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Free guide

12 Questions to Ask Any 3PL Before You Sign

An honest 2-page guide covering pricing transparency, lock-in clauses, stock accuracy, returns, customs, and the questions most merchants forget to ask until after they've signed.

  • What the monthly fee actually includes — and what it doesn't
  • The exit clause question every 3PL hopes you won't ask
  • Who pays when a picking error costs you a customer
  • How to tell if the "integration" is real or a spreadsheet in disguise

One email. The guide. No newsletter unless you ask for one.

12 Questions to Ask Any 3PL Before You Sign

1What does 3PL fulfilment actually cost — in full?

Ask for a full written rate card before you commit. You need: the monthly service fee and what it buys, the per-pallet storage rate, the per-order pick and pack rate, the per-item rate for multi-line orders, intake fees on receiving new stock, and how courier charges are billed. If the provider cannot give you a written rate card within 24 hours, that is your answer.

2Is there a lock-in contract, and what does the exit look like?

Ask for the minimum term, the notice period to terminate, and what happens to your stock if you leave. Month-to-month with 30 days' notice is the standard for e-commerce 3PLs. Watch for auto-renewing annual contracts, termination fees, and stock release fees charged on exit.

3How are pricing changes notified and applied?

Rates change. Ask: how much notice will you receive before a rate increase, and can you exit if you disagree with the new rate? A provider that can change prices with 7 days' notice and no exit right is a pricing risk to your margin structure.

4What is your stock accuracy rate, and who pays when you get it wrong?

Industry standard for picking accuracy is above 99%. Ask what theirs is and how they measure it. Then ask who covers the cost of a wrong pick: the replacement unit, the reshipping cost, and any customer refund. A 3PL that fixes mistakes at their own cost is taking the standard seriously.

5How do you handle returns?

Ask for the full returns flow: how does a return arrive, who receives and inspects it, on what criteria is it restocked vs quarantined vs disposed of, and how quickly does it appear as available stock again? Ask whether returns handling is included in the pick and pack rate or billed separately per return.

6Do you handle imported stock — and can you clear customs too?

Most fulfilment houses receive stock after it clears customs. A 3PL that is also a licensed clearing agent can clear the import and move goods directly to shelf under one job number. This removes a handoff, speeds stock availability, and gives you one point of contact from port to customer.

7Which couriers do you integrate with, and who owns the carrier account?

If the 3PL puts all your shipments through their own carrier account, you cannot see or negotiate rates directly, and switching 3PLs means losing the carrier relationship. Ask whether you can bring your own carrier accounts, and whether you have visibility of actual courier charges line by line.

8Which e-commerce platforms do you actually integrate with right now?

Ask for a live integration list — not a roadmap. Shopify and WooCommerce are table stakes. Takealot, Etsy, and Amazon integrations are more selective. Ask how the integration works (API sync or manual CSV?), who sets it up, and what error-handling looks like when an order fails to sync.

9What stock reporting do I get, and how often?

At minimum you need daily stock-on-hand, weekly order dispatch confirmation, and monthly billing reconciliation. Ask whether reporting is automated or manual, and whether you can query stock levels yourself at any time without raising a ticket.

10What insurance covers my stock while it is in your warehouse?

Your stock is the 3PL's responsibility while in their custody. Ask whether they hold goods-in-storage insurance, what the per-item and aggregate limits are, and whether you need to declare high-value SKUs separately. Ask what the claims process looks like and who initiates it.

11What does onboarding actually look like, and how long does it take?

A well-run 3PL can onboard a new merchant in 5-10 business days given complete stock and SKU data. Ask what you need to provide, who does the setup work, and what the go-live criteria are. If onboarding is described vaguely, expect delays and a rocky start.

12What happens to my stock if I need to leave?

Before you sign, understand the off-ramp. How much notice is required? Who pays the labour to pick and palletise your stock for collection? What is the timeline from notice to stock-out? A provider that makes exit difficult is using your stock as leverage.

JLog — E-commerce Fulfilment, Cape Town · [email protected] · jlog.co.za
© 2026 JetLog (Pty) Ltd.
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Instant cost estimate

Based on published VAT-inclusive rates. Your exact rate confirmed on enquiry.

