The North American third party logistics industry in 2004: the provider CEO perspective

Purpose Our annual surveys seek to provide insight into important market dynamics, opportunities and problems in the North American third party logistics (3PL) industry, from the perspective of the chief executive officers (CEOs) of major logistics service companies. The information generated is not only useful to managers considering using such services, but also to provider CEOs to facilitate industry benchmarking. Design/methodology/approach For the past decade, that insight has been sought by conducting annual surveys of the CEOs of many of the largest 3PL companies serving North America. Findings The CEOs projected substantial revenue growth in the North American 3PL marketplace over the next three years. Their companies are becoming increasingly customer selective, and aggressively selling along customer supply chains. They are increasingly focusing attention on the possible large‐scale adoption of RFID technology in the industry, and seeking ways to overcome industry pricing pressures. Research limitations/implications This survey focused on the largest 3PL companies operating in North America. However, many small‐medium size companies now participate in that market, and little work has been done to document developments in that sector of the industry. Further, little research has been conducted concerning the provision and use of 3PL services in other geographies. Practical implications As previously noted, the findings not only give insight into the industry for those considering the use of 3PL services, but also give provider CEO a means of benchmarking their companies against industry averages. Originality/value Data generated in this survey provide a basis for comparison with that generated in our previous annual surveys, and an understanding of current 3PL market conditions.