In parcel shipping, a single “forever” carrier isn’t a safety net; it’s a bottleneck. In extreme situations, it’s a liability. Volumes rise, surcharges shift, and customer promises don’t budge.
Market shifts; customer shifts. How can you not?
The durable play is policy, not panic: a rules-driven, multi-carrier parcel strategy that protects both cost and delivery commitments, especially when conditions change hour to hour.
With peak volume set to hit 2.3B parcels (+5% YoY) this holiday, the only durable way to protect cost and promise dates is by curating a bench that flexes when the network doesn’t – or can’t.
The Case for a Flexible Parcel Strategy
Parcel networks are living systems: capacity swings, lane performance drifts, and GRIs compound quietly until margin disappears. If your plan assumes one carrier can be all things, you’ll overpay when rates rise and underperform when service wobbles.
A flexible, multi-carrier position gives you options before you need them:
Multi-carrier optionality balances cost, speed, and promise by region, weight, and cutoff—keeping LTL as a rare exception (DIM/oversize only).
Speed is a loyalty lever; optionality helps you hit two-day expectations across zones without throwing money at air.
The point isn’t to add carriers for sport—it’s to insulate your promises from volatility. A flexible bench buys you time and control, so your team can respond with policy, not panic.
Designing Your Parcel Bench (North America Focus)
You don’t need to rebuild your stack to get multi-carrier right. Start with the lanes you already run, the promises you already make, and the exceptions that trip you up. Then add targeted coverage where it moves the needle most.
GLS notes that shipments that take 3–4 days with national carriers will often be delivered in 1–2 days with GLS, depending on the shipping location. GLS broadly serves the western US, enabling broader 1–2-day reach from West Coast origins.
Take a methodical approach to reviewing, then adjusting, your strategy:
Portfolio review. Map lanes by zone/weight and flag single points of failure. Add regional/specialist last-mile where they’re strongest.
Promises to tiers. Define Economy (3–5d), Standard (2–3d), Expedited (1–2d), and Returns. Reserve LTL for true oversize/exception paths.
Automated rate-shopping + policy routing. “Route to lowest landed cost that meets the promise,” with guardrails for performance, DIM risk, and cutoffs.
Pilot → measure → repeat. Treat carriers as interchangeable modules. Keep what hits thresholds; pause what doesn’t.
This is less a tech project and more an operating rhythm. Continuous improvement should not be downplayed here. Set and forget got you here; don’t be lulled into doing it again. A clear tier map and a few enforceable rules turn your carrier list into a real bench—one that gets better every week.
Make the Bench Tangible: Roles × Tiers
Teams move faster when they can “see” the plan. A simple roles-by-tier matrix removes guesswork at the station and makes policy decisions obvious in the WMS/OMS.
Service Tier
Primary Role
Backup/Failover
When to Prefer
Example Rule
Economy (3–5d)
Regional(s)
National Ground
Dense regional coverage, lightweight parcels
“Zone ≤4 & DIM <10 lb → Regional A”
Standard (2–3d)
National Ground
Regional(s)
Broad coverage, stable SLAs
“If Regional 2-day hit <95% (14d) → National B”
Expedited (1–2d)
Express/Air
Alt Premium
Promise-critical, late cutoffs
“If promise <48h → Express C”
Oversize/Exceptions
Specialty Parcel
LTL (rare)
DIM/oversize only
“If DIM>139 or >50 lb → Specialty D”
Regional / Specialist Examples
CDL: Reaches over 50 million consumers across the Northeast-to-Mid-Atlantic and provides overnight delivery in NY, NJ, CT, PA, DE, DC, MD, VA—often with lower pricing than national carriers.
UniUni: Cross-border U.S. / Canada + last-mile; useful for cost-competitive light parcels headed to CA with tighter control over handoffs.
When the matrix is visible and rules are explicit, planners stop debating hypotheticals. The system routes the routine; humans focus on exceptions that actually need judgment.
From Bottleneck to Balanced SLAs (Why it Pays Off)
Optionality only matters if it shows up in your numbers – ideally, in your company’s bank account. These four KPIs translate strategy into outcomes you can hold the network—and yourselves—accountable to.
