Choosing a 3PL: Learn, Compare, Decide
Every guide for choosing a 3PL, grouped by where you are in the search.
When OC3PL Is the Right 3PL, and When It Isn’t
A straight answer before you call.
Is OC3PL a Fit? The Short Answer
OC3PL fits ecommerce and direct-to-consumer brands that want their orders shipped from one Anaheim, California building, an account manager on site, weekly invoicing, and no order minimums or long-term contract. It is the wrong choice for products that must stay refrigerated or frozen, for sellers who sell only on Amazon and are happy with FBA, and for anything our Acceptable Products Policy excludes. If you ship only a handful of orders, packing them yourself may still cost less.
You sell direct to consumers
Through your own store, marketplaces, subscriptions or a mix, shipped from one inventory.You want someone in the building
Your account manager works on site at our Anaheim fulfillment center. Support is not outsourced, and you can call anytime. All client requests are acknowledged within two hours.You want to know what you pay
Weekly invoices, storage pro-rated daily, and every line on the quote before you sign.You do not want a long commitment
There are no order minimums, no volume thresholds and no long-term contract.
Usually a good fit if:
Brands That Usually Fit
These brands tend to work well with how OC3PL runs.
- Ecommerce and DTC brands selling through their own store, marketplaces or both. OC3PL’s solutions cover ecommerce order fulfillment, subscription boxes and drops, Amazon FBA prep, retail and wholesale, apparel and startups.
- Brands leaving a large national 3PL. Most of the brands that contact us are moving from one. Your account manager works on site at our Anaheim fulfillment center. Support is not outsourced, and you can call anytime. All client requests are acknowledged within two hours.
- Supplement and wellness brands that need an FDA-registered facility, lot and expiration capture at receiving, first-expired-first-out (FEFO) picking, and temperature- and humidity-controlled storage for shelf-stable products. Sleepwhale is one of our supplement clients. See supplement fulfillment.
- Apparel brands with deep size runs and drops. Teddy Fresh, the Los Angeles streetwear brand, ships from our Anaheim warehouse. See high-volume apparel fulfillment.
- Brands with oversized products such as surfboards and large hardgoods, which we handle.
- Brands that want kits, bundles, inserts and branded packing done to their instructions. See custom kitting and assembly.
- Early-stage brands. There are no order minimums, no volume thresholds and no long-term contract.
When OC3PL Is the Wrong Answer
Saying so now saves both of us time. In these cases another option will serve you better.
Products that must stay refrigerated or frozen
Our storage is temperature- and humidity-controlled indoor space. It is not refrigerated. We do not run a cold chain or ship frozen goods. Refrigerated probiotics, fresh food, frozen products and anything shipped with dry ice belong with a provider that runs refrigerated storage and cold-chain shipping.
Sellers who only sell on Amazon
If every order comes from Amazon and FBA is working for you, a 3PL adds a step you may not need. Amazon stores FBA inventory, ships those orders and handles customer service and returns for them. A 3PL starts to make sense when you add your own store or other channels, need prep work done before inventory goes into Amazon, or want stock held outside Amazon. Amazon FBA or a 3PL? compares the two.
Very low order volume
If you ship a handful of orders a week and have the time and space to pack them, doing it yourself may cost less than any 3PL. The tipping point is different for every brand. It usually comes when packing starts taking time away from selling, when you run out of room, or when a launch or promotion would bury you. When to stop packing orders yourself covers the signs, and 3PL vs in-house fulfillment shows how to compare the costs.
You need inventory in several regions
OC3PL ships from one building in Anaheim, California. If most of your customers are far from the West Coast, or your plan depends on stock split across several regional warehouses, look at your order map before you choose. When to add a second warehouse and how shipping zones work will help you decide.
Products our policy excludes
OC3PL does not fulfill products that are illegal or harmful, products that infringe trademarks, patents or copyrights, products that promote violence or hate, or products that carry personal information without consent. The full wording is in our Acceptable Products Policy. If your product needs special handling, such as hazardous materials, lithium batteries or alcohol, ask before you send anything so you get an answer for your specific product.
Questions That Settle Fit Quickly
Have answers to these ready, and the first call gets to the point.
- Where do your orders come from: your own store, marketplaces, wholesale, subscriptions?
- Roughly how many orders do you ship a month, and how many items are in a typical order?
- Do any products need lot numbers, expiration dates, temperature and humidity control, or special handling?
- Where do most of your customers live?
- What is going wrong today, or what are you worried will go wrong as you grow?
- When do you need to be live?
If you want numbers before a call, see what to send a 3PL for an accurate quote.
What happens next
If OC3PL is not the right fit, we will tell you on the call. If it is, the next step is a custom quote built from your SKUs, order volume and workflow. OC3PL invoices weekly. Storage is based on the space you use and pro-rated daily, and the monthly storage rate on your quote is there only so you can compare us with other providers. There are no order minimums, no volume thresholds and no long-term contract.
Common Questions
No. There are no order minimums, no volume thresholds and no long-term contract. Pre-launch and early-stage brands are welcome.
No. OC3PL’s storage is temperature- and humidity-controlled indoor space, but it is not refrigerated, and we do not handle frozen or cold-chain products.
From our fulfillment center at 1150 N Miller St, Anaheim, CA 92806, in Orange County, California.
Maybe not. If Amazon is your only channel and FBA works for you, FBA alone is often simpler. A 3PL helps when you add your own store or other channels, need prep before inventory goes into Amazon, or want stock held outside Amazon.
An account manager who works on site at our Anaheim fulfillment center. Support is not outsourced, all client requests are acknowledged within two hours, and you can call anytime at 949-424-0790.
Related Reading
More detail, in OC3PL’s own guides.
What to Send for an Accurate Quote
The order, product and inventory data a 3PL needs to quote you accurately, how to pull it from your store, and what OC3PL asks for first.
Amazon FBA or a 3PL?
Amazon FBA vs a 3PL, compared on channels, fees, packaging, returns and inventory. When FBA alone is the better answer, and when a 3PL or both makes sense.
3PL vs In-House Fulfillment
Compare 3PL vs in-house fulfillment on cost, control, scalability, and technology to see which model actually saves more as your brand scales.
On-Site Account Management
Your OC3PL account manager works on site at our Anaheim, CA fulfillment center. Reach a real person when it is urgent. Support is never outsourced.
Acceptable Products Policy
OC3PL's acceptable products policy outlining which items we can and cannot fulfill, including prohibited, illegal, and restricted product categories.
Not Sure Yet? Ask Us Straight.
Tell us what you sell, where you sell it and roughly how many orders you ship. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.