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Ship from Cape Town to Durban

JLog moves high-value and fragile freight between Cape Town and Durban as a white-glove specialist 3PL. Domestic SA road and air freight, blanket-wrap and crated handling, two-person collection at origin, and named-consignee delivery at destination. We use our own vehicles on the Cape Town to Durban corridor for time-sensitive moves and Bob Go’s 11-carrier multi-courier network for rate-comparison parcel and pallet movements. Quote in 24 hours.

What we move between Cape Town and Durban

Cape Town and Durban are South Africa’s two coastal logistics anchors. The route runs roughly 1,650 km by road via the N2 and N3, and a number of regular commodity flows are JLog specialities: fine art moving between Cape Town galleries and Durban collectors, designer furniture from Western Cape ateliers to Durban interior projects, ceramics from KZN-Midlands studios to Cape Town galleries (return leg), and high-value commercial freight for clients with operations in both cities.

Service tiers — road, air, and overnight

  • JLog dedicated road — two-person crew, blanket-wrap or crated, climate-stable van, direct door-to-door in 22 to 28 hours. Best for fine art, designer furniture, and high-value crated freight where the piece needs custodial handling. We do not sort-belt or transfer via depot.
  • Standard road freight (Bob Go partners) — 2 to 4 working days. 11 SA couriers compared on every booking. Rate-comparison default for parcel and pallet movements where the piece is not finish-sensitive.
  • Domestic air freight — Cape Town to Durban King Shaka International (DUR) overnight, with onward road delivery. 1 to 2 working days. Used for time-critical small-format pieces and urgent commercial freight.
  • MDS Collivery direct — South African direct courier with single-driver chain of custody, used where Bob Go’s partner network does not match the piece profile.

Domestic SA paperwork

Movements inside South Africa do not require a SAD500 customs entry. We issue a JLog domestic waybill that carries the piece description, declared value, origin and destination details, and the chain-of-custody record. For high-value moves we attach the despatch condition report and photographic record so the receiving party can sign off against the documented state at collection.

Pack and handling on the Cape Town to Durban corridor

Crating decisions match the piece: blanket-wrap for solid case goods that can absorb knocks, foam-in-place corner-blocked cartons for ceramics and small fragile items, custom plywood crates with ISPM-15 stamping for art and designer furniture (the ISPM stamp is not required for domestic SA road but we crate to international-export standard so the piece is ready for onward international shipment without re-crating).

The two-person dedicated road crew handles the piece end-to-end: collection in Cape Town, secured loading in the climate-stable van, overnight drive on the N2 or N3, delivery and placement at the Durban consignee address, signed condition-report return to the despatcher.

Insurance and claims on domestic moves

Declared-value transit insurance applies to every consignment, matched to the commercial invoice. Domestic SA carrier claims windows are shorter than international: Bob Go partner deadlines run 3 to 7 days from delivery depending on the underlying courier; MDS Collivery requires 48 hours for any apparent damage and 7 days for concealed damage; JLog dedicated road carries our own policy with a 14-day claims window.

Sample lane data — Cape Town to Durban

  • Crate dimensions: 60 cm to 240 cm longest side; 30 kg to 800 kg gross weight per crate.
  • Handling mode: two-person carry; forklift on a standard pallet jack at warehouse; never sort-belt automation on dedicated road.
  • Transit class: general cargo with fragile flag where appropriate; DG-not-applicable; orientation marked face-up; tilt indicators external on dedicated-road consignments over 100 kg.
  • Lane: Cape Town Woodstock to Durban via N2 (coastal) or N3 (inland through Bloemfontein); 1,650 km; 22 to 28 hours dedicated; 2 to 4 working days standard road; 1 to 2 working days domestic air.
  • Quote assumptions: declared insured value as stated on the commercial invoice; piece collected at named origin; signed-for delivery at named consignee; door-to-door service.

