I've been hearing the same thing from a few providers I respect. They're all well-known, good at what they do, and serve different ICPs. But they're all concerned about losing deals they shouldn't be losing.

The quality of preparation and general knowledge around RFPs and 3PL evaluation by scaling and midmarket brands is better than I can remember. But experience is still the best teacher. And unless the brand's main point of contact has strong knowledge of warehouse and parcel operations, and their corresponding economics, the brand can't compare bids apples to apples. They struggles to translate vague rate cards into true total cost to serve looking at storage, receiving, pick/pack, and stopping there. Everything else gets missed. Including the value of the transparency in the more "complex" (read: complete) rate card.

We feel strongly that we've solved for this in Slotted. Especially for providers using our Sales OS functionality. But regardless, I can't get this challenge out of my head. I'd love to hear from more providers who are experiencing this issue of losing deals to perceived cheaper operations. Email me at [email protected] if you're open to talking through it and sharing your experience (or frustrations!).

What's trending

Freight costs stacking across every mode

📦 The Hormuz blockade is in its sixth week. Diesel nationally is above $5.60 per gallon. Transpacific ocean rates are up roughly 40% since before the conflict began, with Asia-US West Coast rates now above $2,400 per FEU.

📦 Global airfreight tonnage fell 4% in March while rates climbed 12%. Capacity constraints and war-related fuel costs are pushing air rates up even as demand softens, making it an unreliable option for routing around ocean disruption.

📦 Forecasters are flagging potential El Niño-driven water level drops at the Panama Canal later this year. A disruption there while Hormuz remains blocked would leave two of the most critical global shipping lanes impaired at the same time.

Hormuz Costs → Freightos | Panama Canal Risk → JOC

UPS and FedEx are both mid-reorganization

📦 UPS is closing 20+ facilities and cutting 30,000 jobs as it shifts away from commodity e-commerce volume toward SMB, B2B, and healthcare. Simultaneously, the carrier is deploying $100M in RFID across its network, with early deployments showing a 70% reduction in misloads and the elimination of 20 million manual scans per day.

📦 FedEx Freight is spinning off as a separately traded public company on June 1, capping a restructuring program that closed over 475 stations. The FedEx CFO is also departing on that date.

📦 Both networks are changing their economics at the same time. Pricing and service commitments set even a few months ago are worth verifying before Q2 planning is finalized.

UPS RFID Expansion → Supply Chain Dive | UPS Louisville Closure → Courier Journal | FedEx One Rate Hike → Supply Chain Dive | FedEx Freight Spin-Off → Logistics Management

Tariff operations are active

📦 The CBP CAPE portal went live April 20 to begin processing an estimated $127 billion in tariff refunds. Importers registered for electronic payment should expect a 60-90 day window before funds arrive.

📦 Back-end verification from CBP is expected to be rigorous. Documentation accuracy and HTS classification on submissions will affect both approval rates and processing timeline.

📦 Brands are restructuring sourcing flows and DC locations in response to ongoing tariff exposure. Packaging supply chains are absorbing simultaneous pressure from tariffs and war-driven fuel cost increases.

CBP CAPE Portal → Supply Chain Dive | Packaging Supply Chains → Supply Chain Dive

Solution Provider Highlight: Dash.fi

There are not many levers in fulfillment that create margin without changing how you operate.

One of them is spend.

Between shipping, packaging, software, and carrier payments, both 3PLs and brands are running significant monthly card volume. Dash.fi is built around that reality.

They offer a corporate card and spend platform designed to put dollars back into the business while tightening up how that spend is managed.

Where it tends to show up:

1. Direct margin lift on existing spend

   Cash back on categories like shipping and ads adds up quickly. A 3PL running $2M annually through a card is looking at ~$40K+ back without changing anything operationally.

2. Working capital and float

   For 3PLs, it helps bridge timing gaps between carrier invoices and client payments. For brands, it allows inventory to be purchased and sold before the bill is due. That flexibility matters, especially during growth or peak periods.

3. Spend visibility and control

   High limits, virtual cards, and category-level controls make it easier to manage distributed spend across teams and vendors.

4. Built-in auditing across key cost centers

   Tools to reconcile ad spend, review carrier invoices, and flag discrepancies help recover dollars that would otherwise be missed.

It’s a fit for teams with meaningful monthly spend, especially those running paid media, shipping volume, or juggling multiple cards and systems today.

For operators looking to improve margin and cash flow without adding operational complexity, this is a straightforward place to look. Check out how Dash.FI can support your operations.

Opportunities in Fulfillment