Third-Party logistics (3PL), also known as logistics outsourcing or contract logistics, which has always been a easily misunderstood term in logistics and supply chain management. So what are the categories of third-party logistics companies?

1. The 3rd party logistics companies remoulded

The first is the traditional warehousing, transportation enterprises after the transformation of the third party logistics companies. These companies are large and well established. And they are the dominant in the market. Such third-party logistics companies, with their original logistics business base, operation network, facilities enterprise scale, and advantages in market, constantly expand and extend other logistics services. These realize the transformation from traditional logistics industry to modern logistics enterprises.

2. The 3rd party logistics companies emerging

The second category is the emerging third party logistics companies. The third party logistics company has not been established for a long time. It was born in the process of the introduction and development of the third party logistics concept. As these companies are not deep-rooted ,and they operate on a small scale. They only concentrate their resources in limited areas to provide high-quality logistics services. But due to the emerging of new types of third party logistics company organizational structure, enterprising corporate culture and advanced management concept, this kind of enterprise's efficiency is relatively high, so they develop fast. They usually have advanced management information system and management idea and flexible mechanism. Their management cost is low. They are dynamic in logistics enterprises of third party logistics company.

3. The 3rd party logistics companies foreign-funded

The third category is foreign-funded third-party logistics companies. On the one hand, such foreign third-party logistics companies provide extended services for the original customer multinational companies when they are entering the market. On the other hand, they attract enterprises with their business philosophy, business model and quality service. All gradually penetrate into the logistics market.