A practical guide for operations and supply chain leaders selecting a third-party logistics partner, and structuring the contract so you pay for service rather than volume, without giving up control of the network.
Part of the SmartBuyer Procurement Guide Series.
Most 3PL contracts charge per pick, per pallet or per order, which gives the provider no commercial reason to improve accuracy, speed or damage rates: they are paid the same whether the order goes out right first time or comes back. Peak surcharges, liability caps set far below real inventory value, volume minimums that trigger shortfall fees and weak exit terms sit unread until something goes wrong.
This guide gives you a practical process for choosing a provider type that fits your estate, testing the market properly and negotiating the commercial model, not just the rate. It reflects what experienced logistics procurement specialists do differently, so you can pay for the service you actually need.
If any of these describe you, this guide will earn back its 15 minutes.
Seven stages take you from profiling your volume to governing the contract from day one. Our specialists buy logistics services every day, and this guide turns that experience into a process you can apply with confidence.
This guide was written in collaboration with fractional procurement specialists from SmartBuyer’s Network who have hands-on experience of tendering, contracting and governing 3PL relationships. It is built from delivery experience, not theory, and every stage is designed to be used.
