Breakrooms, Bathrooms. 100% Shared
Labor Model Ring-Fenced Team.
100% dedicated staff. High brand retention.		 Core + Flex.
Dedicated leads; "flex" staff borrowed from campus pool for peaks.		 Pooled Team.
Staff moves to whichever client has volume that hour. Zero brand affinity.
Labor Risk (Peak) High Cost Risk.
You pay for idle hands if volume drops, but guaranteed capacity during peak.		 Contention Risk.
Shared "flex" labor pool evaporates during macro-peaks (Q4).		 High Service Risk.
You are the lowest priority; labor goes to anchor tenants first.
Dock Velocity Unconstrained.
You set the dock schedule. Immediate unload if you pay for the labor.		 Constrained.
Shared docks mean appointment battles. Delays common during surges.		 Highly Constrained.
First-come, first-served. Inbound often sits for 24–48+ hours.
Inventory Integrity (Shrink) High Precision (Net Zero).
Strict control allows for <0.1% shrink limits. Cycle counting is continuous and tailored.		 Standard Allowance.
Typically capped at 0.5% of throughput. "Flex" labor increases error rates vs. dedicated teams.		 Low Precision.
Higher shrink allowances (0.5%–1.0%). Reconciliations are often annual or quarterly, not daily.
Unboxing & Customization Unlimited.
Perfume sprays, handwritten notes, complex kitting, and 10+ box sizes are standard.		 Moderate.
Branded tape/boxes are fine. Complex "high-touch" unboxing is discouraged due to labor training variance.		 None / Standard.
Brown box, standard void fill, standard label. "Get it out the door" efficiency rules all.
Scaling Ability Low.
Expansion requires construction or new lease. "Locked in."		 Low to Moderate.
Can expand "through the wall" into adjacent bays if available, space constrained if not.		 Moderate.
Easy to add pallets, but capacity is subject to availability.
TECH / IT WMS Ownership Custom / Client Driven.
Can use Client WMS or highly customized 3PL WMS.		 Client Driven / 3PL Standard.
Larger Clients can bring their own WMS, Smaller Clients uses 3PL's WMS with client-specific logic enabled.		 3PL Standard (Fixed).
Must use 3PL's WMS "out of the box."
IT Constraints Low Constraint.
You can demand custom code, custom integrations, or unique logic.		 High Constraint.
Larger Clients on their WMS are fine, everyone else: configuration only (flags/switches). No custom code that breaks other tenants.		 Rigid.
Zero customization. You must adapt your data to their flat-file specs.
ACCOUNT MGMT Support Team Structure Strategic Partner.
Dedicated Account Director + On-site GM. You have their personal cell numbers.		 Account Manager (Shared).
Dedicated CSM manages 3–5 accounts. Good responsiveness, but they split focus.		 Ticket / Helpdesk.
Pool of support agents. No single point of contact. "Submit a ticket and wait."
Meeting Cadence Weekly / Daily.
Weekly QBRs, daily standups during peak. Deep integration between Brand and 3PL Front Office.		 Monthly / Bi-Weekly.
Monthly KPI reviews. Bi-weekly tactical calls.		 Quarterly / Ad-hoc.
Automated reports via email. Meetings only happen if something breaks.
Crisis Response War Room.
Ops team stays late until _your_problem is fixed. You are the priority.		 Prioritized Queue.
You are "Tier 1" in the ticket system, but you wait if the Anchor Tenant has a fire.		 Standard Queue.
First-in, first-out. No jumping the line during Black Friday.
EXAMPLES 3PL Companies Dedicated: DHL Supply Chain, Penske Logistics, XPO Logistics, J.B. Hunt, Ryder Solutions Multi-Client Campus: GEODIS (Campus Model), Radial (Dedicated Cells), NFI Industries Shared/Public: ShipBob, Red Stag Fulfillment, Ware2Go (UPS), Flexe, Stord
Brand Examples Dedicated: Nike (DHL, Europe & Brazil), Apple (Custom 3PL networks), Enterprise furniture/mattress brands Multi-Client Campus: Tecovas (GEODIS Dallas), Fashion brands (Radial: Express, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Gymshark, TaylorMade) Shared/Public: Allbirds (ShipBob), Emerging DTC Brands (Everlane, Supergoop), Seasonal/Volatile brands (Yelle Skincare on Ware2Go)

