Guide
How Brands Move Inventory to 3PLs and Wholesale
Brands move stock in three legs that parcel tools do not cover: from a maker or co-packer into a 3PL, between their own locations, and out to wholesale buyers. The money is lost in sizing. Runs booked for a full truck go out half empty, and loads that fit in an SUV go in a van. Describe the load, price every vehicle size for the same move, handle the buyer's rules before the truck leaves, and check what shipped against what you booked. Parsel found a run booked as 13 pallets carrying 6 on two days a week.
Customer examples
What two customers found when they looked at their runs
Parsel is a logistics company that runs hundreds of first and middle mile moves a day to and from 3PLs. Minus Moonshine is a two-store non-alcoholic beverage shop in Brooklyn. Both were paying for moves sized on a guess, or not making them at all.
Parsel
A recurring run from Secaucus to Philadelphia was booked on a 53-foot truck for 13 pallets.
6 pallets
actually shipped on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with room for 10 more in the truck. Getcho spotted it from the BOLs and delivery photos.
Read the story
Parsel
A daily run in Miami cost $112, but the load always fit in an SUV.
$112 to $60
a run after moving it to a courier with a $10 tip to draw a driver fast, in the same 30-minute pickup window. About $1k a month on one route.
Read the story
Minus Moonshine
A two-store shop in Brooklyn could only sell online what its main store had in stock.
2 stores
now sell online, because transfers between them are booked automatically and priced into the delivery.
Read the story
The three legs
Where does brand inventory need to move?
Inbound: maker or co-packer to your 3PL
Finished goods leave the maker on pallets and must land before they can sell. These runs repeat with each production batch and usually need a receiving appointment at the warehouse.
Between your locations
Warehouse to store, store to store, or warehouse to warehouse, to put stock where it will sell. Some moves are a few cases in a car; some are pallets.
Outbound: wholesale and retail buyers
Case and pallet orders to shops, restaurants and distributors, often several stops on one route. Buyers set receiving hours, labeling and paperwork rules, and a missed rule can mean a refused load.
Comparison
Which vehicle fits which move, and how each is priced
Pallet counts assume standard 48 by 40 inch pallets that do not stack. The right size depends on the load that day, not the route.
| Vehicle | Fits | How it is priced | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or SUV | A few cases or boxes | Per trip, by distance and time | Urgent store top-ups, samples, small wholesale drops |
| Cargo van | Many cases, or a pallet or two | Per trip, by distance and time | Multi-stop wholesale routes, store transfers |
| Box truck with lift gate | Up to around 10 to 12 standard pallets in a 26-foot truck | Per trip or by the hour | Buyers without a loading dock, larger transfers |
| LTL freight | Typically one to six pallets, sharing a trailer with other freight | By weight, distance and freight class, plus extras such as lift gate or appointment | Longer moves that do not fill a truck |
| Full truckload, 53-foot | About 26 standard pallets on the floor | Per lane, for the whole trailer | Production runs from the maker into the 3PL |
Step by step
How to size, book and check inventory moves
-
1
Describe the load, not the truck
Pickup and delivery zip codes, pallet count, size and weight, whether pallets stack, dock or lift gate at each end, and receiving hours or the appointment. That is what a freight quote really needs, and it lets the vehicle be chosen for the load.
Example: Getcho asks for exactly these details on every freight request, by email, Slack or a call. More
-
2
Price every vehicle size for the same move
Quote courier, van, box truck, LTL and full truckload side by side, with how likely each one is to make the pickup and delivery windows. The cheapest option that will make the window wins.
Example: A daily Parsel run in Miami cost $112. The load always fit in an SUV, so it moved to a $50 courier with a $10 tip to draw a driver fast: $60 a run, same window. More
-
3
Decide between one more stop and one more vehicle
Adding a stop is usually much cheaper than sending another vehicle. Not always: an extra stop slows the run and raises the chance of a late arrival, so weigh it against the window.
Example: Getcho sometimes recommends Parsel pay 5% to 10% more for two single-stop runs, after weighing delays of about 5% and no-shows of about 2% on that kind of run. More
-
4
Handle the buyer's rules before the truck leaves
Set the receiving appointment, check labels and packing lists, and pass dock and entrance notes to the driver. Wholesale loads get refused over paperwork more often than over damage.
