#logistics-operations
Thread
How important is it for a 3PL to ship orders 7 days a week? I'm in the process of moving from a 3PL that ships 7 days a week to one that ships Mon-Fri.
It depends on your weekend volume and if they can complete the volume on Monday.
@Mike Thompson Thanks Mike! How common is it for 3PLs to only ship Mon-Fri? I thought 7-days was pretty standard...
Hey Nate - would also say it depends on your customer expectations and whether the 3PL has carriers picking up and processing on Saturday/Sunday (it may not even speed your click-to-deliver if not).
In my experience 7-day operations are probably less common. Like Mike mentioned it can help them smooth the volume on Mondays quite a bit but what I've seen more commonly is a Sunday shift that's sometimes only a 1/2 shift.
However if you're in the process of onboarding or RFP you are in the driver's seat so depending on your volumes and if it makes sense for your profile you have the leverage to request a 7-day.
Mike and Jason nailed it
Most 3PLs charge a premium for weekends and if they don't and run a 7 day operation, they are hiding the increased cost elsewhere (blending into the fulfillment rate or increased margin on courier accounts)
The benefit to the 3PL is that they can pick/pack the order on the weekend and stage them on the dock for Monday. Often larger 3PLs will have a Monday morning courier pick-up and a later day pick-up to support Monday's increase in volume
Gosh, this channel is lit with folks like @Jason Finkelstein and @Ryan Bennett here 🙌 🎯
@Matt Hertz - ThirdPerson.​co - there's also @Mike Thompson &
@Aaron Alpeter! Really great collection of minds 😃
We should all get in a room together at some point
Getting in a room with a bunch of like minded ops folks sounds ..... extraordinary!
Idk might be like an infinity stone situation