Shipper-3PL Relationships: The Take

Shipper-3PL Relationships: The
Takeaways
• The marketplace is still determining the
degree to which shipper-3PL relationships
have been altered as a result of the recession.
The good news is that shippers continue to
cite factors such as the ability to provide
continuous improvement (55%), experience in
the shipper’s industry (49%) and established
ongoing relationship (42%) as important
selection criteria.
• One new pattern is the increased reliance
on centralized sourcing in 3PL selection.
Nearly half of shippers (48%) and 61% of
3PLs say centralized procurement functions
are playing more or much more of a role in
the selection process compared with three
years ago.
• Allaying those concerns somewhat is the
finding that the majority of shippers and
3PLs say that their relationships have grown
more collaborative over the past three years.
Shippers that can strike the right balance in
sourcing decisions and build strategic 3PL
relationships set the stage for considerable
strategic advantage.