3PLs: 2008: Global Value-Adds Rather Than Price Wars on Moving Pallets

This year's 3PL CEO study reveals leading third-party logistics providers (3PL) are looking to find their way in a world in which their roles are growing and becoming increasingly complex. Conducted by IBM Global Business Services, in conjunction with Dr. Robert Lieb, Professor of Supply Chain Management, College of Business Administration, Northeastern University, the study was designed to identify current and projected trends in the logistics industry. China will remain the most important 3PL growth revenue source into 2008, as projected by the study. European 3PLs have responded to the 2004 expansion of the European Union (EU) in a number of ways, the most prevalent of which is following existing customers that are expanding into new EU member countries. While individual companies grow larger, the competitor base grows smaller. Two-thirds of the CEOs ranked continued consolidation among the most important regional changes they expect during the next three years.