Cape Town and Durban — why the corridor matters

Cape Town and Durban are two of South Africa’s three coastal logistics anchors. The corridor between them runs roughly 1,650 km — the N2 coastal route through the Garden Route, Eastern Cape, and Wild Coast (slower but scenically routed through Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London), or the N3 inland through Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg (the standard freight route). Most JLog dedicated-road consignments take the N3 inland because it has the better roadworks profile and the truck-stop network is more developed for overnight resting.

Both cities have working ports and international airports. Durban hosts South Africa’s busiest container port; Cape Town hosts the second-busiest plus a substantial cruise and fishing terminal. King Shaka International (DUR) and Cape Town International (CPT) both run daily express cargo lifts, so for time-critical small-format pieces an overnight domestic air route is always available. Where the piece is too large for parcel-class air, the dedicated-road run is the next best option.

Common flows on the corridor

Typical JLog flows on the Cape Town to Durban corridor:

  • Cape Town gallery to Durban collector — sold fine-art moves from Western Cape primary-market galleries to Durban or KZN coastal buyers. Crated, dedicated-road, two-person handling.
  • Cape Town design atelier to Durban interior project — designer furniture for residential and hospitality projects in Umhlanga, Ballito, La Lucia, and the KZN South Coast. Blanket-wrap or crated, two-person delivery on site.
  • Durban ceramic studio to Cape Town gallery (return leg) — work moving from KZN-Midlands studios into Cape Town gallery shows. Carded carton or crated. We coordinate the return-leg pickup to balance the lane.
  • Commercial freight in both directions — packaged goods, electronics, marketing material, exhibition stand kits. Bob Go partner network rate-comparison is the default.

Pricing — what we need to quote

To quote a Cape Town to Durban consignment we need: piece description and dimensions, declared weight, declared value, origin address in Cape Town, destination address in Durban or KZN, required service tier (dedicated road, standard road, domestic air), and delivery date. We return a quote within 24 hours. For repeat shippers we hold standing rate sheets so the booking is a single-line manifest entry. The quote is valid for 14 days from issue and is honoured at the stated rate unless dimensions or declared value change. Where the booking requires additional services (climate-stable van, two-person handling, in-home delivery and placement, packing material removal at destination), each is itemised on the quote so the receiving party sees the cost line clearly.

Related JLog services

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to ship from Cape Town to Durban?

JLog dedicated road runs 22 to 28 hours door-to-door. Standard multi-carrier road via Bob Go is 2 to 4 working days. Domestic air freight via Cape Town to King Shaka International (DUR) is 1 to 2 working days.

Do I need customs paperwork to move freight inside South Africa?

No. SAD500 customs entry applies only to international export. Domestic SA movements use a JLog domestic waybill carrying piece description, declared value, origin and destination, and the chain-of-custody record.

What is the JLog dedicated road service?

A two-person crew in a climate-stable van running the piece direct from Cape Town origin to Durban destination with no sort-belt and no depot transfer. Best for fine art, designer furniture, and high-value crated freight where custodial handling matters.

Can you do same-day collection in Cape Town for next-day delivery in Durban?

Yes for dedicated road on consignments booked before 10:00 SAST and for domestic air freight on parcel-class pieces. The driving distance is the limiting factor for road; the next-flight-out lift is the limiting factor for air.

What is the carrier claims window for a domestic Cape Town to Durban consignment?

Bob Go partner deadlines 3 to 7 days; MDS Collivery 48 hours apparent and 7 days concealed; JLog dedicated road 14 days under our own policy. Declared-value transit insurance applies to every consignment matched to the commercial invoice.

Do you use Bob Go and MDS Collivery for the Cape Town to Durban lane?

Yes. Bob Go’s 11-carrier multi-courier network is the rate-comparison default for parcel and pallet movements. MDS Collivery is used where the piece needs single-driver chain of custody and Bob Go’s partner network does not match the profile.

Where in Durban do you deliver?

Anywhere in Durban metro and the surrounding KZN coastal strip — Umhlanga, Ballito, Durban North, Berea, Westville, Hillcrest. For consignments to KZN inland (Pietermaritzburg, KZN Midlands, Drakensberg) we extend the dedicated-road run accordingly.

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