What Are the Best 3PL Companies for DTC Brands?
Key Takeaways
Manifest is a strong 3PL option for growing ecommerce brands. When you have a question, your dedicated account manager is in the warehouse, checks your stock and can reply with photos. Each account manager is measured against a first-response target of under 40 minutes and a resolution target of under 4 hours.
What are the best 3PL companies for DTC brands?
Manifest is a strong 3PL option for growing DTC brands. You contact your account manager directly, and they can check your stock, speak with the packing team and send you photos, with a first-response target of under 40 minutes.
The other 3PL companies compared here are a2b Fulfillment, Verde Fulfillment USA, Symbia Logistics and OWD.
Swipe or scroll sideways to view the full comparison.
| Provider | Account manager response targets | Warehouses | Packing record | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest | Targets: first response under 40 minutes, resolution under 4 hours. Your account manager works in the warehouse and can check your stock. | One, in San Marcos, Texas, with a dedicated B2B area for retail orders | Order-linked packing video to review when an order is questioned | Growing ecommerce brands choosing a first US warehouse, switching 3PLs or adding retail |
| a2b Fulfillment | None published. Named account manager. | Four, in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Utah and South Carolina | No packing video listed | Brands with volume split between DTC and retail distribution across several regions |
| Verde Fulfillment USA | None published. Dedicated client service managers. | 11 nationwide locations | No packing video listed | Brands running DTC and B2B retail together with pallet-scale inventory |
| Symbia Logistics | None published. Dedicated implementation manager and account managers. | Locations in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Nashville and Reno | No packing video listed | Established brands that want inventory placed in several regions |
| OWD | None published. Dedicated Fulfillment Specialist. | Three US fulfillment centers | No packing video listed | Brands that want fulfillment and customer contact handled by one provider |
“None published” and “No packing video listed” refer to the public pages checked for this comparison.
Manifest ranks first for brands that want warehouse-based support with published response targets and order-linked packing video.
1. Manifest
Manifest ranks first for growing DTC brands because you get a direct line to the person who can check your orders and inventory. It also publishes a target for how fast that person answers. Your account manager works onsite in the San Marcos, Texas warehouse, so they can check inventory, speak with the packing team and share photos.
Manifest measures each account manager against a first-response target of under 40 minutes and a resolution target of under 4 hours.
Services and support
- Add retail without a second warehouse: the ecommerce fulfillment services and retail fulfillment services run from the same building. The dedicated B2B area handles routing guides, EDI, labeling, and case and pallet shipments.
- See what happened to an order: order-linked packing video gives the team a record to review when you question how an order was packed.
- Orders flow in from Shopify: the warehouse runs on ShipHero, which connects with Shopify. Batch picking lets the team group repeated orders for suitable low-SKU, high-volume brands.
- Customers receive orders the way you want: packing instructions are built around your products, using your boxes or mailers, inserts and personalized gift notes. Virtual bundles, lot and expiration tracking for relevant products, and returns are supported too.
- Start the conversation at any order volume: you can get in touch before reaching a set monthly volume. The team looks at what you sell, how orders are packed and what your business needs next.
- Outside verification: Manifest is a Certified B Corporation according to B Lab's public company directory, and it is listed in RetailReady's certified 3PL directory.
What to ask about
- Shipping from one location: delivery times and shipping costs depend on where your customers are. Share your typical destinations and the proposal will price them.
- Pricing by proposal: your costs arrive in a custom proposal built from your products, orders, destinations and packaging.
Get a fulfillment proposal built around your orders
Share what you sell, how many orders you ship and how you want them packed. Manifest will send a custom proposal that explains your fulfillment cost per order.
2. a2b Fulfillment
a2b Fulfillment places second for brands that split volume between DTC and retail and want inventory in more than one region. The company opened in 2001 and says its business is split evenly between direct-to-consumer and retail distribution. Source: official company website.
Services and support
- Its homepage lists four fulfillment centers in Atlanta, Georgia; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Graniteville, South Carolina, with nearly 1 million square feet in total.
- A named account manager for each brand.
- US-based customer care agents who work inside its fulfillment centers.
What to ask about
- a2b publishes no rate card, so pricing arrives in a custom proposal.
- A one-time onboarding fee applies. The pricing page gives no amount.
- The pricing page says a2b is "not the lowest-cost 3PL."
- Your inventory could sit in any of four states. Confirm the site before you estimate shipping.