Blended Cost Per Parcel (BCPP). Watch total parcel spend divided by parcels shipped, weekly. If it rises ≥5% week-over-week without a clear mix shift, expand regional share where SLAs allow and re-shop DIM-sensitive SKUs. This is your margin early-warning system; it tells you when policy needs to step in before finance does.
Promise Hit Rate (By Zone & Method). Track the percentage of orders that meet their promised date, segmented by zone/tier. Hold Zones 2–4 at ≥95%; if a carrier misses the threshold for two consecutive weeks, auto-failover per policy. Promised Hit Rate is your brand in a number; protect it with guardrails you rigorously enforce.
Failover Success Rate. Of orders that triggered a policy failover, what percentage still arrived on time and on budget? Target ≥97%; if it dips, retune backups, cutoffs, or packing times. Failover only counts if it saves the promise, not just the shipment.
DIM/Surcharge Rate. Monitor the share of parcels incurring DIM/accessorials and the $/parcel impact. Trigger “DIM defense” to re-shop methods when projected surcharges exceed your threshold. Surcharges are where quiet leakage lives; making them visible makes them manageable.
Finally, 86% of consumers define “fast delivery” as two days or less, and 63% will switch retailers if they can’t get it. Redundant carriers help you hit those promises. Ensure that all the hard policy work reaches the customer’s front and center attention. Often, your fulfillment execution is just as powerful for capturing and retaining customers as the product or service you are delivering.
World-Class Execution Calls For Strong Technology Partners
Good policy needs good plumbing.
eHub centralizes carrier connections and live quotes. They give you access to options that you didn’t consider and manage those connections, eliminating technical lift while defending your margins.
Deposco executes your new rules with order, promise, and inventory context—so routing stays accurate at ship time and auditable at close. Dynamic rate shopping and systemic support ensure predictable execution. Every package optimized, every time.
Clear rules and a supply chain execution system that can follow them turn your strategy into muscle memory: repeatable, observable, and easy to iterate and improve.
Parcel Optionality = Resilience
When a national carrier surges, a lane slips, or demand spikes north of the border, single-threaded networks stall. A multi-carrier bench stays on-promise and on-budget by design. You don’t have the time to reconfigure your network every shock, you need the confidence that your response flexes automatically.
The U.S. parcel market is projected to grow 36% by 2030, so the ability to scale across multiple carriers isn’t optional—it’s how you keep pace.
You’re not guessing. You’re executing.
With eHub curating your carrier bench and Deposco enforcing optimal fulfillment locations and modes, your playbook truly is policy, not panic.
Intro
Kitting is one of those backend processes that can quietly eat away at your time and margin, or become a decisive operational advantage. Whether you’re bundling products for a seasonal promotion, preparing influencer kits, or shipping subscription boxes, how you manage kitting directly impacts your speed, cost, and accuracy.
And at the center of it all? The boxes.
Kitting boxes might seem like a small detail, but they carry a surprising amount of weight (pun intended). In this post, we’ll explain what kitting means, how the right packaging choices make or break your process, and how to simplify fulfillment without losing flexibility.
What Is Kitting in Fulfillment?
Kitting is the process of pre-assembling individual items into a ready-to-ship unit. Instead of picking and packing multiple SKUs for every order, kitted items are grouped, packed, and stored together in advance.
Common kitting use cases include:
Subscription boxes
Product bundles (e.g., starter kits, gift sets)
Influencer or PR kits
Event giveaways or B2B sample boxes
Done well, kitting improves fulfillment speed, reduces labor costs, and creates a consistent unboxing experience for the customer.
Why Kitting Boxes Matter More Than You Think
Choosing the right boxes for kitting isn’t just about size—it’s about workflow, cost, and experience.
Carriers charge based on DIM weight, which means the wrong-sized box can rack up shipping costs quickly. Custom-sized boxes help you avoid empty space and minimize waste.
2. Pre-Kitting Requires Smart Storage
If you’re kitting ahead of time, your boxes need to be stacked and stored efficiently. Standardizing your kitting box sizes makes warehouse space easier to manage.
3. The Unboxing Experience Counts
Kitting often touches the brand experience directly, especially with influencer or subscription boxes. Packaging should feel intentional without becoming overly expensive.
