Lara GuevaraSupply Chain expert (Product and Service)

Ask Your 3PL These 5 Questions

16 May 2026 · 1 min

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1:00

Lara Guevara walks through five questions founders should ask their 3PL provider to cut shipping costs. Demand a line-by-line invoice breakdown, compare your pricing to industry benchmarks, identify surcharge triggers, explore ways to lower fees through volume or packaging changes, and schedule regular rate reviews. Most founders skip these conversations and leave money on the table.

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5 questions for your 3PL. Thousands in potential savings. Number 1, what does each fee on my invoice actually cover? Make them walk you through it line by line. 2, how do I compare to other brands at my volume? They know the benchmarks. Ask them to share. 3, what triggers additional charges I might not be expecting? Surcharges, peak fees, fees, minimums you are not hitting. Number 4, what would reduce my fees? Volume consolidation, packaging changes, inbound format. Ask what levers exist. 5, when is our next rate review? If the answer is we do not have one scheduled, schedule it now. These are not aggressive questions. They are normal business questions that most founders never ask because they assume the invoice is just the invoice. It is not. Schedule the call, ask these questions tomorrow. The One 24K Case Study Info.