The best 3PL companies are the third-party logistics providers that fit your products, your sales channels and your order volume. This guide picks 10 by business type: enterprise and global, ecommerce and DTC, B2B and retail distribution, and cold chain or heavy goods.
Pick well and your stock ships on time from the right place; pick badly and you pay for a network you never use.
Size alone is a weak guide. Armstrong & Associates ranks C.H. Robinson second among US 3PLs, with $14.8 billion in 2025 gross logistics revenue. A revenue ranking cannot tell you whether a 3PL suits your order mix.
This list has a stake in its own answer. Cura Resource Group published this list and is on it. So we show our criteria, date every fact and link each one to its source.
What Are the Best 3PL Companies?
The best 3PL companies in the US are GXO Logistics, DHL Supply Chain, ShipBob, ShipMonk, Cura Resource Group, Kenco, NFI, Americold, Lineage and Red Stag Fulfillment, grouped below by the business type each serves best. A national retailer, a DTC skincare brand and a frozen-food maker need different partners.
- Enterprise and global supply chains: GXO Logistics and DHL Supply Chain.
- Ecommerce and DTC brands: ShipBob and ShipMonk.
- B2B, wholesale and retail distribution: Cura Resource Group, Kenco and NFI.
- Cold chain: Americold and Lineage.
- Heavy, bulky or high-value goods: Red Stag Fulfillment.
If you are still deciding whether to outsource at all, start with what a 3PL provider does and how the main types differ.
How We Chose These 3PL Companies
We chose these 3PL companies on four things: business type, warehouse locations, specialty and independent recognition. Each pick is matched to the kind of business it serves best, using facts the company publishes about itself.
Specialty means one hard product type, such as frozen food or bulky goods.
For recognition we used the A&A Top 50 revenue list and the Inbound Logistics reader vote and Top 100 lists.
Unlike revenue rankings of top third-party logistics companies, we do not number the picks or crown a winner, including ourselves. Every fact was checked in November 2026, and we re-check the list each quarter.
Top 3PL Companies Comparison Table
The comparison table below shows what each of the 10 companies is best for, one fact from its own site and any independent ranking.
| 3PL | Best for | From its own site | Independent ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| GXO Logistics | Enterprise contract logistics | Q3 2026 revenue of $3.6 billion | No. 3 on the A&A Top 50 US 3PLs |
| DHL Supply Chain | Multi-country enterprise supply chains | Calls itself the world’s leading contract logistics provider | No. 5, Inbound Logistics Readers’ Choice |
| ShipBob | Ecommerce and DTC brands | Over 50 fulfillment centers worldwide | — |
| ShipMonk | DTC brands also selling B2B and on marketplaces | 12+ fulfillment centers on 7 campuses | — |
| Cura Resource Group | Mid-sized brands selling to retailers and online from one inventory | Retail compliance, plus B2B and B2C fulfillment from the same inventory | — |
| Kenco | Retail and CPG supply chains | Over 70 years in logistics | No. 3, Inbound Logistics Readers’ Choice |
| NFI | Retail and wholesale distribution | Family owned and operated since 1932 | Inbound Logistics Top 100 3PLs |
| Americold | Frozen and chilled food | More than 230 warehouses worldwide | No. 27 on the A&A Top 50 |
| Lineage | Temperature-controlled supply chains | Calls itself the global leader in temperature-controlled logistics | No. 13 on the A&A Top 50 |
| Red Stag Fulfillment | Heavy, bulky and high-value goods | 2 sites, in Knoxville, TN and Salt Lake City, UT | — |
Rankings cover A&A’s 2026 Top 50 US list, by 2025 revenue, and the 2026 Inbound Logistics lists. A dash means the company is not on those lists, not that it performs worse.
Best 3PLs for Enterprise and Global Supply Chains
The best 3PLs for enterprise and global supply chains are GXO Logistics and DHL Supply Chain. Both run dedicated contract logistics operations for very large shippers across many countries.
GXO Logistics
GXO Logistics is the pick for large companies that want a contract logistics operator running sites built around them. A&A ranks GXO third among US 3PLs, with $13.2 billion in 2025 gross logistics revenue.
GXO reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $3.6 billion. Choose GXO if you run high volume and want a dedicated, multi-year operation. Look elsewhere if you need a few hundred pallets of shared space.
DHL Supply Chain
DHL Supply Chain is the pick for shippers running supply chains across several countries under one provider. DHL describes its supply chain arm as the world’s leading contract logistics provider.
Inbound Logistics readers placed DHL Supply Chain fifth in their 2026 Top 10 3PLs, from around 13,000 votes. Choose it for global reach under one contract. A smaller brand may find the scale more than it needs.
What to Check Before Signing an Enterprise 3PL
Before signing an enterprise 3PL, check the contract length, the exit terms and who holds the site lease and equipment. A dedicated operation is built around you, so agree how it is handed back before it is built.
Best 3PL Fulfillment Companies for Ecommerce and DTC Brands
The best 3PL fulfillment companies for ecommerce and DTC brands are ShipBob and ShipMonk. Both are built around online orders, with software that connects to storefronts and multiple fulfillment centers.