Common Pitfalls in Kitting Workflows
If you’re managing kitting manually or using generic tools not designed for bundled SKUs, you might run into issues like:
Incorrect bundle contents
Wasted space due to poor box selection
Labor bottlenecks during busy seasons
Inconsistent customer experiences
These add up quickly, especially when you start to scale.
How to Streamline Kitting at Scale
As order volume grows, manual kitting quickly breaks down. Here’s how to simplify and optimize your kitting operations:
1. Create Kitting Recipes or BOMs (Bill of Materials)
Treat every kit like its own product. Define which SKUs go into which box, and use digital systems to manage it, especially if multiple kit versions exist.
2. Use Carrier Logic That Accounts for DIM and Box Selection
eHub’s fulfillment intelligence platform uses packing logic to auto-select the optimal box based on item dimensions, weight, and shipping zone, ensuring you’re not overpaying.
3. Pre-Kit Strategically
If demand is predictable (seasonal kits, promo bundles), consider pre-kitting during slow periods and storing kits as ready-to-ship inventory.
4. Work With a 3PL That Supports Kitting Services
Not all 3PLs offer kitting. If outsourcing fulfillment, ensure your provider has the tools and experience to handle your complexity.
Final Thoughts: Kitting Shouldn’t Be a Bottleneck
Kitting boxes might not sound glamorous, but they’re one of the most tactical levers in fulfillment. The proper setup can lower costs, speed shipping, and delight your customers.
If your kitting process feels clunky, error-prone, or too manual, it might be time to look at more intelligent systems and partners.
Auto-Reload (eHub Cash): Trigger ≥ one day of average spend; reload amount = 2–3× trigger.
Auto-Pay (eHub Credit, if enabled): Eliminate past-due surprises; align with your close cycle.
2) Harden payment methods
Default to ACH to reduce fees.
Add a backup card and rotate ahead of expirations (no tickets required).
3) Add early warning + rapid recovery
Quick daily balance check during standup.
Review reload/payment failures in Transactions; retry or switch methods immediately.
Track days of coverage so you see risk before it bites.
4) Close with evidence
Export Detailed Transactions (optionally with shipment fields) for GL mapping.
Download Cash Statements and invoices from Documents to create an audit-ready close package.
Example
A 3PL saw sporadic stoppages during promo peaks. They set Auto-Reload (trigger = one day’s spend; reload = 2.5×), enabled Auto-Pay on Credit, switched recurring charges to ACH, and standardized a Monthly Close Package (Detailed CSV + statements). In 60 days: zero label stoppages, faster close, and a measurable drop in fee %.
Wrap-up
Payment delays don’t just slow a line—they ripple through labor, costs, and customer trust. eHub Wallet gives Ops and Finance a shared source of truth—self-serve payment management, flexible Cash/Credit funding with Auto-Reload/Auto-Pay, and clear statements + exports—so labels keep moving and month-end gets simpler. It’s not another support ticket; it’s a repeatable cadence for zero-stoppage days, lower fees, and faster financial close.
Exceptions aren’t random—they’re patterns. With Exception Monitoring, plus Benchmarking and the Transit Analyzer, a simple, daily cadence pays for itself quickly.
Shipping Zones: See where delays and handoff problems cluster.
Packages Overview: Oversized/fragile mixes often drive damages—standardize SKUs.
Volume context: Peaks stress networks; troughs exaggerate variance.
Tip: Use Home Dashboard time-range filters to isolate promos/carrier changes; export for the weekly review.
2) Triage like an SRE team Tag by cause (address, damage, service miss, customs, carrier-held), set severities and recovery windows (e.g., 24h refund, 48h reship), assign owners, and maintain a single exception log.
3) Fix the repeat offenders Tighten packaging by SKU, adjust pickup cutoffs/staging, improve address hygiene upstream, and shift service-level/carrier in problem zones.
4) Verify the improvement Run a 14-day A/B (zone/SKU/service). Publish before/after vs. a 90-day baseline and watch Spend (daily) for regression.
The views that make this easy
Shipping Zones → find hotspots; prioritize 2–3 fixes.
Packages Overview → tie damages to SKUs/sizes; standardize the top 5.
