Almost 40 million people live in California alone. If you have a large consumer footprint here, it helps to have an order fulfillment partner you can trust in the state to help you serve this gigantic market! In this article, you will find some of the best 3PLs in California.
Read more about warehousing and fulfillment in Los Angeles, CA.
Read more about 3PLs and warehousing in Oakland, CA.
For this list, we’re focusing primarily on small, local 3PLs with a few exceptions. That’s because small 3PLs tend to provide better regionalized service and are more flexible when it comes to the needs of growing eCommerce businesses.
With that in mind, we’re selected the following 3PLs because they excel in one or more of the following areas:
- Quality of service and/or good reviews
- Prime warehouse locations
- Hard-to-find value-added services
- Overall rock solid fulfillment center on the supply chain
1. Mainfreight
Mainfreight is a global logistics company that offers an all-in-one service for freight, transportation, and warehousing. With over 300 locations around the world, Mainfreight is not a small company, but it may nevertheless be a very good fit for yours.
In Mainfreight’s own words, they are a “supply chain partner to manage your logistics movements from start to finish.” That means they can take care of everything that comes after manufacturing, starting from picking up inventory at the factory all the way to sending individual items to individual customers.
If you’re looking for a single company to take care of your supply chain processes, Mainfreight may be the right fit.
Location: Over 300 locations, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Moreno Valley.
Key Advantages
- Great all-in-one service for freight, transportation, and warehousing.
- Multiple locations throughout the world.
- In business for 44 years and counting.
- Over 300 branches worldwide.
Learn more: Mainfreight
2. MasonHub
If you’re looking to ship beauty and wellness products, MasonHub might be a perfect match for your California 3PL warehouse. Their founders are veteran retail leaders who have worked with every problem you can imagine from outdated technology to overcomplicated processes to insufficient resources. That’s why they’re focused on creating simple, easy-to-manage order fulfillment processes for rising omnichannel beauty and wellness brands.
Many of the services which MasonHub provides are specialized around the unique needs of beauty and wellness products. In particular, they support VIP/influencer orders complete with custom unboxing experiences. They are very familiar with the importance of making these recipients extra happy.
They are also excellent at fulfilling subscription boxes which are common in the beauty and wellness industry. Items are held in a temperature-controlled warehouse which is especially important for cosmetics. They are also capable of fulfilling CBD and nutraceutical orders as well.
Location: CA, PA
Key Advantages
- They specialize in order fulfillment for beauty and wellness.
- Support for VIP/influencer and unboxing orders.
- Able to fulfill CBD and nutraceutical orders.
- Located in both California and Pennsylvania, allowing for timely fulfillment on both the east and west coast of the US.
Website: MasonHub
3. Shwexpress
Shwexpress is a fairly small company (3PL warehouse California) with some very attractive service offerings. In addition to providing order fulfillment services, Shwexpress also provides freight forwarding, product quality control, and robust returns management. If you need a company that’s small enough to be able to reach someone you know on the phone, but big enough to handle most of your supply chain, this is a good fit.
Shwexpress also has an in-house platform that you can use to run all your operations which connects to Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Wayfair, Sears, Shopify, Groupon & Etsy. This will allow you to see your orders, inventory, and all other operational activities in real-time.
Location: Los Angeles, CA and Houston, TX
Key Advantages
- Great locations allow for rapid delivery to west and central US (3PL Los Angeles)
- Able to provide nearly complete supply chain management services including freight forwarding.
- Excellent quality control processes that will make it easier for you to resell returned items.
Website: Shwexpress
4. Ware-Port
Ware-Port (3PL warehouse CA) views their warehouse less like a “house” and more like an “airport.” Specifically, that means when packages come in, they are picked, sorted, kitted, and are ready to fly to the destination within hours.
Ware-Port offers many services that would be attractive for B2B and D2C companies, such as same-day shipping, returns handling, and branded packaging. Ware-Port especially emphasizes speed, mentioning multiple times on their website that two-day shipping has become a standard service rather than a premium one.
Location: Livermore, CA
Key Advantages
- Emphasis on speed
- Offers same-day shipping on all orders received before noon.
- Able to fulfill in custom branded packaging.
- Able to fulfill perishable food and beverage items.
Website: Ware-Port
5. Ideal Fulfillment
Ideal Fulfillment is a full-service 3PL located extremely close to the Los Angeles and San Diego ports. If you can name a 3PL-related service, Ideal Fulfillment probably provides it (3PL warehouse Los Angeles).
Ideal Fulfillment provides great standard eCommerce fulfillment services as well as kitting and assembly and custom packaging options. They are also able to handle food and lot tracking, as they are registered with the FDA and capable of handling expired items. They can handle freight and drayage, Kickstarter fulfillment, cross-docking and transloading, and custom projects.
In short, if you need an order fulfillment partner that can handle just about any order fulfillment project you can see yourself needing on the west coast, this is a good option!
Location: Temecula, CA
Key Advantages
- Huge variety of service offerings.
- FDA registration allows them to handle perishable items.
- Freight & drayage services to move items from your current warehouse with their own truck fleet.
- Able to fulfill crowdfunding campaigns.
- Can handle cross-docking, transloading, and repalletization as needed.
- Very open to custom fulfillment projects.
Website: Ideal Fulfillment
6. ShipDepot
ShipDepot is another excellent option for order fulfillment. They take particular pride in their operational excellence and are obsessed with finding newer, faster technologies to improve their processes and keep their customers happy.
ShipDepot offers a lot of different attractive service offerings that go beyond standard order fulfillment. They provide EDI and retail fulfillment, which is always good for scaling a business. They also provide kitting and assembly, subscription box fulfillment, branded packaging, B2B fulfillment, Amazon FBA prep, crowdfunding fulfillment, and more.
In addition to standard order fulfillment services, ShipDepot also offers secure storage, LTL and FTL freight services, cross-docking, and temperature-controlled warehouses. They are also able to fulfill CBD, food and beverage, and automotive orders.
Location: Palmdale, CA
Key Advantages
- Robust order fulfillment options including kitting and assembly, subscription boxes, FBA prep, and crowdfunding fulfillment.
- Able to fulfill CBD, food and beverage, and automative orders.
- LTL and FTL freight services.
- Temperature-controlled warehousing.
- Customer service with a dedicated account manager.
Website: ShipDepot
7. ShipCalm
ShipCalm is another up-and-coming option for order fulfillment option that offers a full array of eCommerce order fulfillment services. That includes everything from retail fulfillment to kitting and assembly, subscription boxes to FBA prep, and even crowdfunding fulfillment.
What sets ShipCalm (3pl california) apart is that they are able to handle a lot of items that other warehouses are not able to ship. That includes hazardous materials, wine and spirits, CBD, and even raw materials. They are also registered with the FDA and are able to fulfill perishable items.
Location: CA, IN
Key Advantages
- Wide variety of eCommerce fulfillment services.
- Able to fulfill hazmat, wine and spirits, CBD, and raw materials.
- FDA registered and able to fulfill perishable items.
- Wide variety of software integrations.
- Good locations for western and central US fulfillment.
- One of the best 3pl for small business
Website: ShipCalm
8. Arc Sentry
Founded in 2015, Arc Sentry is another good option for both B2B and B2C fulfillment. They boast dock-to-stock times as fast as 2.5 hours from container arrival. On top of that, they provide 99.999% inventory accuracy. That kind of speed and quality is a rare combination.
In addition to being very good at maintaining quality inventory records, Arc Sentry provides a full suite of eCommerce order fulfillment options including EDI/retail fulfillment, kitting and assembly, subscription boxes, branded packaging, B2B fulfillment, returns processing, real-time support, Amazon FBA prep, and even special requests.
Interestingly, Arc Sentry also provides the ability to ship food and beverages, wine and spirits, CBD, raw materials, and published materials. If your inventory ends up sitting in the warehouse longer than you expect, Arc Sentry also has good long term storage options. This company is a great shipping option no matter your order volume.
Location: TX, CA
Key Advantages
- Able to ship food and beverages, wine and spirits, CBD, raw materials, and published materials such as books.
- Offers longterm storage.
- Good locations for western and central US fulfillment.
Website: Arc Sentry
9. FreightReady
Located in both California and Texas, Freight Ready is an eCommerce order fulfillment company that can handle just about any item you send to them. Hazardous materials, big and bulky items, food and beverages, wine and spirits, CBD, nutraceuticals, raw materials, published materials, and automotive parts are all fair game for Freight Ready.
Being able to handle all those categories of items already puts Freight Ready in rare company. They also have the benefit of being very well located and able to ship quickly to the western and central US.
In addition, Freight Ready also offers some attractive value-added services. To name a few, Freight Ready provides secure storage, freight services including FTL and LTL, as well as transloading and cross-docking capabilities. As you might imagine given the items they are able to fulfill, Freight Ready provides humidity control, secure storage, and even long-term storage.
Location: TX, CA
Key Advantages
- Able to ship nearly anything, including big & bulky items, hazmat, food & beverage, wine & spirits, CBD, nutraceuticals, raw materials, published materials, and automotive parts.
- Offers additional services such as secure storage, FTL & LTL, transloading, cross-docking, long term storage, and humidity control.
- Good locations for western and central US fulfillment.
- Integrations to all major eCommerce platforms
Website: FreightReady
10. WSI
If you’re looking for a slightly larger order fulfillment center that’s been around a while, WSI is one good option. They offer DTC and B2B fulfillment, FTL/LTL freight, small parcel, and white glove transportation. That’s a pretty healthy mix of services!
WSI can handle most order fulfillment tasks, including EDI, kitting and assembly, subscription boxes, branded packaging, FBA prep, crowdfunding, and special projects. On top of that, they are able to fulfill some of the trickier categories of items including big & bulky, hazmat, food & beverages, CBD, raw materials, published materials, and automotive parts.
The value-added services that WSI offers are attractive, including secure storage and the previously mentioned FTL & LTL freight services. They also offer transloading and cross-docking. If your inventory takes a while longer to move than you thought, they offer long-term storage. Lastly, you can also rely on their warehouses to be both temperature and humidity controlled.
Location: PA, CA, TX, IL
Key Advantages
- Good locations for rapid fulfillment anywhere in the continental US.
- Able to ship big & bulky items, hazmat, food & beverages, CBD, raw materials, published materials, and automotive parts.
- Additional services include secure storage, FTL & LTL, transloading, cross-docking, long-term storage, temperature control, and humidity control.
- Reasonable shipping costs and shipping rates
Website: WSI
11. Shipfusion
If you’re looking for a proper cold-chain shipping fulfillment warehouse, Shipfusion is a good option. They offer temperature-controlled storage and are able to provide a full suite of eCommerce order fulfillment services including EDI, kitting and assembly, subscription boxes, branded packaging, FBA prep, crowdfunding, and special projects.
Shipfusion will integrate with just about any eCommerce system you’re likely to use, including Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Amazon, Magento, eBay, Walmart, and Etsy.
In addition to being excellent in cold chain fulfillment and having the full suite of eCommerce services you would expect, Shipfusion also provides some light assistance on freight as well. If you need help with FTL & LTL, Shipfusion can do that too.
Location: Los Angeles, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Chicago, IL, and Toronto, Canada
Key Advantages
- Can ship anywhere in the continental US and Canada quickly.
- Can handle cold chain fulfillment.
- Offers full suite of eCommerce fulfillment services including EDI/retail fulfillment, kitting & assembly, crowdfunding fulfillment, and Amazon FBA prep.
- Integrates with most major eCommerce channels including Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, and eBay.
- One of the top all around logistics solutions with wide range of 3PL services
Website: Shipfusion
12. MVP Logistics
MVP Logistics goes beyond a standard order fulfillment warehouse, providing order fulfillment, freight, and even project management services. If you’re looking for a combination of freight brokerage and fulfillment warehousing, MVP Logistics is a good place to look.
MVP Logistics provides many of the eCommerce order fulfillment services in California that most would expect, including EDI, kitting and assembly, subscription boxes, branded packaging, FBA prep, and special projects. Additionally, they provide secure storage, FTL & LTL freight, transloading and cross-docking, and even long-term storage.
Also impressive is that you can reach MVP Logistics on every day of the week, including the weekends. That means you have the benefit of working with a relatively small, tight-knit company without the longer wait time sometimes associated with smaller companies.
Location: Los Angeles, CA, Minenapolis, MN, and Houston, TX
Key Advantages
- Able to ship quickly throughout the continental US.
- Combination brokerage and fulfillment warehousing.
- Provides EDI and retail fulfillment and special requests in addition to standard eCommerce fulfillment services.
- Offers secure storage, FTL & LTL, transloading, cross-docking, and long-term storage.
- Pack and shipping volume discounts to help brands with their growth plan
Website: MVP Logistics
13. Shipbots
Our final recommendation is Shipbots. It provides a full suite of eCommerce order fulfillment services including inventory, order, and warehouse management. They have 5 stars on both Google Reviews and Trustpilot and have worked with companies as large as Sony and Levi’s (which means they’re good for apparel, too!)
Shipbots is capable of fulfilling CBD, food & beverage, and nutraceutical orders. They also integrate with most major eCommerce channels including Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, and eBay. They are strategically located in the west, midwest, and eastern parts of the US, meaning that order fulfillment can be done quickly anywhere within the continental US.
Location: Los Angeles, CA, Kansas City, MO, Rocky Mountain, NC
Key Advantages
- Ideal locations for fast order fulfillment across the continental US.
- Able to fulfill CBD, food & beverage, and nutraceutical orders.
- Good reviews on Google Reviews and Trustpilot.
- Integrates with most major eCommerce channels including Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, and eBay.
- Versatile shopping carts integration
- Solid fit for your business big or small
Website: Shipbots
Getting Quotes From The Best 3PLs In California
To get an accurate quote from 3PLs, it is important to provide as much detail as possible about your products. That means providing information on the size and weight of your items and orders, the number of SKUs you sell, the location of your customers, and your packaging requirements.
Most companies will have the ability to submit requests for quotes on their website. But you need to contact multiple 3PLs to find the right one, and that's a repetitive process.
Want to skip the repetition? Get in touch with Fulfill.com and we'll help you start your search free of charge.