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]

⁂

see also:

  1. https://phasev.com/blog/top-global-3pl-logistics-companies/ ↩︎

  2. https://redstagfulfillment.com/biggest-3pl-companies/ ↩︎

  3. https://geodis.com/us-en/3PL-services ↩︎

  4. https://theretailexec.com/services/best-3pl-companies/ ↩︎

  5. https://www.3plogistics.com/3pl-market-info-resources/3pl-market-information/aas-top-50-u-s-third-party-logistics-providers-3pls-list/ ↩︎

  6. https://www.radial.com/3pl ↩︎

  7. https://partner3pl.com/location/united-states/texas/travis-county/ ↩︎

  8. https://www.ttnews.com/logistics/rankings/2025 ↩︎

  9. https://redstagfulfillment.com/best-3pl-companies/ ↩︎

  10. https://www.speedcommerce.com/3rd-party-logistics/3pl-companies-usa/ ↩︎

  11. https://www.fulfill.com/3pl/location/texas?6a642248_page=4\&e8a0387f_page=5 ↩︎

  12. https://geodis.com/us-en/warehousing-and-value-added-logistics/warehousing/campus-based-warehousing-solutions ↩︎

  13. https://www.buske.com/blog/largest-3pl-companies ↩︎

  14. https://trerc.tamu.edu/news-talk/geodis-signs-for-673k-sf-warehouse-in-west-dallas/ ↩︎

  15. https://www.dematic.com/en-us/insights/case-studies/radial-groningen-netherlands/ ↩︎

  16. https://postandparcel.info/23865/news/dhl-hit-the-ground-running-with-new-nike-deal/ ↩︎

  17. https://www.shipbob.com/blog/shared-warehousing/ ↩︎

  18. https://redstagfulfillment.com/texas-3pl-fulfillment/ ↩︎

  19. https://www.dallasmarketcenter.com/press-room/tecovas-announces-entry-into-wholesale-with-first-showroom-at-dallas-market-center/ ↩︎

  20. https://pipe17.com/customer/radial-3pl-onboarding-18-weeks-to-1-week/ ↩︎

  21. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/nikes-eu-logistics-campus-sustainable-supply-chain-powerhouse-ilyas-66rnc ↩︎

  22. https://www.allbirds.com/pages/help?a=Where-do-you-ship---id--As4C4l8KQMWcft-XQ_n9TA ↩︎

  23. https://www.shipfusion.com/blog/best-3pl-services-in-the-usa ↩︎

  24. https://redstagfulfillment.com/order-fulfillment/ ↩︎

  25. https://racklify.com/news/top-25-warehousing-3pl-services-dallas/ ↩︎

  26. https://www.radial.com/clients ↩︎

  27. https://www.mapquest.com/us/california/dhl-nike-distribution-center-467623931 ↩︎

  28. https://networkon.io/resources/blog/best-logistics-services-companies/ ↩︎

  29. https://www.linkedin.com/company/red-stag-fulfillment ↩︎

  30. https://geodis.com/us-en/agency/geodis-contract-logistics-63 ↩︎

  31. https://www.radial.com/eur/insights/how-technology-is-redefining-fashion-and-apparel-fulfillment ↩︎

  32. https://www.dhl.com/us-en/home/supply-chain/solutions/warehousing.html ↩︎

  33. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/29/the-direct-to-consumer-strategy-is-making-a-run-at-amazons-throne.html ↩︎

  34. https://www.camcode.com/blog/top-20-3pl-warehouse-companies/ ↩︎

  35. https://redstagfulfillment.com/products-we-handle-best/ ↩︎

  36. https://geodis.com/us-en/warehousing-and-value-added-logistics ↩︎

  37. https://ware2go.co ↩︎

  38. https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/top_50_third_party_logistics_3pls_providers_2024_not_out_of_the_woods ↩︎

  39. https://geodis.com/us-en/warehousing-and-value-added-logistics/fulfillment-and-omnichannel-logistics ↩︎

  40. https://www.shipbob.com ↩︎