Shipment Spend (daily) → prove the curve is bending.
Home Dashboard (filters + export) → single export for your review.
Example
A DTC brand sees rising WISMO in Zones 5–6. Zones show longer transit; Packages show an oversize SKU spike. They swap to a crush-tested box and stage earlier for pickup. Result: −28% exceptions in 30 days, ~$4.1k/mo modeled savings, CSAT recovers.
Weekly (30 min): Deep-dive one root cause; assign next experiment.
Monthly (45 min): Publish ROI (savings, CSAT, repeat rate); refresh the 90-day baseline.
Wrap-up
Premium Analytics gives your team a single, trusted lens on performance—combining Benchmarking, a Transit Analyzer, and Exception Monitoring with daily-level detail, zone/regional views, and exportable snapshots. Instead of chasing anecdotes, you’ll run evidence-based standups and QBRs, hold carriers accountable with shared SLAs, and spot cost drivers before they swell into problems. Finance gains clarity on CPS and variance; Ops gets the signal to right-size labor and packaging; CX sees where exceptions start and how fixes land. It’s not another report—it’s a repeatable cadence for lower costs, higher on-time rates, and fewer fire drills.
The eHub Fall Release is here. Two powerful updates, built to give shippers more control and visibility.
Benchmark. Monitor. Optimize. eHub’s New Premium Analytics Suite
Industry pains: cost creep without context, inconsistent transit times, rising exceptions, and regional blind spots. Solution:Premium Analytics delivers benchmarking, transit analysis, and exception monitoring so you can reveal performance gaps and strengthen carrier accountability—with daily-level insights you can act on.
From Frustration to Flexibility: eHub Wallet Transforms Shipping Spend
Industry pains: label stoppages, fee creep, and month-end chaos that slow teams down. Solution:eHub Wallet enables self-serve payment management, eHub Cash funding, and Cash Statements—keeping shipments moving and spend in check with automation like Auto-Reload and Auto-Pay.
This release helps fulfillment teams operate smarter, faster, and with more confidence.
Shipping might feel like a backend task, but it’s front and center on marketplaces. Whether selling on Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, eBay, or Shopify, your shipping strategy affects everything—from seller rankings to profit margins. Learn all about how to manage your shipping on marketplaces in this blog.
Most brands know they need to get orders out the door, but few take the time to build a system that works across platforms. Marketplace shipping isn’t just about getting a label printed. It’s about aligning timelines, service levels, costs, and expectations across multiple ecosystems. Here’s how to make it work.
1. Understand the Rules of Each Marketplace
Each marketplace has its own expectations for fulfillment, so using the same playbook for every channel will cause problems.
Amazon: Whether using FBA or fulfilling orders yourself (FBM), Amazon expects speed. Orders typically need to ship same-day or next-day, and performance metrics are closely monitored.
eBay: eBay gives sellers some flexibility but penalizes late shipments and unscanned tracking events. Delivery time estimates can impact your product visibility.
Etsy: Etsy buyers tend to care more about communication and packaging than raw speed. However, Etsy still expects transparency in shipping updates and tracking.
Walmart Marketplace: Walmart’s seller standards are strict. Orders must be shipped quickly, and on-time delivery rates are critical to maintaining visibility and trust.
Shopify (DTC): You gain more control but also more responsibility. You define the experience, which means it’s up to you to set clear delivery expectations and consistently meet them.
You can’t afford to wing it. Study the SLAs, understand the penalties, and align your operations accordingly.
2. Centralize Your Shipping and Label Workflows
One of the most common mistakes sellers make is printing labels directly from each marketplace’s internal portal. It works until it doesn’t.
By centralizing your label generation through a single platform, you avoid siloed workflows. You can compare carriers in real time, apply logic to auto-select the best service level, and unify data across channels. This also gives your team a single source of truth when something goes wrong.
It also opens the door for more advanced logic. You can route shipments based on cost, speed, region, or even customer preferences, without your team needing to make a manual decision every time.
3. Match Your Promises to Your Capabilities
Every marketplace wants faster delivery times, but that doesn’t mean you have to overpromise.
Automate your shipping logic to only offer express or 2-day delivery when it’s realistic based on the customer’s location and your warehouse cutoff times. Build in buffers for weather, delays, or surge periods.
