Is Amazon becoming your next competitor or your next carrier?

Why Amazon opened its LTL network, what Kimberly-Clark's $200M DC tells us, and two July deadlines for cross-border ops.

Following the announcement that Amazon would open its fulfillment network to non-marketplace sellers, the company has now opened its LTL network to any business as well. Given Amazon's history of launching services in pursuit of an end-to-end solution, neither announcement was particularly surprising.

Most of the coverage has focused on the impact to fulfillment providers and transportation companies. There may be some impact there, but I think the more interesting story is why Amazon is doing it.

The easy answer is the AWS playbook: commercialize infrastructure they originally built for themselves. That is part of it. But during my time working for Amazon and with Amazon, one thing was always clear: a decision could be good for everyone, as long as it was very good for Amazon.

Amazon has spent years investing in logistics infrastructure. Ecommerce is still growing, but we are well past the COVID-era surge. Consumers have settled into a mix of online and in-store shopping, which leaves capacity to fill.

To me, this looks like a straightforward effort to drive more volume through buildings that already exist and trucks that are already moving. The secondary benefit is data: buying behavior, inventory flows, geographic demand patterns, and points of commerce.

WHAT’S TRENDING

Amazon opens more of its logistics network

Amazon opened both its LTL network and broader fulfillment infrastructure to businesses that don't sell on Amazon.

📦️ The LTL offering supports shipments from 1-6 pallets with GPS tracking, dock scheduling, and electronic proof of delivery built in.

📦️ The broader fulfillment announcement follows a similar path. Infrastructure Amazon originally built for itself is now being sold as a service.

For most 3PLs, this doesn't change the competitive landscape overnight. What it does do is continue a trend we've been watching for years. Amazon wants to become a larger part of the logistics stack, whether the shipment ultimately touches Amazon.com or not.

FreightWaves → | Amazon / BusinessWire →

Warehouse automation keeps moving from pilot project to capital plan

Kimberly-Clark announced a $200M automated distribution center in South Carolina as part of a broader productivity initiative.

The company expects benefits beginning in 2027, but what stood out was how automation was discussed. Not as innovation. Not as experimentation. As part of a long-term operational and financial plan.

That feels increasingly common. The question for many operators is no longer whether automation belongs in the network. It's where and when it makes sense.

Supply Chain Dive →

The final-mile network continues to shift

📦️ Canada Post is moving another 485,000 addresses to community mailboxes after reporting a $1.57B pre-tax loss in 2025 and a 17% decline in Q1 parcel revenue.

📦️ DHL eCommerce signed a multi-year agreement making USPS its exclusive final-mile provider in the United States while retaining control of pickup, sortation, and linehaul.

Different stories, similar pressure. Every carrier is looking for a path to profitability while still meeting customer expectations around speed and coverage.

Global News → | Logistics Management →

Cross-border operators have two July deadlines to watch

On July 1, the EU eliminates its €150 duty-free threshold for low-value imports.

Later in the month, the current Section 122 surcharge framework is scheduled to expire while replacement tariff structures continue working their way through the system.

Neither change is likely to dominate headlines, but both have the potential to impact landed-cost calculations, DDP programs, and cross-border fulfillment strategies.

DCL Logistics → | Logistics Management →

PARTNER HIGHLIGHT

Partner Highlight: IWLA and 3PL Warehousing Week

This week’s highlight goes to IWLA and their upcoming 3PL Warehousing Week initiative.

The goal is simple: bring more visibility to the warehousing and fulfillment industry and the role third-party logistics providers play in keeping supply chains moving.

For providers, it’s a chance to showcase the operational side of the business that customers and consumers rarely see. The people, processes, technology, and problem-solving that sit behind every order shipped and every pallet stored.

What I like about the initiative is that it focuses on the operators.

Not the headlines. Not the buzzwords. The actual businesses running warehouses, supporting brands, managing inventory, solving exceptions, and adapting every day to changing market conditions.

If you're a provider, it's worth participating.

If you're a brand, it's worth spending a few minutes understanding just how much happens behind the scenes to make modern commerce work.

OPPORTUNITIES IN FULFILLMENT

Multimodal Sales Executive @ Hub Group | Illinois

VP Of Finance @ Bergen Logistics | New Jersey

Director, M&A Operations @ Stord | Remote

Director Of Operations @ Allen Distribution | California

Regional Sales Manager @ RR Donnelley | New York