Monday, September 1, 2025
3PL Spotlight: September 2025
Dear Spotlight Readers,
September marks the first anniversary of 3PL-Rx . I am proud of our team and what we have accomplished over the past year. Our mission is simple, to take my 30 plus years as a 3PL owner , supported with my son Zach, who leads our technology team, Sofia who manages all of our digital marketing media and Mariah who leads of Membership Services and help 3PL’s be successful.
We kicked off at the CSCMP Edge Conference in Nashville, followed by Food Shippers of America Conference in Palm Desert, Manifest in Las Vegas, Promat in Chicago, Home Delivery Show in Nashville and later this month we will be attending the American Food and Beverage Show in Miami and finishing out the year at the PLMA Show in Chicago.
We have gained so many resources and contacts at these shows for our 3PL-Rx members.
Zach has built a database of over 1,765 3PL Providers, 5,372 Suppliers and Vendors to 3PL’s and over 2,689 users of 3PL Services.
We hosted webinar’s on Workforces, Shipper 3PL Relationships ,
Cybersecurity and provided several Family Business Governance Webinars and other 3PL educational topics.
We received your feedback for Strategic Marketing and Business Development needs.
We also heard you to help more on e-commerce fulfillment resources and Family Business Governance Resources.
We are available for our members for any 3PL situation that our team and our network of partners can provide resources and assistance.
We believe that you learn and grow everyday and see continued growth in our second year. Our goal is to provide as much value to 3PL’s as possible.
If you have not become a member for $395 per month. Please sign up on our website 3pl-rx.com
Mariah McGregor, our Director of Member Services will also be contacting you shortly should you have any questions?
I am always available @ 570-357-7788 or chriskane@3pl-rx.com and as a fellow 3PL owner shared with me.
“Share not just your success, share your mistakes, so other 3PL’s don’t make the same one’s.”
Best Regards,
Chris
In this spotlight you can expect:
Reshoring Workforce
Family Enterprise
2025 Fulfillment Report
Workforce Flexibility
Flexport
Global Supply Chain- Walmart
EPA- New DEF Guidance
Advisory Boards
Top Industrial Leases
High-Performer Traits
Tariffs
Truck Rollovers
Webinars & Events
Interviews
X-Change Board
Reshoring the Workforce: Bridging America’s Manufacturing Talent Gap
This white paper from the University of Tennessee’s Global Supply Chain Institute highlights how the push to reshore U.S. manufacturing is being held back by a persistent shortage of skilled supply chain talent. While automation and incentives are supporting reshoring, many companies face critical gaps in areas such as advanced manufacturing, engineering, leadership, and manufacturing fundamentals. Drawing on survey data and expert interviews, the report outlines current trends, forecasts workforce needs, and provides recommendations—including the role of industry‑academic partnerships—to close the talent gap.
Future Family Enterprise: Sustaining Multigenerational Success
This six‑day, in‑person executive program at MIT Sloan equips multigenerational family teams with the insights, practices, and action planning tools needed to sustain long‑term enterprise success in a rapidly changing economy. Participants engage in interactive classroom learning and private facilitated family discussions, build customized roadmaps for governance, succession, and ownership strategy, and earn a certificate toward MIT’s Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership.
The 2025 State of Fulfillment Report
Pattern’s latest report shows the growing pressures brands face in fulfillment, from rising costs and long Amazon receiving times to inefficiencies in returns. Key stats: over half of brands now use 3PLs, 41% report 3–4 week delays, and many are leaving money unclaimed by not auditing Amazon chargebacks. A quick benchmark for today’s fulfillment challenges.
Finding Your Labor-on-Demand Zone Is Critical
Tompkins Ventures explains how managing demand spikes starts with identifying your “labor‑on‑demand zone”—the flexible workforce buffer beyond your fixed staffing level. Rather than staffing for peaks or overloading full‑time staff, businesses should determine their minimum weekly labor and then plan for additional needs based on volume fluctuations. Tompkins helps identify these zones and connects companies with W‑2, compliance‑safe workforce partners to scale reliably—turning labor into a strategic advantage rather than a cost liability.
Flexport Raises Fulfillment Minimum to $5,000
Beginning January 1, 2026, Flexport will increase its monthly fulfillment minimum from $500 to $5,000. The new threshold covers services like storage, freight, parcel, labeling, and credit card fees, with merchants billed for any shortfall. Unlike the prior $500 minimum, which mainly affected very small sellers, this change will hit a wide range of mid-sized brands—prompting many to explore alternative 3PLs.
Walmart’s U.S. Supply Chain Playbook Goes Global — and It’s Reinventing Retail at Scale
Walmart has taken its proven U.S. supply chain systems—powered by real-time AI and automation—and expanded them globally. From Costa Rica to Canada, Mexico to beyond, these technologies now run predictive inventory, automated routing, self-healing stock, and agentic AI decision-making across international markets. What once took months to roll out now happens within weeks, enabling smarter, faster operations that enhance customer experience, optimize fulfillment, and free up associates to focus on impactful work. This transformation is quietly reshaping retail at a global scale.
EPA Issues New DEF Guidance
The EPA has eased rules on diesel exhaust fluid faults to prevent sudden engine shutdowns. Instead of derating to 5 mph within hours, trucks now get a warning light for 650 miles or 10 hours, then a mild 15% derate for up to 4,200 miles. Only after 10,500 miles does speed drop to 25 mph. The policy applies retroactively via software updates and sets stricter standards for 2027 models.
19 Reasons You Need a Business Owner Advisory Board
This white paper from TAB Boards International outlines how peer advisory boards—comprising experienced business owners—offer invaluable support beyond what friends, family, or colleagues can provide. Through shared wisdom, accountability, and candid feedback, members gain clarity, strategic direction, stress reduction, and improved leadership skills. The report shows TAB members regularly see double- and even tenfold ROI, alongside stronger work–life balance and sustained business growth.
