Why Using Multiple 3PLs Can Drive Freight Rates Up

Using multiple third-party logistics providers in pursuit of rate savings can backfire, according to Evans Transportation Services leadership. When shippers flood the same freight lanes with competing bids from multiple 3PLs simultaneously, carriers recognize the auction dynamic and intentionally delay accepting loads until rates rise, a phenomenon industry insiders call "broker poker." This counterintuitive outcome means that shipper strategies designed to reduce costs can actually increase them. The article highlights a broader market context where Gulf Coast load-to-truck ratios have reached extreme levels (hundreds of loads per truck), and heavy-haul and open-equipment segments face unprecedented volatility driven by AI data center construction.

These capacity constraints amplify the problem: when multiple brokers compete aggressively for limited truck availability, carriers gain leverage to hold out for premium rates. Shippers should consider consolidating 3PL relationships rather than fragmenting them, reserving multi-provider strategies only for pre-existing, trusted partnerships in specific business segments. This insight carries strategic weight for procurement and logistics teams evaluating outsourcing models.

The "outsourcing done right" approach combines focused carrier relationships with technology enablement rather than maximizing the number of broker intermediaries. Supply chain professionals must recalibrate their assumptions about competitive bidding in trucking and recognize that market saturation and information asymmetries can invert the expected cost benefits of rate shopping.