3PL FAQs
Third-Party Logistics Company FAQs
What makes NXTPoint Logistics different from other 3rd party logistics companies?
When you need both flexibility and strength in one 3PL company, NXTPoint Logistics is the answer. We provide you all the reach, scalability, resources, and industry leading TMS & WMS technologies of a large 3PL company, complemented with the attentive customer service and agility you would expect of a smaller 3PL.
While most 3PL logistics providers offer standard services like warehousing, transportation and fulfillment, NXTPoint Logistics sets itself apart by:
- delivering flexible solutions specially tailored to your business, leveraging deep experience and expertise in a broad range of vertical industries
- delivering specialized project management, managed logistics and value-add services that help take your business to the next level
- going the extra mile as a collaborative partner that takes care of you, your customers and your brand
No matter the size of your organization, you will have access to experts and resources that are often available only to major clients of other companies. We value every opportunity to help businesses grow and succeed with our full range of services and solutions customized to your needs, from freight brokerage and fulfillment services to last mile delivery.
How can NXTPoint Logistics’ services save my company time and money?
Our ability to tailor our 3PL logistics solutions to your precise needs means that your costs will be in proportion to those needs. We can also scale our resources to adapt to changes in your business or marketplace, whether you need just a single service, such as warehousing distribution, or a complex solution that integrates fulfillment warehousing, logistics management, transportation brokerage, and more.
Our primary locations, diverse services and vetted partner network enables us to offer simpler, consistent and more streamlined processes that deliver efficiencies and savings. When you work with NXTPoint Logistics, you won’t be paying for the markups and layered costs that other logistics companies must charge.
Can NXTPoint Logistics help reduce risk in our supply chain?
Yes, thanks to our industry-leading, innovative technology that ramps up the speed and increases the accuracy of critical information. With NXTPoint as your specialized logistics 3PL partner, you can better manage your products’ journey or your project with benefits such as real-time fulfillment warehousing and inventory management through our Tier-1 WMS. You will have unprecedented visibility, consistency, and control of your supply chain from manufacturer to final destination.
We’re able to further reduce risk by being able to meet strict quality control standards in our tightly controlled company-owned locations and quickly adapt to your changing organizational and regulatory requirements. Our owned locations also give us the direct ability to provide market-leading health, quality, and safety performance.
What does a 3PL logistics company do?
Logistics companies play a role in the planning, implementation, and management of the supply chain for goods transported around the world. Some supply chain companies provide the software needed for these intricate processes while others may provide high-level global logistics services. Some specialize in supply chain logistics for B2B shipping and fulfillment warehousing while still others focus on transportation logistics. At NXTPoint Logistics, we offer a complete supply chain solution through our broad menu of logistics services, including warehousing fulfillment services, FF&E logistics for restaurants, hotels and resorts, convenience stores, retail, last mile delivery services, transportation and freight forwarding.
What makes NXTPoint stand out as a third-party logistics company?
NXTPoint is a leading 3PL warehouse and logistics company that provides unsurpassed solutions, including industry-leading technology to increase your company’s performance while reducing cost, friction and risk. You will benefit from tailored solutions uniquely designed for your business, leveraging a flexible and scalable approach and a wide breadth of services from first mile to final mile.
Why Choose Us:
Alignment with Your Business Strategy and Objectives
We listen and understand your needs to deliver flexible, customized solutions for your unique business requirements.
Protecting You, Your Customers and Your Brand
We provide the highest level of care, mitigating risk and keeping your business secure, safe and compliant.
Collaborative Partnership
An engaged and proactive partner who understands and adds value to your business, working as an extension of your team.
Specialized Expertise
Benefit from our highly skilled and accomplished team with extensive experience across a variety of supply chain disciplines, industry verticals and best practices.
Dependable and Reliable
We’re committed to providing the highest level of service and support every time supported by proven processes and methodologies such as ISO and a best-in-class Quality Management System (QMS) program.
Consultative Approach
We will drive continuous improvement on cost, quality and performance through best practices, innovative methodologies, strategic insights and robust real-time data insights aimed to improve your business ROI.
What are the top 3PL services to look for in a 3PL logistics company?
