Third Party Logistics (3PL), also known as outsourcing logistics or contract logistics, refers to a logistics service model that is independent of both the supply and demand sides and provides customers with special or comprehensive logistics system design or system operation according to the National Standard of the People’s Republic of China (GB/T18354-2006). The main characteristics of third-party logistics are that, first, it has the corporate quality of providing modern and systematic logistics services; second, it can provide cargo owners with full-process logistics services including supply chain logistics and specific and customized services
services; third, it can not only provide general logistics services to cargo owners, but also provide modern logistics activities with value-added logistics services.
In cross-border e-commerce, the services of third-party logistics include: developing logistics systems and providing logistics strategies, information processing, cargo consolidation, selecting transporters and freight forwarders, warehousing, consulting, freight payment, etc.
Third-party logistics has the scale and professional advantages that cross-border e-commerce enterprises do not have. While enabling enterprises to benefit from logistics business, they also provide transportation, warehousing and distribution services to e-commerce enterprises, thereby significantly reducing the logistics costs of e-commerce enterprises. For example, AliExpress, a platform under Alibaba that specializes in cross-border exports, cooperates with Cainiao Network to provide third-party cross-border logistics services, namely Worry-Free Logistics. Worry-Free Logistics’ services include domestic collection, international distribution, logistics tracking, logistics dispute resolution, after-sales compensation, etc. At the same time, relying on the resources of the AliExpress platform, Worry-Free Logistics can help sellers resolve logistics disputes and provide after-sales services, saving sellers’ manpower and financial costs.