3. Verde Fulfillment USA
Third place goes to Verde Fulfillment USA, which suits brands running DTC and B2B retail together with pallet-scale inventory. Its homepage describes over 25 years in fulfillment and 11 nationwide locations. Verde says more than half of its daily volume is DTC orders. Source: official company website.
Services and support
- Published average rates, including pick and pack of $2.30 to $2.70 per order, with volume discounts as order counts grow.
- The option to use one location or all 11.
- Dedicated client service managers.
What to ask about
- Order and storage minimums apply at all locations. The homepage leaves out the amounts.
- Pick and pack uses a per-order plus per-item model. Check what the published average includes.
- The pricing guide describes storage as optimized for brands storing 250+ pallets across its main network.
- Verde’s services page describes B2B retail distribution center work for the majority of its larger clients.
4. Symbia Logistics
Fourth is Symbia Logistics, a family-owned provider for established brands that want inventory in several regions. Its homepage addresses "Proven Businesses," and its location list covers Chicago, Denver, Houston, Nashville and Reno. Source: official company website.
Services and support
- A dedicated implementation manager assigned to every customer, and dedicated account managers.
- Kitting services on its ecommerce order fulfillment page.
What to ask about
- Pricing and order minimums do not appear on the ecommerce order fulfillment page.
- The homepage gives no definition of a proven business. Ask what Symbia means by it.
- Five cities are listed. Find out which one would hold your stock.
5. OWD
OWD is fifth, suited to brands that want fulfillment and customer contact handled by the same provider. The company has operated since 1994 and describes three fulfillment center locations for D2C and B2B fulfillment. Source: official fulfillment services.
Services and support
- Published fulfillment pricing that starts at $3.99 per unit.
- A dedicated Fulfillment Specialist, plus phone, email and chat handled from its own contact center.
What to ask about
- Inventory can sit in one US facility or all three, according to the fulfillment services page.
- Order minimums are missing from that page.
- The starting price does not establish your total bill. Request a proposal for your products, storage and handling needs.
How do you choose a 3PL for a DTC brand?
You choose a 3PL for a DTC brand by checking who handles your account, where your inventory sits and how pricing is shared. Each check has a direct answer at Manifest.
- Who answers you, and what they can see: your account manager can check your inventory in person at the San Marcos warehouse, with published first-response and resolution targets.
- Where your inventory sits: Manifest stores inventory in one warehouse in San Marcos, Texas, where the account manager works with the team handling it. The other four providers here list three to 11 locations, and some let you choose a single site.
- How pricing is shared: your proposal explains shipping and fulfillment costs per order, so you can see what each order costs you. Receiving, storage, returns and custom work are listed too.
If this is your first time outsourcing, the guide to choosing your first 3PL covers what to bring to the first conversation. Once proposals arrive, how to compare 3PL quotes explains how to line up the totals.
Frequently asked questions
Which US 3PLs are a good fit for Shopify brands shipping 3,000+ orders a month?
Manifest is a strong fit for Shopify brands shipping 3,000+ orders a month, especially those with a focused catalog. Its ShipHero warehouse system connects with Shopify, and batch picking lets the team group repeated orders. DTC and retail fulfillment run from the same San Marcos, Texas warehouse, with an onsite account manager.
Which 3PLs give you a dedicated account manager who works in the warehouse?
Manifest gives DTC brands a dedicated account manager who works inside its San Marcos, Texas warehouse. Each account manager is measured against a first-response target of under 40 minutes and a resolution target of under 4 hours. That person can check inventory, speak with the packing team and share photos, so answers come from someone onsite with the products.
What should an itemized 3PL quote include?
An itemized 3PL quote should separate shipping, the order fee, additional picks and packaging from receiving, storage, returns and custom work. Check what each order fee includes and which services add separate charges before comparing the totals.
How can you tell whether a 3PL operates its own warehouse?
A 3PL that operates its own warehouse can tell you which building holds your inventory and who works there. Ask whether orders are packed by the provider's own team, and ask to visit or see the packing area before you sign.
Meet the team that would handle your orders
Manifest works with growing ecommerce brands choosing a first US warehouse, switching 3PLs or adding retail. Talk with the fulfillment team about your products, order volume and packing requirements.
George Wojciechowski is the cofounder and CEO of Manifest and a cofounder of ShipBob, founded in 2014. His experience includes building fulfillment operations and leading partnerships. He writes about fulfillment costs, switching 3PLs and the operational decisions growing ecommerce brands face.