This is how you protect your seller rating. Master how to manage shipping on marketplaces. The fastest delivery doesn’t always win—the most consistent one does.
4. Keep Inventory Synced Across All Channels
A missed shipment is frustrating. A canceled order because you oversold? That’s a recipe for negative reviews and lost ranking.
Make sure your inventory management system syncs in real time with every marketplace you sell on. If that’s not possible, set inventory thresholds or buffers to avoid stockouts.
More advanced systems can even predict where you’ll need stock based on regional demand and send inventory upstream before it’s ordered.
5. Nail the Returns Process
Most marketplaces now require sellers to offer returns—and they want it to be seamless.
Pre-authorized return labels, automated return windows, and a clear return policy are table stakes. Buyers are more likely to request chargebacks or leave negative reviews if your return process feels like a hassle.
Bonus: if you’re using a unified shipping platform, you can track returns just like outbound orders, which gives your support team more visibility.
6. Optimize for Cost Without Sacrificing the Customer Experience
Shipping costs are climbing, and many marketplaces force sellers to offer free or low-cost delivery.
To keep your margins intact:
Use zone-based pricing logic to avoid unnecessary expedited shipments
Tap into regional carriers or hybrid services when available
Optimize packaging dimensions to reduce DIM weight penalties
Monitor surcharges and minimum fees across your carrier mix
The best operators revisit their shipping strategy quarterly. Minor tweaks can make a big difference at scale.
How to Manage Shipping on Marketplaces:Final Thoughts:
Shipping isn’t just a line item. It’s a competitive lever.
Marketplaces reward reliable sellers with better placement, happier customers, and more repeat purchases. By treating shipping as a strategic advantage—not a cost center—you position your brand to scale.
If you’re selling on multiple marketplaces and feel like you’re playing whack-a-mole just to keep up, it’s time to centralize and optimize. The right system will help you grow without breaking fulfillment.
Want to see how eHub helps brands simplify marketplace fulfillment and unify carrier logic?Let’s talk.
For most growing ecommerce brands, the idea of “warehousing and distribution” feels like background noise. You’re focused on sales, marketing, product sourcing, and customer experience. Logistics is something you don’t think about—until it breaks.
But warehousing and distribution aren’t just about where your products sit. It’s about how efficiently they move, how much you spend to store and ship them, and how reliably they reach your customer. And that’s where many brands begin to feel the weight of complexity.
Whether you’re fulfilling orders from a garage, running a small warehouse, or working with a 3PL, understanding how warehousing and distribution work (and how it’s evolving) can help you streamline your operation—and unlock better margins at scale.
What Is Warehousing and Distribution?
At its core, warehousing and distribution is the process of storing inventory and getting it into your customer’s hands.
Warehousing refers to the physical storage of products in a dedicated space—this could be your own facility, a shared 3PL (third-party logistics provider), or a specialized fulfillment center.
Distribution covers the steps that happen after a customer places an order: picking, packing, labeling, and shipping it through the right carrier.
It sounds simple enough. However, once SKUs multiply, sales channels expand, or you start shipping internationally, warehousing and distribution quickly become one of your most strategic (and expensive) functions.
Why It’s More Than Just Space and Boxes
Good warehousing and distribution isn’t just about finding the cheapest storage or fastest shipper. It’s about building resilience into your supply chain.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Clever inventory placement: Storing products closer to high-density delivery zones reduces transit times and shipping costs.
Optimized pick-pack flows: Intelligent bin locations, SKU slotting, and real-time inventory tracking improve warehouse efficiency.
Flexible carrier orchestration: Using multiple carriers—or a partner like eHub to route labels dynamically—gives you options when delays, outages, or surcharges hit.
Scalable systems: As your business grows, your warehousing and distribution infrastructure needs to scale with it—without creating friction downstream.
The most successful brands aren’t just outsourcing logistics—they’re treating it like a core competency. They understand how their fulfillment operation directly impacts customer satisfaction, margin, and retention.
When Should You Rethink Your Warehousing and Distribution Strategy?
If any of these sound familiar, it may be time to rethink your setup:
You’re overpaying for storage fees due to stale inventory.