Example: Getcho handles appointments, labels, packing lists and carrier restrictions, and tracks each one until the load is signed for. More
-
5
Compare what shipped with what you booked
Read the BOLs and delivery photos against the vehicle you paid for. Recurring runs drift, and a truck booked for a full load can spend months half empty.
Example: A 13-pallet Parsel run carried 6 pallets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with room for 10 more in the 53-foot truck. Getcho flagged it so those days could be resized or skipped. More
-
6
Put transfers on autopilot
Book store-to-store and warehouse-to-store moves automatically when an order needs stock from another location, batch them, and price them into the order so they pay for themselves.
Example: Minus Moonshine routes orders to one store first and books automatic transfers from the other when needed, which took its second store online. More
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about moving brand inventory
Can't find what you're looking for? Reach out to us.
- How do brands move inventory from a co-packer to a 3PL?
- Most book the inbound leg as freight: LTL for a few pallets, or a full truckload for a production run, with a receiving appointment at the 3PL. Getcho quotes each move across courier, van, box truck, LTL and full truckload partners, books the one that fits the load and the window, sets the appointment and tracks it until it is signed for.
- How fast can I get a freight quote?
- In seconds for most moves. Send the pickup, delivery, pallet count and date, and Getcho prices van, box truck, LTL and full truckload options side by side.
- Why do freight moves go wrong?
- Mostly bad information, in every direction: a pallet count that was a guess, a dock that turns out to be a curb, a receiving appointment nobody booked, a lift gate nobody mentioned. Accurate load and address details up front prevent most refused loads, extra charges and missed windows. Getcho checks address details, like dock access and receiving hours, before booking.
- What do brands overpay for when moving stock?
- Mostly the wrong vehicle size, booked on a guess instead of the real load, and charges for addresses they didn't know were hard to reach. Parsel found a run booked as 13 pallets carrying 6 on two days a week.
- What information do I need for a freight quote?
- Pickup and delivery zip codes, pallet count, pallet size and weight, whether the pallets stack, whether each end has a dock or needs a lift gate, and any receiving hours or appointment. With those, every vehicle size can be priced for the same move.
- When should I use LTL instead of a full truckload?
- LTL fits loads of typically one to six pallets, since you share the trailer and pay by weight, distance and freight class. A 53-foot full truckload holds about 26 standard pallets on the floor and is priced for the whole trailer, so it pays off when the load fills most of it or when fewer handoffs matter. Recheck recurring runs: Parsel found a run booked as 13 pallets carrying 6 on two days a week.
- How do I know if I am paying for trucks bigger than my loads?
- Compare the BOLs and delivery photos with the vehicle you booked. Getcho does this for Parsel, which found a 13-pallet run from Secaucus to Philadelphia carrying 6 pallets on Tuesdays and Thursdays while the 53-foot truck had room for 10 more.
- Is it cheaper to add a stop or send another vehicle?
- Usually adding a stop. But an extra stop slows the run and raises the risk of missing a window, so it is not always the better deal. Getcho sometimes recommends Parsel pay 5% to 10% more for two single-stop runs, after weighing delays of about 5% and no-shows of about 2%.
- Why do wholesale loads get refused?
- Mostly over the buyer's rules: a missed receiving appointment, wrong labels, a missing packing list, or a truck that cannot use their dock. Getcho sets the appointment, checks labels and paperwork, passes entrance notes to the driver, and tracks each rule until the load is signed for.
- What kinds of inventory moves can Getcho run?
- Store to store, warehouse to store, store to warehouse, 3PL to store, 3PL to 3PL, maker or co-packer to 3PL, and out to wholesale buyers. Each move is priced for its own load, whether that is a few cases or a full trailer.
- Can one platform handle both courier deliveries and freight?
- Yes. Getcho books everything from a car or SUV to box trucks, LTL and 53-foot full truckloads through its partner network, so store top-ups, wholesale routes and production runs share one place and the same tracking. Runs can be booked on demand, scheduled up to seven days ahead, uploaded by CSV, or set to repeat.
Explore More
Related services and stories
What business customers are saying
And their customers.
Join the best businesses in the world and start using Getcho to orchestrate all your local deliveries.
By Evandro Nadal, COO, Getcho · Last updated: