Abstract
This article investigates the Brazilian third-party logistics (3PL) sector which, increasingly competitive, offers
clients a wide variety of services/information technologies in the quest to bolster efficiency. The main research
objective is to determine which variables significantly impact 3PLs scale efficiency by applying two-stage DEA
(Data Envelopment Analysis). Based on an unbalanced panel model, data from the annual study published by
Revista Tecnologística (years 2001–2009) were analyzed. Results corroborate evidence in the literature that
coordination mechanisms in the supply chain, supported by the availability of real time information and
inventory synchronization, favor a more rational allocation of resources (inputs) to client demands (outputs)