Orders are delayed or mis-shipped more often than you’d like to admit.
You’re locked into a single fulfillment provider and can’t scale flexibly.
Your team is wasting hours managing shipping labels, carrier rates, or tracking issues.
You’re not alone. At eHub, we work with merchants every day who thought their setup was “fine”—until they saw how much money and time they were leaving on the table.
How eHub Helps E-commerce Brands Streamline Fulfillment
eHub simplifies warehousing and distribution by giving brands:
Access to a vetted network of 3PLs across the U.S.—matched to your products and growth plans.
Rate intelligence and shipping software to automate label generation, carrier routing, and fulfillment workflows.
Fulfillment Intelligence tools to identify hidden surcharges, prevent carrier overuse, and find cost-saving opportunities others miss.
Whether you’re evaluating a new 3PL, building out a multi-node fulfillment network, or just trying to scale cleanly without losing control, our team helps you make smarter decisions at every step.
Final Takeaway
Warehousing and distribution is the beating heart of every product-based business. You can’t grow without it—but if you ignore it, it will eventually start working against you.
By treating fulfillment as a competitive edge (not a cost center), you can unlock real leverage—shorter transit times, happier customers, better margins, and less stress for your team.
If you’re ready to explore what a better warehousing and distribution strategy looks like, we’re here to help.
Most brands are laser-focused on the last mile. That final stretch between the carrier and the customer’s doorstep gets all the attention. And for good reason—it’s where most shipping-related complaints happen. But without a solid firstmile process, the last mile doesn’t stand a chance.
The truth is, the last mile can’t go smoothly if the first mile is already broken.
If you’ve ever had a package “stuck in pre-transit,” lost between scan events, or delayed without warning, chances are the issue wasn’t with the carrier. It started earlier—at the very first step of fulfillment.
That’s where the firstmile comes in.
What Is Firstmile Shipping?
In ecommerce and logistics, the firstmile refers to the initial leg of a shipment’s journey: the moment a package is picked, packed, labeled, and handed off from the seller or fulfillment center to the carrier.
It’s everything that happens before the carrier begins moving the parcel through their network. That includes:
If you’re working with a 3PL, the firstmile starts inside the warehouse and ends when the carrier truck pulls away with the day’s shipments.
It might only span a few blocks—but this tiny stretch of distance can carry enormous operational consequences.
What Causes Firstmile Delays?
There are a few common breakdowns that disrupt firstmile performance:
Labels not correctly generated or scanned If a package isn’t associated with a manifest or pickup scan, tracking won’t begin—leaving customers in the dark.
Poor batching or missed pickups Carriers operate on tight schedules. If your orders aren’t ready when they arrive, you might miss the window.
Wrong carrier choice for the SLA A slow service level paired with a high shipping promise is a recipe for failure.
Overreliance on a single carrier Lack of flexibility can bottleneck fulfillment when volumes spike or networks strain.
In short, when fulfillment and carrier coordination fall out of sync, the entire customer experience suffers.
Why the First Mile Deserves More Attention
Fast-growing brands can’t afford to overlook firstmile performance. Here’s why:
It impacts tracking reliability. If the first scan never happens, customers start asking questions.
It dictates shipping costs. Smart batching, zone selection, and carrier diversification happen at this stage.
It sets the pace for delivery. If a package sits idle before it enters the carrier’s network, every downstream SLA gets squeezed.
The firstmile is where operational excellence begins—or where avoidable chaos creeps in.
How to Optimize the Firstmile
To improve your first mile, you don’t need to overhaul your entire operation. But you do need to tighten up the handoff between fulfillment and shipping.
Here’s where to start:
Automate label logic. Use dynamic rules to choose the best carrier, service level, and packaging in real time.
Manifest early and consistently. Group orders into batches and generate manifests before pickups.
Choose fulfillment partners that prioritize speed. If your 3PL can’t meet your daily cutoff times, it might be time to reevaluate.
Use multi-carrier routing software. Tools like eHub Orchestrate give you the flexibility to optimize carrier selection without manual effort.
Leverage fulfillment intelligence. Historical data can help you predict zone delays, identify scan gaps, and reroute before problems occur.
The firstmile isn’t just about movement but visibility, timing, and control.