At a high level, you’ll want a third party logistics provider that seamlessly, safely, and securely receives and warehouses your inventory; manages it well while in storage; accurately picks and packs orders when receiving requests; efficiently and cost effectively ships orders in ways that build and then maintain customer trust and satisfaction; and handles returns well.
More specifically, after a 3pl logistics company of choice accepts—or “receives”—products, they should keep careful records of what products they have in what quantity, storing them strategically for ease of retrieval. While the products are in storage, they should be well managed. When an order is placed, the 3pl logistics company should make it easy to request shipments, ideally using software that makes the process as smooth as possible.
The warehouse team would then receive a picking list, gathering together the right products in the correct quantities before using quality materials to wrap the items and negotiating shipping prices to get the best deals to transport them safely and securely. Quality third party logistics providers can also offer 3PL value added logistics services that can range from custom labeling to kitting and much more.
Looking for a 3pl logistics company that offers the 3pl services your company needs is important—and so is the experience and reputation of the provider. If you outsource to a third party logistics provider, it’s crucial that they have the expertise and finesse to handle your inventory and fulfillment in ways that you can trust.
You’ll also want a third party logistics provider that can expand and scale with you as your company’s reach does—both geographic reach and in inventory volume—and flexibly adapt to circumstances such as your company’s seasonal demand. As one more factor, the provider you choose should provide competitive pricing for the services they offer.
What are the benefits of working with a third-party logistics provider?
First, working with the right 3pl logistics company, like NXTPoint Logistics, will save you two of your most precious resources: time and money. You will no longer need to invest capital into maintaining your own logistics network or provide the labor. Quality providers like NXTPoint specialize in logistics and have extensive networks of relationships; because of these relationships, they can often negotiate better pricing, which they can pass onto your company in the form of discounts.
Plus, as far as the warehousing portion of the third party logistics provider’s services, you only pay for your space; contrast that arrangement to owning or renting a warehouse that may often have empty shelves (whether it’s because your business is in a time of reduced manufacturing or if it’s because product demand has increased), and you can easily see the 3pl benefits.
Here is another key benefit: you can leverage the expertise of the 3pl logistics company, which can include regulatory knowledge, best practices, transport/import/export documentation, and much more. All of this allows your company to focus on your core business and of growing it in ways of your choice.
A quality 3pl logistics company provides flexibility to mesh with your business’s supply and demand; there are no redundancies when sales and shipments are down and, as needed, the 3pl logistics company can rapidly respond to demand surges. When your business chooses an experienced third party logistics provider with a wide network, this can help you to enter new markets.
Then, when all of the logistics are seamlessly handled, this can boost customer satisfaction, which can translate into increased sales and positive word of mouth business marketing.
When you choose NXTPoint Logistics, you can count on alignment with your business objectives as we mitigate risk and fulfill your logistics strategy. You’ll benefit from our specialized experience across supply chain disciplines and industry verticals. We’re extremely reliable, using proven processes such as ISO and a world-class quality management system program. Throughout, we focus on saving you time and money as we provide real-time insights into your logistics.
Who should consider outsourcing their fulfillment logistics to a 3PL company?
Companies in a wide range of industries benefit from 3pl services: from manufacturing firms to retail and restaurant establishments, pharmaceutical/medical companies, ecommerce, industrial manufacturing companies, hospitality establishments, gaming and tech businesses, and much more. Any time that a company ships some sort of product and would like to focus more on their core competencies and less on figuring out how to warehouse, manage, and fulfill on inventory orders, they should consider a 3pl logistics company.
If you currently rent or own a warehouse facility and oversee inventory management and shipping functions, it can make sense to analyze the costs and benefits of continuing to do so. Quite often, it’s a better business move to use a third party logistics provider. By using 3pl services, you no longer need to worry about running out of warehouse space—or wasting money by having empty shelves in the facility. You no longer need to hire and oversee an inventory management/logistics team, and it’s no longer your job to negotiate shipping prices. Instead, you can outsource these functions to the professionals and leverage their expertise.
Here’s another time to consider a third party logistics provider: you’re expanding your geographical reach and need more logistical support or you want an experienced logistical partner to open doors for your expansion through their connections and networks. Or maybe the amount of inventory you’re managing and shipping is increasing, and you need professional support to keep servicing your customers.
Or, you may just want to explore the possibilities! No matter which category you fall into, if you have questions or want to discuss options, contact our 3pl expert team.
