The anti-3PL.

A third-party logistics company stores, picks, packs, and ships products on behalf of ecommerce brands. Instead of managing your own warehouse, you outsource fulfillment to a 3PL that operates the facilities, negotiates carrier rates, and handles the physical supply chain — letting you focus on product and growth. Most 3PLs serve brands shipping anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of orders per month.

A 3PL owns and operates warehouses and fulfillment infrastructure directly, while a 4PL acts as a supply chain coordinator that manages multiple 3PLs on your behalf without owning facilities. The tradeoff: 4PLs add a management layer (and cost) between you and the people handling your product. Jetpack sits between the two — providing 3PL infrastructure across 65+ warehouses globally with 4PL-level strategic support, combined-volume carrier rates, and dedicated account management through direct Slack channels.

Third-party logistics services fall into four categories: transportation-based (carrier management and freight), warehouse-based (storage and fulfillment), financial-based (freight auditing and cost optimization), and information-based (technology for visibility and analytics). Most 3PLs specialize in one or two. Full-service providers like Jetpack combine all four — warehousing, multi-carrier shipping optimization, cost reduction through combined client volume, and integrated OMS, IMS, RMS, and WMS technology.

Amazon FBA functions as a third-party logistics provider — it stores your inventory and fulfills orders — but it operates entirely under Amazon's rules, branding constraints, and fee structure rather than yours, meaning you lose control over packaging, inserts, and the customer unboxing experience. Many brands use FBA for Amazon Marketplace orders while partnering with a dedicated 3PL like Jetpack for their Shopify and direct-to-consumer channels, keeping brand control where it matters most.

3PLs generate revenue through storage fees, pick-and-pack fees, and shipping margins — the spread between negotiated carrier rates and what they charge clients. Some 3PLs pad revenue with hidden fees: monthly minimums, emergency surcharges, processing charges, and setup costs. Jetpack uses all-in rate cards with no monthly fees, no emergency fees, and no processing fees — rates include standard packaging, processing, and first pick per order, so what you see is what you pay.

3PL pricing typically includes three components: storage (per pallet or cubic foot per month), pick and pack (per order plus per additional item), and shipping (based on weight, dimensions, and destination zone). Total cost varies widely by provider and volume. Jetpack's all-in rate cards bundle standard packaging, processing, and first pick per order with no monthly or emergency fees. Brands switching to Jetpack's multi-hub model see 10-45% lower overall costs, primarily from reduced shipping zones — their network cuts shipments traveling beyond zone 4 by 80%.

Evaluate a 3PL on five things: warehouse network (more locations means faster, cheaper delivery), technology integrations (does it connect to your Shopify, Amazon, or ERP natively?), accuracy rate (anything below 99.5% will cost you in returns and reviews), pricing transparency (watch for hidden fees), and support model (ticket systems vs. real people). Jetpack scores on all five: 65+ warehouses, native Shopify and Amazon integrations, 99.95% pick-and-pack accuracy, all-in rate cards, and dedicated Slack channels with direct access to your account team.

The biggest risks of outsourcing fulfillment are loss of direct quality control, communication delays when issues arise, and less flexibility for custom packaging or kitting. Bad 3PL relationships typically stem from poor communication — you submit a ticket, wait 48 hours, get a canned response. Jetpack mitigates these risks with 99.95% accuracy, real-time support via dedicated Slack channels (not ticket queues), and full kitting and custom packaging capabilities including branded inserts.

Most ecommerce brands hit the outsource-fulfillment inflection point between 200 and 2,000 orders per month — when self-fulfillment starts consuming time that should go toward product development and marketing. Key signals: you're turning down warehouse space, missing SLAs, or your shipping costs keep climbing because you're negotiating as a single brand. Jetpack partners with brands shipping 2,000 to roughly 75,000 orders per month, leveraging combined client volume across 5,000+ brands to secure carrier rates individual shippers cannot access.

The best 3PL for Shopify stores integrates natively with Shopify's order and inventory APIs, supports multi-location fulfillment for Shopify's split-shipment logic, and offers real-time inventory sync so your storefront never oversells — accuracy and speed are non-negotiable for DTC brands where one mis-ship triggers a one-star review. Jetpack connects directly to Shopify (plus Amazon FBA/FBM, NetSuite, ShipStation, and others), automatically routes orders through its Multi-Hub IQ system to the nearest warehouse, and maintains 99.95% pick-and-pack accuracy across 65+ locations.

Jetpack operates 65+ warehouses globally — approximately 60 across the US, 6 in Canada, 3 in the UK, 1 in the Netherlands, and 2 in Australia. Its proprietary Multi-Hub IQ system uses machine learning to distribute your inventory across locations based on where your customers actually order from, so each shipment travels the shortest possible distance. The result: up to 3X faster transit times, an 80% reduction in shipments over zone 4, and 10-45% lower overall fulfillment costs compared to single-warehouse setups.

Jetpack integrates natively with Shopify, Amazon (both FBA and FBM), NetSuite, ShipStation, and many additional ecommerce platforms, with an integrated OMS, IMS, RMS, and WMS that syncs inventory, orders, and returns in real time across every sales channel and warehouse location. Carrier IQ, Jetpack's shipping optimization engine, automatically selects the best carrier and service level for each package across ground, 2-day, and overnight options from multiple carriers.

Jetpack provides real-time support through dedicated Slack channels — not ticket queues — staffed by a named account manager who knows your brand, your products, and your priorities. You also get direct access to the executive team when you need it. This model, called Jetpack Care, reflects the company's tagline: future-forward fulfillment with old-school care. Across 5,000+ brands, Jetpack holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating from over 5,000 reviews.

Jetpack offers full kitting services, custom packaging with branded inserts, B2B and retail fulfillment, and end-to-end returns management through its integrated RMS. Whether you need subscription box assembly, promotional bundling, retail-compliant palletizing, or a streamlined return-and-restock workflow, Jetpack handles it operationally while maintaining 99.95% pick-and-pack accuracy. Same-day fulfillment is available for orders received within the cutoff window, keeping your delivery promises tight.

Jetpack selectively partners with ecommerce brands shipping roughly 2,000 to 75,000 orders per month — large enough to benefit from multi-hub distribution but still at the growth stage where hands-on support matters most. Onboarding begins with a dedicated account manager who maps your SKU catalog, integrates your sales channels, and configures Multi-Hub IQ to position inventory based on historical order data. Jetpack handles the technical lift so your operations never skip a beat.