ODW Answers Your Most Common Warehousing & Transportation Questions

Hundreds of brands rely on ODW Logistics to streamline their costs and operate more efficiently. In this blog, we’ll address the most frequently asked questions about warehousing and transportation.

Q: What Are Some Signals That It May Be Time to Change My 3PL?​​​​​​​

1. You’re experiencing declines in your service, and/or are not receiving the resources and support you need to grow your business.
2. You’re expanding to multi-node or are already multi-node and you need someone to re-evaluate your operations as you’re doing that.
3. You’re expanding into new markets or you’ve had a bad experience expanding into a new market.
4. You’re scaling as a company and are experiencing substantial growth.

Q: Freight Costs Are Increasing, What Can I Do?

1. Moving your warehouses closer to your customers will result in lower fuel surcharges, access to better markets, and improved sourcing.
2. Shifting your LTL shipping to multi-client consolidation or multi-stop, then taking a look at where your manufacturers and co-packers are.

Q: I'm Not Feeding My Top 20% of Customers Fast Enough, What Decisions Can I Make to Adjust That?

A large part of your business success is ensuring you are meeting the needs of your best customers. Re-evaluating your networks and warehousing locations can dramatically improve your relationships with top customers, as you should ensure fast delivery (generally within 2 days) to your primary delivery base.

Q: I've Been Acquired or am Acquiring Someone Else, What Happens to My Supply Chain?

Change always presents an opportunity to revisit your shipping operations and understand where there are efficiencies to be gained.

As acquisitions happen, we often see that there is an influx of suppliers, carriers, and warehouses, but this is just as likely to increase fragmentation as it is to improve scale. Reducing complexity presents an opportunity to increase efficiency during an acquisition.

Q: Are There Benefits to Having One 3PL Manage All Warehousing and Transportation?

When one third-party logistics provider (3PL) manages all of your warehousing and transportation, this “integrated” solution allows a single resource (or team) to manage your supply chain.

This team approach can bring clearer communication and better visibility to your inventory and transportation management. It can also deliver cost and service advantages across the entirety of your supply chain.

Q: I've Got a 3PL Already, Why Is Partner Selection Critical?

Not all 3PLs are created equally, and many specialize in different parts of the shipping ecosystem. Integrated options, access to leadership, proven experience in executing and delivering against your particular needs, and the ability to scale with your business are key considerations when selecting your 3PL.

Find a partner who values your business, wants to be an extension of your team, and has the dedicated leadership structure that can allow you to grow effectively.