Your customers don’t care about port backlogs or container shortages. They just want their stuff now.
That’s why the old-school 3PL playbook is dead. While you’ve been running your operation the same way for years, e-commerce has exceeded $6.8 trillion, port backlogs stretch 21 days, and 8.4% of the global container fleet runs behind schedule.
Meanwhile, your sales team promises customers the moon while your ops team is drowning in spreadsheets trying to make magic happen with the same three carriers you’ve used since 2015.
Your “preferred vendor” relationships? They’re costing you money and flexibility. Your rigid LTL model? It’s a liability, not an asset. And that proprietary TMS you spent millions on? It’s a walled garden in a world that demands open networks.
Clearly, 3PL logistics providers that thrive in this chaos won’t be the biggest or the oldest — they’ll be the ones that ditch the lone-wolf mentality and plug into open collaborative networks.
And we’re about to show you three reasons why.
Reason #1: Improved Flexibility and Scalability
When your biggest customer doubles its volume overnight, or half your shipments need to avoid a severely congested port, you don’t need a carrier “relationship” — you need options.
Open logistics networks give you access to nationwide (or even global) carrier networks that can absorb demand spikes without missing a beat. Instead of begging your rep for more capacity, you’re leveraging tech-driven route optimization that finds the best shipping method in real time. Need same day delivery in markets you’ve never served? No problem. With open API integrations to specialized last mile partners, you can scale up or down faster than your customer can say, “Where’s my order?”
The days of being locked into fixed capacity are over — unless you choose to stay there.
Reason #2: Cost Savings Through Optimized Carrier Options
The blunt truth is that those cozy carrier relationships are costing you — no other way around it.
Yet, in an open marketplace, carriers actually compete for your business instead of sending you another “unavoidable” rate increase email. And with real-time rate comparison, you’re finally seeing the actual price-service ratio instead of whatever your account manager decided to share.
Another big perk if you’re tired of paying for empty trucks and hidden fees? Collaborative networks slash deadhead miles, minimize those mysterious handling charges that nobody can explain, and provide you with the right vehicle for the right freight.
Here’s the best part, though. All that juicy data gives you true leverage when negotiating time rolls around. “We analyzed 10,000 shipments across 47 carriers and found we’re paying 12% above market” hits differently than “Can we get a discount?”
So, stop leaving money on the table because you’re afraid to rock the carrier boat.
Reason #3: Enhanced Visibility and Resilience in the Face of Disruption
When disruptions hit, cloud platforms that connect all your carriers give you authentic visibility, not a prayer and educated guess. These tools spot problems early and fire off alerts so you can reroute shipments before your customers know anything went wrong.
Open networks break down the old information silos. When everyone shares data about weather disasters, capacity shortages, and route closures, you cut response time from days to minutes. No more scrambling after the fact.
Smart 3PL logistics providers don’t collapse when chaos hits or make excuses. They’ve spread their freight across carriers and routes, so port strikes and natural disasters become manageable problems, not existential threats. Your service levels stay intact when competitors are sending apology emails.
So, connect your tracking systems, warehouses, and order platforms into one ecosystem. Build partnerships with multiple carriers at every level. The next supply chain disaster is coming; only the connected will survive it.
Time to Pick a Side
Here’s the reality: The logistics world has split in two. On one side, there’s the old guard — still clinging to outdated carrier relationships and panicking when one ghosts them. On the other side are 3PLs that have embraced reality — building open, collaborative networks that roll with the punches and work even when things go sideways.
We built FRAYT because we grew tired of watching good companies lose customers over delivery disasters they couldn’t control. When that inevitable supply chain crisis hits, our different service levels let you match delivery speed to needs instead of paying premium rates for everything, and our vehicle selection also does. Our platform integrates directly with your TMS through API connections, eliminating those spreadsheet nightmares you’re still dealing with. And our Preferred Driver Program lets you build consistent relationships with the same drivers who know your routes and requirements. With more than 35,000 drivers across 140 markets, we augment your fleet and keep your shipments moving no matter what.
Ready to embrace the future of collaborative logistics? Sign up with FRAYT today and enter a new, open, and connected supply chain era.
