SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 6 minute read
Regardless of what your business might be, chances are excellent that your business model has nothing to do with warehousing, shipping or logistics.
Unfortunately, if your business requires any type of delivery beyond your next-door neighbor, the logistics of shipping and warehousing can play a critical role in your success. Outsourcing these tasks to third-party logistic companies, known in the industry as 3PLs, offers the opportunity to concentrate on your core business while leveraging the logistical expertise and substantial infrastructure of a 3PL.
Such companies provide a myriad of logistical support, including transportation, warehousing, packing and order fulfillment, to streamline your business. In the same manner that you might outsource IT responsibilities to a company specializing in information technology or your tax preparation to a certified accountant, 3PL companies provide expertise in the logistics space.
Keep reading to learn more about the top 10 3PL companies with a worldwide reputation in helping others get their goods to market.
Bonn, Germany-based DHL Supply Chain and Global Forwarding Divisions provide freight forwarding services throughout Europe, Russia and the Middle East via rail, air and road. From transportation and warehousing to industry-specific solutions designed to streamline worldwide logistics for its clients, the company has a global reach.
Services include:
DHL Supply Chain and Global Forwarding
Deutsche Post AG Headquarters
Platz der Deutschen Post
53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel: +49 228-1820
Based in Schindellegi, Switzerland, Kuehne+Nagel, which operates out of more than 1,300 offices in 109 nations, serves as a global logistics and transportation company with operations centered on air, sea and land freight forwarding. In addition to these transportation assets, the company also offers supply chain services from warehousing and order management to supply chain consulting and expos. With more than a century of specialization in the transportation space, Kuehne+Nagel serves a myriad of industries, which include the high tech sphere, industrial products, perishables, pharmaceutical and health care industries.
Services include:
Kuehne+Nagel Management AG
Dorfstrasse 50 Schindellegi,
8834 Switzerland
Tel: 41 44 788-9511
DB Schenker
DB Schenker, the logistics division of German rail operator Deutsche Bahn AG, provides an array of logistical and supply chain consulting services designed to help clients streamline their delivery and warehousing functions. With more than 75,000 employees in 2,000 offices, DB Schenker has clients throughout the automobile, technology, consumer goods, special transport and trade fair logistic industries. Ensuring that goods flow seamlessly is the hallmark of the company.
Services include:
DB Schenker
Richard-Wagner Strausse
Essen, Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 201 8781-4990
A Japanese logistics firm based in Tokyo, Nippon Express was first established in 1937. Today, it operates in more than 40 countries, with overseas transit facilities in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, among other locations. Offering an array of supply chain solutions, as well as warehousing and specialized transit options, the company serves the fashion, automotive, consumer, hi-tech and perishable items industries throughout Asia, North America and Europe.
Services include:
Nippon Express
Higashi-shimbashi 1-9-3
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 81-3-6251-1111
Minnesota-based logistic team, C.H. Robinson offers a bevy of business solutions when it comes to supply distribution, shipping and warehousing options. A Fortune 500 firm, it offers transportation management solutions, storage, brokerage and warehousing options with flexibility in mind. As such, C.H. Robinson utilizes multiple lines of freight including air, sea, rail and road, and it also offers less-than-truckload options.
Services include:
C.H. Robinson
14701 Charlson Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Tel: 952-683-2800
Danish-based DSV Global, headquartered just outside of the nation's capital of Copenhagen, offers worldwide warehousing and transportation solutions for companies looking for supply chain solutions across the global stage. Servicing North America and Europe, it offers scalability with full truckloads, as well as less-than-truckloads, to the aeronautics, fashion, automotive and retail industries, among others.
Services include:
DSV + Panalpina
Hovedgaden 630
2640 Hedchusene, Denmark
Tel: +45 43 20 30 40
North American-based XPO Logistics, headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, operates throughout North America and Europe, with its European operation based in Lyon, France. The company features innovative transportation solutions for a myriad of industries. With more than 100,000 employees working in over 30 nations, XPO Logistics has the reach to make most shipping solutions easy and affordable.
Services include:
XPO Logistics
2211 Old Earhart Road Suite 100
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
Tel: 713-994-6600
Chinese operated Sinotrans Limited, headquartered in Beijing, with offices throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim, features transportation solutions for companies looking to operate and expand their businesses to Asian markets. From warehousing to getting goods to their final destination, Sinotrans offers an array of support services that include trucking and marine transportation throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Services include:
SinoTrans Limited
6F Suite B Waiyun Building
Building 10 Yard 5 Anding Road
Beijing, China 100020
Tel: 86 10-5229-5600
North American-based United Parcel Service (UPS) is a supply chain management and package delivery company with a worldwide footprint. In addition to a freight-based trucking fleet, the company also operates an air cargo service division and provides deliveries in over 175 nations and territories.
Services include:
United Parcel Service (UPS)
55 Glenlake Parkway NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30328
Tel: 404-828-7123
Singapore-based Ninja Van bills itself as the gateway to Southeast Asia with an array of services designed to help its clients operate, utilizing its custom-built logistical services. Specializing in last-mile transportation, with an eye on the specific needs of e-commerce and SME businesses, Ninja Van features real-time tracking, flexible payment methods and a fully automated logistics process.
Services include:
Ninja Van
62 Collyer Quay OUE Link No. 02-08
Singapore 049325
Tel: 02 82711501