How to choose the best 3PL company?
If you belong to industry associations or have connections with colleagues who would be willing to share recommendations for a 3pl logistics company, it makes sense to create a list of possibilities. Ask people who recommend companies to share what they like about the third party logistics provider.
You can then explore the companies on your list, making sure that they offer the 3pl services that your business needs, and that they’re scalable and adaptable to accommodate fluctuating demand, growth spurts, and so forth. What technologies do they use?
How long has this third party logistics provider been in business? What references and testimonials can they provide? What customizations and value-added services can they offer your company? You don’t want a 3pl logistics company that can’t adapt to your needs, especially in today’s rapidly evolving supply chain world. Ask them how they can save your company time and money and any other questions that are important to your business.
NXTPoint Logistics checks all of these boxes, strengthening your supply chain and its resilience through outstanding warehousing, inventory management, and logistical services. We offer the resources and support that big third party logistics providers do while offering you the personalized 3pl services associated with smaller companies. From the first mile through the last mile, we offer exceptional services and support. To hear more about the NXTPoint Logistics difference, please contact us online. We’d be happy to listen carefully to your business 3pl logistics needs and recommend targeted 3pl solutions that fit your company’s goals for:
Does NXTPoint Logistics offer threshold delivery?
Yes! NXTPoint Logistics offers threshold delivery as well as a full suite of last mile delivery services
Last Mile Delivery FAQs
What is the last mile delivery process?
The last mile delivery process, in many cases, is the final leg of the transportation of goods to an end consumer or business. It includes the shipping of items from their point of origin to a warehouse or distribution partner to then execute this last mile delivery service. Last mile delivery can include special services such as inside delivery, assembly, installation or debris removal depending on service level, however, all last mile deliveries have a driver team providing customer service while representing your brand.
At NXTPoint, our customers get consistency in this process with our expertise in heavy goods delivery including furniture, mattresses, appliances, exercise equipment and other commodities that may require special handling. Above all, NXTPoint Logistics understands we are your brand’s customer experience resource and delivers an exceptional customer experience at every stage of the process.
How much does final mile delivery cost?
Last mile delivery is a dynamic service that can be customized to a customer need. NXTPoint understands that last mile delivery is not a “one size fits all” type service and customer requirements vary. We take consideration to point of origin, warehousing needs, destination and specialized services when building a program for you. With a variety of service levels, NXTPoint Logistics offers a pricing program that meets your needs.
What is last mile delivery tracking?
Last mile delivery tracking is used to communicate with customers and their consumers about when products will be delivered. While many last mile delivery companies offer some level of technology, NXTPoint’s proprietary Synoptic technology offers more visibility into the home delivery process and faster issue resolution, resulting in an increase in customer satisfaction and reduced customer service expense.
Do you offer comingled and dedicated final mile solutions?
NXTPoint offers a variety of services from comingled or multi-client solutions to dedicated services to best meet our customer’s needs. NXTPoint Logistics’ robust combination of owned assets and partner delivery network gives our customers the ability to plug into existing freight flows with other like commodity customers, while our best-in-class recruiting and driver retention programs make the assembly of a dedicated final mile delivery fleet configurable to each individual client.
White Glove Delivery FAQs
What is considered white glove delivery?
White glove delivery of oversized goods can include assembly, installation, deluxing, furniture repair, removals and reverse logistics of products like furniture, mattresses, appliances, exercise equipment and electronics.
Does white glove delivery include assembly?
Yes, in addition to delivering packages inside the home or business, our team of experienced professionals provides white glove assembly service and installation for customers.
Does white glove delivery include removal?
Yes, after seamless assembly and white glove installation, excess packaging material is removed for a hassle-free customer experience.
Do you offer any other levels of last mile delivery?
Yes, to best serve our customers we offer a variety of final mile delivery solutions based on their needs including to-the-door delivery, threshold delivery, and room of choice delivery.
Room Of Choice Delivery FAQs
What is room of choice delivery?
Room of choice delivery gives customers the option to select one room where last mile carriers can deliver oversized packages.
Does this service include removal of packaging, assembly, or setup?
No, room of choice delivery does not include removal of packaging, assembly, or setup. Our white glove delivery offers an extended menu of services including assembly or installation, deluxing and removals.