The Firstmile Is the First Impression
In many ways, the first mile is your brand’s first logistical handshake with the customer. It’s where you prove that you can fulfill quickly, predictably, and confidently.
If that handoff is smooth, everything else downstream benefits.
If it’s clunky? No amount of next-day delivery promises can fully make up for it.
Final Thoughts
Smart e-commerce brands are starting to rethink where fulfillment optimization begins. The focus is shifting upstream—from delivery to pickup, from doorsteps to loading docks.
When you get the first mile right, everything else moves faster, costs less, and creates better customer experiences.
If you’re shipping high volumes of ecommerce orders across the U.S., there’s a good chance your logistics strategy should include a Los Angeles CA distribution center. Between the nation’s busiest ports, massive consumer population, and unparalleled access to major carriers, Los Angeles is one of the most strategically important distribution hubs in North America.
But not all LA-area distribution centers are created equal — and not every brand knows when they’re ready to take advantage of one.
In this guide, we’ll break down what makes Los Angeles distribution centers so valuable, when they make sense for your brand, and how to make sure you’re choosing the right partner.
Why Los Angeles Is a Powerhouse for Ecommerce Fulfillment
Los Angeles isn’t just a shipping checkpoint — it’s the gateway to the West Coast. Here’s why:
Port Access: The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle around 40% of all U.S. imports. That means faster container receipt and less drayage expense if you’re importing goods from overseas.
Population Density: Southern California is one of the largest consumer markets in the U.S., making LA ideal for last-mile delivery.
Carrier Proximity: With hubs for USPS, FedEx, UPS, and regional couriers, delivery times are often faster — and shipping zones are lower — from LA compared to inland alternatives.
Highway & Air Connectivity: Major interstate access and airports like LAX and Ontario help keep inventory moving quickly.
In short: a Los Angeles CA distribution center can get your products in customers’ hands faster, especially on the West Coast.
What Kind of Distribution Centers Operate in LA?
The term “distribution center” can mean a lot of things. In the LA market, you’ll typically find:
3PL-run fulfillment centers for DTC ecommerce brands
Cross-dock facilities for short-term pallet turnaround
Temperature-controlled warehousing for sensitive or perishable goods
Retail and wholesale fulfillment centers equipped for EDI and multi-channel workflows
Container deconsolidation sites close to the ports for faster processing of inbound freight
If you’re selling online and scaling fast, a 3PL with modern tech and shipping flexibility is usually the best bet — and LA has no shortage of options.
What Makes a Good Los Angeles Fulfillment Partner?
If you’re evaluating 3PLs or distribution center services in the LA area, ask about:
📦 Platform integrations — Can they connect to your ecommerce stack (Shopify, Amazon, etc.)?
🚛 Carrier relationships — Do they offer multi-carrier shipping or regional options?
⏱ Fulfillment speed — How quickly do they pick, pack, and ship after order receipt?
🛠 Inventory visibility — Will you get real-time data on stock levels and order statuses?
⚓️ Port handling experience — If you import, do they manage container receipt and customs?
Remember: proximity to the port isn’t enough. You need a partner that keeps your entire fulfillment pipeline tight and responsive.
When Does It Make Sense to Add an LA Distribution Center?
Not every brand needs to open a West Coast hub right away. But here are a few signs you might be ready:
You’re seeing long shipping times or high costs for West Coast orders.
You’re importing product and want to reduce inland drayage and storage costs.
You’re expanding into retail and need faster delivery windows to stores in the western U.S.
You’re preparing for peak season or flash sale spikes and want geographic redundancy.
Adding a distribution center in Los Angeles doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing move either. Many ecommerce brands start by splitting inventory between East and West Coast locations to optimize delivery times.
How eHub Helps Ecommerce Brands Optimize West Coast Fulfillment
We’ve worked with hundreds of fast-growing brands to help them expand into new distribution nodes — including Los Angeles. Our platform connects you to a vetted network of 3PLs, and our carrier orchestration engine helps ensure your orders are routed in the smartest way possible.
Whether you need help with:
Finding the right fulfillment partner in Southern California
Or tracking data and visibility across multiple nodes
…we’re here to make it happen.
