Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 3PL?

A 3PL (third-party logistics provider) is a company that stores your inventory, picks and packs your orders, and ships them to your customers on your behalf. Instead of running your own warehouse, you send products to the 3PL, connect your online store, and orders flow automatically from checkout to shipped package. 3PLCity operates 6 fulfillment centers in Los Angeles with a 2 PM PST same-day ship cutoff and serves Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, and 50+ other platforms.

Can I use my own branded packaging?

Yes. Ship your branded boxes, mailers, tissue paper, inserts, thank-you cards, and stickers to our warehouse, and we use them on every order. Custom unboxing experiences drive repeat purchases and differentiate DTC brands from generic Amazon-style shipments.

How much can I actually save by switching to 3PLCity?

Most new clients see immediate savings in three places: shipping costs drop 18–32% because of our negotiated carrier rates, labor costs drop to zero because you stop paying yourself or staff to pack boxes, and warehouse rent disappears because your inventory lives in our facility instead of yours. For most brands, that adds up to thousands of dollars saved in month one — not month twelve.

How much does a 3PL cost?

Industry pick-and-pack fees average $3–$8 per order plus storage at $20–$45 per pallet per month, with total fulfillment typically running 10–15% of gross sales. 3PLCity prices on volume with no setup fee, no monthly minimum, no long-term contract, and no hidden surcharges. Every line item is disclosed in writing before you sign — if it's not on the quote, you don't pay it.

How long does onboarding take?

1 to 10 days for most brands, compared to the industry standard of 4 to 8 weeks. Simple Shopify catalogs under 50 SKUs are live in under a week. Multi-channel setups with kitting, custom packaging, or B2B routing take a few days longer. Your account manager handles the integration, training, and test orders — you provide the inventory and SKU data, we do the rest.

Is there a minimum order volume or contract?

No on both. Most 3PLs enforce $1,000–$2,500 monthly minimums and 12-month contracts; 3PLCity has neither. Ship 50 orders a month or 50,000 — pricing scales, but the door stays open. We've built the business on retention, not lock-in. If we're not delivering, you can leave.

Will I have a dedicated account manager?

Yes. Every 3PLCity client gets a dedicated account manager reachable by phone, email, and Slack — not a ticket queue, not a chatbot, not a different rep every time you call. They know your SKUs, your peak seasons, and your customers, so when something needs attention you talk to a person who already has context.

When should I switch from in-house fulfillment to a 3PL?

The signs are operational, not theoretical: you're missing daily ship cutoffs, running out of storage, hitting 75–90% capacity, fielding customer complaints about errors, paying retail shipping rates, or spending 10+ hours a week packing boxes instead of growing the business. If two of those are true, the math already favors outsourcing.

3PL vs Amazon FBA: which is better?

FBA only fulfills Amazon orders and forces you into Amazon's packaging, pricing, and storage rules. A 3PL fulfills every channel — Shopify, your own site, Walmart, TikTok Shop, wholesale, retail — with your branded packaging and full control over the customer experience. Most successful brands run a hybrid: FBA for Amazon Prime eligibility, 3PLCity for everything else, which typically cuts total landed cost 8–12%.

Why is shipping from Los Angeles an advantage?

LA is the largest import hub in North America and one of the fastest origin points for U.S. ecommerce. Shipping from our LA facilities gives you direct access to the ports of LA and Long Beach for inbound containers, 1–2 day ground delivery to the entire West Coast, 3–5 day ground coverage to the rest of the U.S., and fast cross-border shipping to Mexico and Asia-Pacific. For brands importing from China, the LA-to-warehouse leg is the shortest in the country.

How do I switch 3PLs without disrupting my business?

Most brands switch in under two weeks with zero shipping interruption. 3PLCity coordinates the inbound transfer from your old warehouse, maps and verifies every SKU on receipt, integrates your sales channels, and runs test orders before going live. For brands that want extra safety, we run a 2–4 week parallel period where volume shifts gradually — catching any issue before it reaches a customer.

Can you handle imports from China and overseas suppliers?

Yes. Our LA location is minutes from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the two largest container ports in the U.S. We coordinate inbound container receiving, drayage, devanning, and putaway, so your inventory moves from ship to shelf without sitting in a holding yard for weeks.

What is the same-day shipping cutoff?

2 PM PST. Orders received before the cutoff ship the same business day from our Los Angeles warehouses. From LA, ground delivery reaches the entire West Coast in 1–2 days and the rest of the U.S. in 3–5 days — without paying for expedited shipping.

Which ecommerce platforms does 3PLCity integrate with?

Native integrations with Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento (Adobe Commerce), Etsy, Squarespace, Wix, and TikTok Shop, plus 50+ additional platforms through ShipHero. Orders, inventory, and tracking sync in real time, and customers get automatic shipping notifications without any manual work on your side.

Why choose 3PLCity over other 3PLs?

Six reasons: (1) 6 LA fulfillment centers with direct port access, (2) 2 PM PST same-day ship cutoff, (3) no minimums, no contracts, no setup fees, (4) native integrations with 50+ ecommerce platforms, (5) a dedicated account manager who actually picks up the phone, and (6) immediate savings on shipping, labor, and warehouse rent from week one. We compete on transparency and service — not lock-in.

What fees does a 3PL charge?

A standard 3PL invoice has five line items: receiving (per pallet or per hour, to unload and shelve your inbound inventory), storage (per pallet, shelf, or cubic foot per month), pick and pack (per order plus per additional item), packaging materials (boxes, mailers, dunnage), and shipping (carrier rates, usually rate-shopped). 3PLCity discloses every one of these on your quote before you sign — no peak-season surcharges, no platform fees, no account management fees, no surprises on the invoice.

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