Do you provide proof of delivery?
Yes, using our proprietary Synoptic technology, we track and record all deliveries using customer signature for room of choice delivery.
Does someone need to be present at the time of delivery?
Yes, a signature from someone 18 years or older is required at delivery.
Threshold Delivery FAQs
What is threshold delivery?
Threshold delivery is a type of final mile delivery where packages are placed in the first dry area of a home or business, such as the lobby of a commercial building, a garage, or foyer of a residence.
How can required signatures be obtained at delivery?
Through our last-mile tracking technology platform, Synoptic, our team of delivery experts digitally obtains signatures, sending proof of delivery details directly to your personalized Synoptic dashboard for easy one-step tracking.
What is the difference between threshold and white glove delivery?
First, these services are both forms of final mile—or last mile—delivery. So, what is threshold delivery? This is final mile delivery where our expert team will place packages in the first available dry area to protect the goods in efficient ways. This includes threshold home delivery (which can include delivering packages to the residents’ foyers) as well as commercial applications, which could include delivery to a business lobby or garage.
White glove delivery, meanwhile, is something different. It involves the final mile delivery of oversized goods, ranging from furniture to appliances and mattresses to electronics, exercise equipment, and more. This service can also include the assembly and installation of these oversized goods along with deluxing the delivered goods, furniture repair, removal of goods, and reverse logistics.
If you know what services you need, just reach out. Or, you’d like to discuss what services would fit your needs, we’d be happy to discuss options to create a personalized solution.
What threshold services does NXTPoint offer?
NXTPoint Logistics offers both threshold services for businesses and threshold home delivery. This last mile delivery service puts packages in a dry, secure area on the premises to protect them against damage, theft, and weather-related events.
To smoothly schedule appointments, we use Synoptic, which is a proprietary software for last mile deliveries. This software also allows customers to know when deliveries should arrive, which improves customer satisfaction with the delivery experience. We obtain customer signatures digitally with each delivery, which allows you to track them—scheduled, in transit, and completed deliveries—in real time and gain transparent insights into the final mile delivery. You’ll benefit from seamless one-step tracking as we directly send proof of delivery details to your personal dashboard. When you partner with NXTPoint Logistics, you’ll have more issue resolution control.
Contact us to discuss your specific needs.
How much does threshold home delivery services cost?
In general, factors that go into the cost of threshold home delivery services include the weight of the packages with more weight equaling higher costs. Dimensions also matter with larger sizes of packages taking up more room in the truck. Distance is another factor because more mileage equals the need for more fuel. As another factor, how quickly the package is set to be delivered can make a difference with faster delivery increasing the price.
Because each shipment can have a different mix of these factors, there’s no one single answer to this question. NXTPoint has big negotiating power, and we get our customers the best prices available. So, to get answers about your specific threshold home delivery costs, please provide us with the details.
How is threshold delivery different from other services?
Threshold delivery is one type of final mile delivery services that are expertly provided by NXTPoint Logistics. Others include the following:
- White glove delivery: This focuses on oversized goods delivery, which could include furniture, mattresses, electronics, appliances, exercise equipment, and so forth. Additional features of white glove delivery include the assembly and installation of delivered goods, deluxing, furniture repair, removal of items, and reverse logistics.
- Room of choice delivery: With this last mile delivery service, customers can choose the specific room where carriers will place their oversized packages. This gives customers greater flexibility to boost satisfaction.
- To the door delivery: This service provides delivery to the front entrance of your customers’ homes or business locations: the front door, porch, or driveway.
- Reverse logistics: You can reduce your supply chain challenges when you use the same provider for last mile deliveries and reverse logistics services. When NXTPoint delivers new products to your customers, we can also remove used ones as a haul away service or to process returns to their final disposition status.
- Exception management: Although NXTPoint has an excellent track record of on-time deliveries, delays can occur with weather issues, holidays, customs delays, damaged or missing labels, or a lack of someone available to accept the package. To reduce pain points for an enhanced customer experience, we offer tech-driven exceptional management solutions, including NXT Star, to improve visibility and save your company money.
- Value-added last mile services: These include the assembly of large and bulky products, installation, and so forth.