Final Thoughts
A Los Angeles CA distribution center isn’t just another warehouse — it’s a strategic lever for speed, savings, and scale. With the right partner and the right timing, it can dramatically improve your shipping performance and customer satisfaction on the West Coast.
If you’re thinking about expanding your fulfillment footprint or just want to explore what’s possible in LA, let’s talk. We’d be happy to help you find the right fit and plug into the infrastructure you’ll need to grow.
If you’ve ever tracked a shipment and seen the status “Tendered to delivery service provider,” you’re not alone in wondering what it actually means, and whether your package is still on track.
This common shipping update often raises questions for ecommerce brands and customers alike. Is it delayed? Has it changed carriers? Is it out for delivery or still sitting somewhere?
Let’s break it down.
What Does “Tendered to Delivery Service Provider” Mean?
When a shipment is tendered to a delivery service provider, it means the package has been handed off from one carrier or logistics partner to another—typically for final delivery.
In most cases, this happens when a national or regional carrier (like FedEx, UPS, DHL, or a 3PL) transfers a package to a local or last-mile delivery provider. A common example is FedEx SmartPost or UPS SurePost, where packages are initially handled by the major carrier and then passed to USPS for the final stretch.
Here’s how it usually plays out:
Your package ships via a major carrier.
It moves through that carrier’s network and reaches a local hub.
From there, it’s handed off (or “tendered”) to another service provider for last-mile delivery.
You get the update: “Tendered to delivery service provider.”
At that point, your package is on its way—but it’s now in the hands of a different carrier.
Why Do Carriers Do This?
The short answer: cost and efficiency.
For large-scale shippers, partnering with local carriers or the USPS for final delivery can significantly reduce costs, especially in residential or rural areas. It’s not unusual for eCommerce brands to rely on this multi-leg approach to balance price and speed.
While it can introduce slight delays, this hybrid model is often the most economical option—particularly for free or standard shipping tiers.
What Should You Do If You See This Update?
In most cases, no action is needed. The “tendered” status simply reflects a handoff between carriers. But there are a few things you can watch for:
1. Check for Tracking Updates from the New Carrier
Once a package is tendered, the original tracking link may go silent for a bit. This doesn’t mean your package is lost—it just means tracking may now shift to a different carrier, like USPS.
Look for a new tracking number or a message indicating USPS has picked up the shipment. Many times, the original tracking number will continue to update once the second carrier scans it.
2. Expect a Short Delay
A handoff between carriers can sometimes add 1–2 days to the delivery timeline, depending on how quickly the local carrier processes incoming parcels.
This is normal, but worth noting if your customer is expecting two-day delivery. Setting the right shipping expectations up front goes a long way.
3. Watch for Missed Scans or Stalled Updates
If tracking hasn’t updated in several days after the “tendered” status, it could indicate a hiccup in the handoff. It’s rare, but not unheard of.
In those cases, reaching out to the new carrier (usually USPS) with the tracking info can help you get more clarity.
How Ecommerce Brands Can Get Ahead of Tendering Confusion
From a customer experience standpoint, “tendered to delivery service provider” can feel vague or even worrisome—especially if updates stall.
Here’s how brands can reduce friction and build trust:
✅ Proactive Notifications
Send branded tracking emails that explain what tendering means and what customers should expect next. A little education helps reduce WISMO inquiries (“Where is my order?”).
✅ Multi-Carrier Visibility
If you’re using multiple carriers or fulfillment partners, ensure you have end-to-end tracking visibility. Platforms like eHub help centralize this, giving you and your customers real-time updates across all carriers.
✅ Optimize for the Right Shipping Mix
If handoffs are causing consistent delays or poor customer feedback, it may be time to revisit your carrier strategy. In some cases, paying slightly more for end-to-end delivery with a single provider can improve speed and reliability.
Final Takeaway
“Tendered to delivery service provider” isn’t a red flag—it’s just a handoff. But for ecommerce brands, it’s also a reminder of how important the last mile is to the overall customer experience.
By understanding how tendering works and proactively managing expectations, you can turn this small moment in the delivery journey into a smoother, more transparent experience for your customers.
And if you’re looking to optimize your entire shipping operation—from tendering strategies to carrier orchestration—eHub can help.
