How Do I Know When It’s Time to Outsource Fulfillment & Transportation to a 3PL?

If you’re in the early stages of building your ecommerce business, you are likely wearing many hats, juggling everything from order fulfillment to inventory management to marketing campaigns and customer service. While that type of hustle might be necessary in the early days, the cracks will start to show as your sales pick up and your business gains momentum.

If your seller business is on an upward trajectory, keeping up with orders may be starting to feel like a full-time job in itself. If you’ve been spending more time packing boxes than building your brand, this could be a signal that it’s time to outsource fulfillment and transportation to a 3PL. In this article we reveal the key signs that it’s time to outsource logistics, so you can free up time, reduce stress, and focus on scaling your brand.

In-House Fulfillment Vs. Outsourcing to a 3PL

When a business owner chooses “in-house fulfillment” to handle their logistics needs, it means they are managing their own storage, inventory, and shipping without relying on a third-party provider. This approach gives full control of every step of the fulfillment process to the business owner, which can support a strong customer experience if handled well, but it also requires significant time, space, and resources that could otherwise be used to grow the business.

A 3PL is a hands-on logistics partner that manages the logistics for a business’ products, including warehousing, inventory management, and big brand e-commerce fulfillment & transportation. Businesses that work with 3PLs maintain a fair amount of direct oversight and visibility into who is handling their goods, which allows for some control over customer experience, without having to manage day-to-day logistics tasks.

How Do I Know When It’s Time to Outsource Fulfillment & Transportation to a 3PL?

DIY order fulfillment and inventory tracking is typically necessary and cost-effective in the early stages of a business, but as a business grows, it can stand in your way by limiting the time you have to respond to new opportunities. Every hour you spend managing logistics is an hour you’re not marketing, innovating, or building relationships with customers and partners. By outsourcing fulfillment to a logistics expert, you gain time to strategize while improving order and inventory accuracy through a scalable logistics solution built for growth.

Knowing when to let go of in-house logistics can be a challenge, but there are clear warning signs that fulfillment is holding your business back. If you’re experiencing any of the growing pains below, it may be time to consider 3PL logistics outsourcing.

Here are 10 signs it may be time to outsource fulfillment & transportation:

1. You’re consistently above 500 orders per month – and you want to grow bigger but would need help to keep up.
2. Your current warehouse storage is bursting at the seams.
3. You don’t have access to a high-tech inventory management system that offers real-time data on stock levels and sales trends
4. Manual processes are slowing you down, leading to costly mistakes and wasted time.
5. You want to move into new markets or expand your product lines but you don’t have time to strategize, let alone make a move.
6. You can’t provide the fast, reliable shipping experience your customers expect.
7. You’re struggling to keep up with seller rules for various sales channels.
8. You don’t have the capacity to handle Amazon order prep and you want to avoid Amazon charge-backs for incorrect labeling and other issues. (Amazon will stop offering order prep and item labeling services  in 2026.)
9. You’re struggling to meet shipping deadlines during sales or peak seasons.
10. Customer service issues are increasing due to fulfillment mistakes.

While every business grows at its own pace, these red flags are signals that in-house logistics may be limiting your potential. Partnering with a 3PL can help you overcome these challenges, reclaim your time, and scale with confidence.

In summary, if your ecommerce business is growing you may be feeling overwhelmed with managing fulfillment and transportation in-house. If you have gotten to the point where you are spending more time packing boxes than building your brand or you’re struggling to meet customer expectations and keep up with orders, it may be time to outsource to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider.

How Outsourcing Logistics to a 3PL Can Help

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers manage the day-to-day logistics so sellers can focus on growing their business. By taking over tasks like real-time inventory management, picking, packing, shipping, and processing returns, 3PLs free up time and resources for business owners so they can concentrate on strategy, growth, and building their brand.

If you’re considering outsourcing EDI logistics, it is a good idea to gather some relevant data before reaching out, including order volume, number of SKUs, shipping costs, and employee costs. This information will help any 3PL you meet with determine if your business is a good fit and create an accurate fulfillment plan and pricing model, should you decide to work together.

At G10 Fulfillment, we strive to manage our clients’ logistics in a way that drives growth, profitability, and efficiency across their entire organization. We take the time to listen to your needs and develop tailored fulfillment solutions that streamline operations, reduce costs, and give you the freedom to focus on growing your business.

Interested in learning more about our logistics services? Click here to get a free personalized quote.