The Ultimate Guide to Outsourcing Your E-commerce Logistics

When Motive 3PL paid a visit to BPCO HQ recently, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask (okay, grill) them on how e-commerce businesses can make the most of 3PL services to really drive growth. If you're looking to take your eCommerce operations to the next level, keep reading for their insider tips! 

Let's get acquainted – tell us a bit about Motive 3PL 

Hey there! We’re Jack and Perry from Motive 3PL, an Aussie-based 3PL business with two facilities in Sydney. We've been supporting e-commerce businesses in Australia, NZ, and around the world for years, acting as an extension of their brand with reliable, responsive logistics solutions. We’re here to help our customers grow by taking care of their logistics, so they can focus on what matters most—customers and business expansion. 

 

 

First, what is a 3PL and why should you use it? 

A 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) handles a business' storage, order fulfilment, and shipping. If you're struggling with late deliveries, time-poor or stock shortages, it might be time to partner with a 3PL. But don’t wait until you're overwhelmed and poor performance is damaging your business—reach out early to explore the options, understand the costs, and prepare for the transition. Being proactive is key to a smooth move, whether it's in a few months or even a couple of years time. 

 

What  should you  ask a 3PL when considering working with them? 

  • Are you able to scale with my business as it grows? 
  • What is your average response time with your current clients? 
  • How will my products be packaged? Can I bring my own custom-packaging? 
  • What are  your order processing timeframes/ cut-offs? Do you offer same day shipping, delivery etc. and what happens when I need something dispatched urgently? 
  • How do you manage my inventory, WMS, integrations, visibility and tracking? 
  • Are you able to manage my stock, set expiry warnings, conduct batch control, FIFO (First In, First Out) or FEFO (First Expired, First Out), low stock triggers? 
  • What are some different costing examples, including order processing scenarios? This will  ensure there are no hidden costs or extra miscellaneous charges. A 3PL should be MORE than happy to do this, these sorts of surprises aren’t fun for either party!  
  • Are there any additional or hidden fees? (e.g., storage fees, pick-and-pack fees, minimum monthly charges) 
  • Can I inspect my products and where they are stored? 
  • Do you have sustainability initiatives in place? How do you manage waste, and what are your eco-friendly practices? 

 

How can 3PLs improve to better serve businesses in the future? 

Automation is transforming 3PLs and fulfilment in exciting ways, offering great potential to enhance our services, improve efficiencies, allow for greener stock management practices and to need fewer resources. 

However, we're committed to ensuring that these changes always focus on improving customer experience first, rather than just to save us time and resource. It's crucial to communicate and implement these improvements carefully to maintain the personal touch and strong relationships we have with all our customers. 

 

How can  you  help customers improve their environmental footprint? 

  • Our approach is that it’s better to make more small changes than to wait to be ‘ready’ for one big one.  
  • Whether it's changing your packaging material, the equipment you use, the suppliers you source from, or partnering with organisations to help you achieve your sustainability goals… the 2nd, 3rd, 4th steps become a lot easier after the 1st and that's how we view it at Motive. 
  • When onboarding new customers, we review their packaging requirements and current stock. Switching to more sustainable packaging like  Better Packaging’s range is an example of a quick easy step that can make a big impact supplies!  What they might have thought of as a costly change is often not! 

 

Are all 3PLs the same when it comes to sustainability? 

Some 3PLs focus more on sustainability than others. 

  • We prioritise using eco-friendly packaging and minimising waste. (Thanks Better Packaging Co!😉) . The first step is always to look at ways to reduce the amount of packaging required and then for what’s left, what’s the best solution. 
  • We reduce carbon emissions by using energy-conscious transport carriers, utility service providers and recycling partners! 
  • There can be a lot of waste in a 3PL warehouse, and there doesn’t have to be. Again, first and foremost we try to reduce our waste profile, but what is left, we partner with organisations to ensure that it is recycled wherever possible! 

 

 

You got a magic wand, what's the one thing about your operation you'd make better?🪄 

We’d love to have a warehouse right next to each and every one of our clients' warehouses! 

Also, although we’re lucky enough to be able to offer Same Day delivery in Sydney Metro and Next Day delivery in major areas of NSW, Victoria and Queensland, we’d love to be able to offer this all across Australia and even the world (you did say it was a magic wand!). We are constantly reviewing our fulfilment process and partners to ensure we are delivering the best and most efficient end-to-end service we can! 

 

Who's your favourite customer? (there's  only  one right answer to this question)👀 

All our customers are our favourites - Better Packaging Co being one of them! 

We work with so many different businesses run by some awesome people, and that’s our favourite part! We love solving problems as quickly as we possibly can for our clients. 

Each client comes with different requirements, and we pride ourselves on fitting into what works for them rather than them having to fit into what we need. 

 

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Well, that’s a wrap on our totally friendly interrogation—oops, we mean conversation. Jack and Perry are absolutely fired up about making life and business easier for e-commerce operators and treat their customers like royalty. If you’re ready to level up your logistics game, reach out to the team at  Motive 3PL. They’ve got your back (and your packages) covered! 

 

 

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