Your company will likely need a unique mix of these last mile delivery services. Our logistics experts will gladly design a program to precisely meet yours. Contact us to talk about the specifics.
When is threshold delivery needed?
First consider the answer to this question: “What is threshold delivery?” It’s a form of final mile delivery that can be used for threshold home delivery and for deliveries to businesses. If this is the kind of flexible delivery service you need—and you want safe, secure delivery in the first dry area available (the first dry area could be a commercial lobby or garage or a resident’s foyer)—then this sounds like the right kind of service for you. To find out more and to tailor a program for your specific needs, please contact us.
What makes NXTPoint Logistics the right choice for our threshold services?
Our safe and secure threshold delivery provides next-level service with more visibility into the last mile delivery process. Our modern Synoptic technology solution makes scheduling your deliveries simple, and you benefit from real-time final mile delivery tracking. This includes seamless updates on scheduled, in transit, and completed deliveries. If there’s ever an issue, you have more control over its resolution.
NXTPoint Logistics effectively acts as an extension of your brand as we properly handle and deliver products in ways that satisfy customers and protect your brand reputation. Backed by our parent company, Suddath®, we leverage their century-plus of experience in going into people’s homes, business, and other personal spaces to provide the ultimate in customer service that’s delivered with a smile.
Plus, we design personalized programs to dovetail with your specific needs with a broad range of services designed to meet them. Let’s talk! We look forward to serving you.
To-The-Door Last Mile Delivery FAQs
What is last mile to-the-door delivery?
To-the-door delivery is a contactless transportation of products from facility to the front entrance of a consumer’s home or place of business.
How do you track when deliveries are completed?
Through our proprietary last mile technology, Synoptic, packages can be tracked and managed in transit. Upon delivery, photo confirmation is uploaded into Synoptic and the customer is alerted with a notification confirming the destination, time and specific location.
How do you ensure packages were delivered?
One of the best features of Synoptic is real-time, visible access into the last-mile journey. At drop-off, the transporter takes a photo of the package and instantly uploads it to your personalized dashboard.
Do you offer any other levels of last mile delivery?
Yes, to best serve our customers we offer a variety of final mile delivery solutions based on our client’s needs including threshold delivery, room of choice delivery and white glove delivery services.
Reverse Logistics FAQs
Do your reverse logistics services include removing old/used products from a consumer’s home or place of business when delivering new products?
Yes, we can haul away old or used products when delivering new products to your customers.
When you pick up a returned product, where do you store it?
We offer several options when collecting returned products. We can store it locally in one of our over 100 warehouses around the nation, we can ship it back to your warehouse, we can send it directly to the manufacturer or we can dispose of the product. For furniture, we offer onsite minor repair services in many of our warehouses as well.
Logistics Manufacturing FAQs
How can you support my manufacturing and assembly operations?
We offer sub-assembly, kitting, sequencing, and other services to optimize your manufacturing process. Our expertise helps reduce costs and streamline operations.
Do you offer sub-assembly, kitting, and product customization services?
Yes, we have dedicated space and staffing to handle product customization, sub-assemblies, kitting, and more - allowing you to focus on your core of manufacturing.
Can you handle postponement strategies and sequencing for my manufacturing process?
Definitely. Our warehouses can store components until needed, then customize and sequence products to reduce lead times.
How can you help me manage my inventory across multiple warehouses?
Our robust Warehouse Management System (K1E) provides real-time visibility and consolidated reporting across all your warehouse locations.
What warehouse management systems (WMS) do you use?
We utilize a Tier-1 WMS named Körber One (commonly referred to as K1E and formerly known as ‘HighJump’) to enable inventory optimization, order processing, and warehouse task management.
Do you offer real-time inventory visibility and reporting?
Yes, through EDI and our customer portal you get 24/7 access to inventory levels, shipments, and reporting across your supply chain.
What transportation modes do you specialize in?
We coordinate all modes - LTL, FTL, parcel, intermodal, ocean, air. Our freight experts optimize mode and carrier selection for your needs.
Can you help optimize my inbound and outbound shipping?
Definitely - we identify distribution network optimizations to reduce costs and transit times across your supply chain.
How can you integrate with my ERP and order management system?
Our technical teams seamlessly integrate your systems via EDI, API, and flat file transfers. This enables order automation and data sharing.
