logistics service provider

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Last updated: 22 June 2026Published: 19 June 2025

Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistikdienstleister

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Incoterms 2020 Simulator: Who bears costs & risk?

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Definition & Explanation

An e-commerce retailer outsourcing order fulfillment and returns, a manufacturer handing off its finished-goods warehouse – in both cases a logistics service provider steps in as the operating partner. It handles supply-chain tasks on behalf of shippers, retailers, and manufacturers: transportation, warehousing, order picking, packaging, and value-added services such as cross-docking or labeling. Large operators work as 3PL or 4PL providers, coordinating complex, multi-tier supply chains across modes and borders; smaller companies focus on specific modules such as long-haul road transport or groupage distribution. The key difference from a freight forwarder is scope: a logistics service provider routinely takes on responsibility for inventory management and handling cycles, not just shipment arrangement.

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