I recently came across a great post from Michael Stolarczyk @ Exel on maintaining a solid third party logistics relationship. It suggests that anyone in the supply chain management field can rent a warehouse, buy trucks, a few forklifts and the latest logistics systems and provide their own logistics services, but to take those tools and deliver an effective service is the real challenge. Even with the latest and greatest technologies and tools to provide excellent service; time and again companies end up with failed implementations and a dysfunctional supply chain.
When selecting a logistics provider it is very important to have a real understanding of your supply chain and what you are looking for from a 3PL before going through the process. Great communication, planning, and operations management are essential to successful third party logistics.
Here are a few other related posts on the topic.
Maintaining a 3PL Relationship
Selecting a Logistics Provider