ShipBob
ShipBob is the pick for DTC brands that want inventory spread across many fulfillment centers to cut delivery times. ShipBob says its global network has over 50 fulfillment centers, and the company was founded in 2014.
Choose ShipBob if most of your orders are single parcels to consumers. Look elsewhere if most of your volume is pallets to retail stores.
ShipMonk
ShipMonk is the pick for DTC brands that also sell wholesale and on marketplaces from one pool of stock. ShipMonk says it runs 12+ fulfillment centers on 7 campuses, serves 4,400+ brands and keeps one inventory pool for DTC, B2B and marketplaces.
Choose ShipMonk if consumer orders lead and wholesale follows. If retail and B2B are most of your volume, a B2B and retail distribution 3PL fits better.
What to Check Before Signing an Ecommerce 3PL
Before signing an ecommerce 3PL, confirm it connects to every channel you sell on. Ask for its order accuracy and on-time shipping figures in writing. Then check how it bills storage, picks and packaging, so quotes compare line by line.
Best 3PLs for B2B, Wholesale and Retail Distribution
The best 3PLs for B2B, wholesale and retail distribution are Cura Resource Group, Kenco and NFI. All three ship pallets and cases to stores, distributors and business buyers, not only parcels to homes.
B2B shipping means meeting each retailer’s routing guide, the rulebook that sets labels, carriers and delivery windows. Miss it and the retailer charges a chargeback, a fine deducted from your invoice.
Cura Resource Group
Cura Resource Group is the pick for mid-sized brands that sell to retailers, wholesalers and online customers from one inventory and want closer service than a national account gives. We serve brands across most industries, including automotive, manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, pharma, energy and utilities, and ecommerce.
We run warehouses in Memphis, Tennessee, Riverside, California and Carolina, Puerto Rico. We handle retail compliance, including routing guides, retail labeling and chargebacks, and run B2B and B2C fulfillment from the same inventory. In automotive, we distribute parts, fulfill aftermarket orders, stage parts for plants, and handle kitting and sequencing.
Choose Cura Resource Group if retail, wholesale and online orders all matter and you want one partner for them. Look elsewhere if you need dozens of US sites.
Kenco
Kenco is the pick for retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) suppliers that want a long-established warehousing partner. Kenco says it draws on over 70 years in logistics, and it received Procter & Gamble’s 2025 Constructive Disruptor Award.
Inbound Logistics readers ranked Kenco third in their 2026 vote for the top 10 3PL companies. Choose Kenco for CPG volumes moving into large retail networks.
NFI
NFI is the pick for retailers and wholesalers that want distribution and transportation from one provider. NFI says it works closely with top retailers and runs cross-dock services for them. The company has been family owned and operated since 1932.
A&A ranks NFI 21st among US 3PLs by 2025 revenue. Choose NFI if you want warehousing and trucking under one contract.
What to Check Before Signing a B2B 3PL
Before signing a B2B 3PL, ask how it handles routing guides, retail labels and delivery appointments for your largest retail customers. Then ask who pays when a chargeback is the 3PL’s fault, and how disputes get filed.
Best 3PLs for Cold Chain and Heavy or Bulky Goods
The best 3PLs for cold chain are Americold and Lineage, and the best for heavy or bulky goods is Red Stag Fulfillment. Each is built around one hard product type rather than general merchandise.
Americold
Americold is the pick for frozen and chilled food producers that need temperature-controlled warehouses at scale. Americold says it has served the food industry since 1903 and runs more than 230 warehouses worldwide.
Choose Americold for large food volumes that must stay frozen or chilled from plant to store.
Lineage
Lineage is the pick for food and perishable shippers that want a global cold storage and transport network. Lineage calls itself the global leader of the temperature-controlled logistics industry, and A&A ranks it 13th among US 3PLs by 2025 revenue.
Cura Resource Group also offers temperature-controlled storage, including at our Memphis warehouse, for brands that need some chilled space rather than a full cold chain.
Red Stag Fulfillment
Red Stag Fulfillment is the pick for brands shipping heavy, bulky or high-value items. Red Stag says its 2 sites, in Knoxville and Salt Lake City, reach 96% of the US population in 2 days by ground.
Red Stag also publishes a guarantee of zero shrink, zero mispicks and zero late shipments. Choose it when one damaged or lost order costs you a lot.
What to Check Before Signing a Cold Chain or Bulky-Goods 3PL
Before signing a cold chain 3PL, ask for its temperature monitoring records and its latest food safety audit results. For bulky goods, ask which carriers it uses for large items and how it handles damage claims.
Who Are the Largest 3PL Companies in the US?
The largest 3PL companies in the US are Amazon, C.H. Robinson, GXO Logistics, J.B. Hunt and Expeditors, according to the 2026 A&A Top 50 US 3PLs list. A&A ranks them by 2025 gross logistics revenue.
Amazon leads at $172.2 billion, but A&A counts its whole Third-Party Seller Services segment, which includes seller commissions as well as 3PL work. C.H. Robinson is second at $14.8 billion.
For a broader view of the biggest 3PL companies, Inbound Logistics publishes an annual Top 100 3PL Providers list. It lists providers alphabetically rather than ranking them by size.
Are the Biggest 3PL Companies the Best Ones for You?
The biggest 3PL companies are rarely the best ones for a mid-sized brand, because revenue measures scale, not fit. A&A totals cover all four of its 3PL segments, so freight-led companies and warehouse-led ones share one scale.
A revenue ranking cannot show whether a company earns its money from trucking, forwarding or warehousing. Start from the business type you need, then check size.
How to Shortlist a 3PL From This List
To shortlist a 3PL from this list, match the business type first, then check warehouse locations, send each one the same written brief and compare the quotes on the same fee lines.
The best 3PL provider for you is the one built for your order mix, not the one with the biggest network. Our full checklist for choosing a 3PL partner covers the evaluation in depth.
Match the Business Type to Your Order Mix
Match the business type to your order mix by splitting last year’s orders into parcels, cases and pallets. If pallets to retail lead, start with the B2B section. If parcels to homes lead, start with ecommerce.
Check Where Their Warehouses Sit
Check where a 3PL’s warehouses sit against where your customers are. A site close to your buyers shortens transit time and cuts the cost of each shipment.
Send Every Shortlisted 3PL the Same Brief
Send every shortlisted 3PL the same brief: your volumes, product types, channels and service levels. Matching answers to one brief makes quotes comparable. You can send that brief to Cura Resource Group for a quote.
Compare 3PL Pricing on the Same Fee Lines
Compare 3PL pricing by asking each shortlisted provider to quote the same fee lines: receiving, storage, pick and pack, packaging, shipping and any monthly minimum. Then run last year’s orders through each quote to see what a normal month would cost.
Ask which charges are fixed and which rise with volume, and what triggers an extra fee. Our guide to pallet storage pricing models explains how storage is billed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which 3PL companies are the best in the US?
The 10 best 3PL companies in the US, grouped by business type, are GXO Logistics, DHL Supply Chain, ShipBob, ShipMonk, Cura Resource Group, Kenco, NFI, Americold, Lineage and Red Stag Fulfillment. The list is grouped, not ranked, so no company is placed first. The right one depends on what you ship.
Who is the largest 3PL company in the US?
Amazon is the largest 3PL in the US on the 2026 Armstrong and Associates Top 50 list, at $172.2 billion in 2025 revenue. That figure covers its whole Third-Party Seller Services segment, including seller fees. C.H. Robinson ranks second at $14.8 billion, followed by GXO Logistics, J.B. Hunt and Expeditors.
What are the top 50 and top 100 3PL lists?
The two best-known lists are the Armstrong and Associates Top 50 US 3PLs and the Inbound Logistics Top 100 3PL Providers. Armstrong ranks companies by gross logistics revenue each year. Inbound Logistics publishes its Top 100 annually and lists providers alphabetically, so it shows who qualifies rather than who is biggest.
What is the best 3PL for B2B and wholesale?
The best 3PL for B2B and wholesale ships cases and pallets to retailers and meets their routing guides without chargebacks. Our picks are Cura Resource Group, Kenco and NFI. Ask each one how it handles retail labeling, delivery appointments and chargeback disputes before you sign.
Does Amazon use a 3PL?
Amazon runs its own logistics network and also sells fulfillment to other sellers, which is why Armstrong and Associates ranks it as a 3PL. Brands selling on Amazon can still use an independent 3PL to store stock and prep shipments into Amazon. The same 3PL can also serve stores and the brand website.
Does UPS do 3PL?
Yes. UPS runs a 3PL business called UPS Supply Chain Solutions, which offers freight forwarding, warehousing and distribution, and ecommerce fulfillment. Armstrong and Associates ranks it sixth among US 3PLs, at $8.8 billion in 2025 gross logistics revenue. It suits shippers that want transport and warehousing from one provider.
Can you trust a 3PL list written by a 3PL?
You can trust a 3PL list written by a 3PL only if it discloses its stake and shows its sources. Cura Resource Group wrote this list and is on it. Every fact here links to the company it describes or to an independent ranking, so you can check each claim yourself.
What are third-party logistics companies?
Third-party logistics companies, or 3PLs, are outside providers that store, pick, pack and ship goods for other businesses. Some also manage freight, returns and retail compliance. They range from global contract logistics firms to regional warehouse operators and ecommerce fulfillment specialists.
How often is this list of 3PL companies updated?
This list of 3PL companies is checked every quarter. Each fact was last checked in November 2026, against the company website or ranking it links to. Rankings change once a year, when Armstrong and Inbound Logistics publish new editions, so we update those lines as they appear.
Sources
- Armstrong & Associates — Top 50 U.S. Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLs) List
- Inbound Logistics — Top 10 3PLs: Readers’ Choice Excellence Awards
- Inbound Logistics — Top 100 3PLs
- GXO Logistics
- DHL Supply Chain
- ShipBob — 3PL companies
- ShipBob — About
- ShipMonk
- Kenco
- NFI — Distribution
- NFI — About NFI
- Americold
- Lineage
- Red Stag Fulfillment — Company
- UPS Supply Chain Solutions
