Real Supply Chain Advice. No Bull.
The 3PL Cowboy is an operator-led supply chain advisor. He helps brands evaluate, benchmark and select fulfillment partners — and helps 3PL operators sharpen operations, growth strategy and real estate decisions — with operator-grade judgment and a process built to de-risk every call.
Operating & account experience across recognized brands
What The 3PL Cowboy Does
Supply chain advisory for brands and the 3PLs that serve them.
Thirteen engagements, two audiences, one operator who has run both sides. Every one is scoped around a decision you are about to make.
For Brands
Choose, price and run fulfillment with an operator on your side.
Selecting a 3PL, finding out whether your rates are competitive, deciding whether to stay in-house, and designing the network behind it.
- 3PL Selection & Diligence
- Fulfillment Cost Benchmarking
- Insource vs. Outsource
- Warehouse RFP Management
- Distribution Network Design
- Parcel & Transportation
- Industrial Real Estate
- Peak & Overflow Capacity
- International Expansion
For 3PLs
Run a tighter operation and win bigger accounts.
Throughput, labor and margin discipline on the floor; positioning, pricing and enterprise pipeline on the commercial side; the real estate to grow into.
- 3PL Operations Advisory
- 3PL Growth Strategy
- Industrial Real Estate
- Network Expansion
- Peak & Overflow Capacity
- Executive & Board Advisory
Two ways to work together. A scoped project when it’s a decision — weeks, not months. Fractional operations, growth or strategy leadership when it’s a seat — one to three days a week, 90-day outcomes. How fractional works →
- Operator-led 17+ years running the floor, 60+ facilities launched
- Both sides of the table advising brands and 3PLs concurrently
- Scope and fee explained first before anything moves forward
Testimonials
What Brands Say
“We came to Mike because our existing 3PL was struggling to keep up with our volume and get orders out on time. At 2.6 million orders per year, finding the right partner wasn’t a simple task. Within two weeks, Mike guided us through the entire RFP process, helped us evaluate our options, and ultimately connected us with a new 3PL partner that could support our operation and scale with our growth.”
“Mike was referred to me by a close friend in the industry when we were opening two dedicated operations for RFP. We evaluated 26 different options, and Mike was the only one who truly understood what we needed without requiring a ton of direction from our team. His ability to understand the operation, ask the right questions, and put together the right solution really stood out. I was extremely impressed with how he handled the entire process.”
“While working with one of our 3PL partners, Mike was tasked with correcting major inventory challenges across more than 450,000 SKUs. At the time, our cycle count accuracy was averaging just 61%. Mike led a Kaizen event that uncovered critical process gaps throughout both our inbound and outbound operations. After implementing the changes identified by his team, our cycle count accuracy climbed to over 98%. The improvement was transformational for our operation.”
“Working with Mike across our North American operations was a pleasure. He consistently identified opportunities to improve operational efficiency across each of our facilities, but one of his biggest impacts came from helping us develop and roll out a new pallet program across the network. The initiative ultimately delivered more than $6 million in annual cost savings and became a significant win for our organization.”
What Happens After You Reach Out
Engagement,
structured.
No provider is contacted, and no introduction is made, until the direction has your signature on it.
We review your intake
Within one business day your requirements get a principal-level review. If there’s a genuine fit, scope and timeline are agreed before anything else moves.
Requirements mapped first
Before a single provider is contacted, your operating requirements and non-negotiables become a written criteria document — approved by you first.
Execution on your terms
Only then does the market get approached — benchmarked, audited and negotiated under your mandate, with you in control at every stage.
Category Depth
Verticals We Support
Twelve categories where fulfillment gets complicated fastest — and where operator experience matters most.
Where We Work
Markets We Serve
23 distribution markets across the United States, Canada and Mexico — each evaluated for port, rail, highway access and warehouse fundamentals.
United States
Midwest
South Central
Southeast
Northeast
Mexico
Central Mexico
The Podcast
No Bull: Supply Chain Talk
Unfiltered conversations with the operators who actually carry the freight — war stories, hard numbers and decisions that mattered.
Hosted by The 3PL Cowboy
On Stage
Keynotes, Panels & Executive Sessions
The same operator perspective, live — for conferences, industry events, private summits and portfolio-company sessions.
Follow The 3PL Cowboy
Resources
Read the Latest Articles
Industrial Zoning: 3 U.S. Tiers and the Label Trap for Site Buyers
Learn how U.S. industrial zoning affects site selection, from three zone tiers and local use rules to permits, maps, utilities, and environmental checks.
Yard Management Strategy: Start With Voluntary Slots, Not Mandates
A yard management strategy can cut truck waits with appointment slots, yard housekeeping, and faster gate check in. Learn why ports phase in reservations,...
Cross Border Shipping: Operators Must Track the $800 Customs Limit
Manage cross border ecommerce shipping with operator led advice on freight, customs, landed costs, and fulfillment, informed by 17+ years of operations.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to understand before evaluating a new 3PL, reassessing an existing partner, or entering a more rigorous selection process.
What is The 3PL Cowboy, precisely?
An operator-led supply chain advisory serving two constituencies: brands making warehouse, fulfillment and network decisions, and 3PL operators pursuing operational improvement, growth and real estate strategy. Built on 17+ years running these operations at enterprise scale.
Is this 3PL matchmaking, a broker, or a directory?
None of those. This is a retained advisory built on real operating experience, applying underwriting-grade diligence — requirements mapping, capability audits, commercial benchmarking — to a decision most matchmaking services and directories shortcut with an algorithmic or database match. The depth of that process is the difference, not just an introduction.
Should we keep fulfillment in-house or hand it to a 3PL?
That’s a dedicated analysis: your building economics, labor model, throughput and service performance measured against what a competitive 3PL structure would deliver. The answer is sometimes “stay” — and the analysis says so when it is.
Do you offer fractional leadership as well as project work?
Yes. Every engagement is one of two shapes. A project is scoped around one decision — which 3PL, whether the rates are fair, where the next building goes — and ends when it is made. Fractional leadership puts an operator in a defined seat part-time: fractional Head of Fulfillment or VP Supply Chain for brands; fractional COO, Chief Growth Officer or board advisor for 3PLs, with 90-day outcomes and a planned hand-off.
We already have a 3PL. Is there still a fit?
Frequently the strongest one. The fulfillment cost analysis benchmarks your current storage, handling and accessorial economics against the market. Outcomes range from renegotiation leverage to a structured transition — or written confirmation that your deal is sound.
What does the advisory do for 3PL operators?
Operations advisory (throughput, labor, margin discipline), growth strategy and enterprise commercial development, and real estate strategy — expansion markets, site selection and facility economics tied to the business you’re actually winning.
Does it cost anything to reach out?
The initial assessment is free. How any further engagement works — scope and fee — is explained plainly before anything moves forward.
Do you speak at conferences and events?
Yes — keynotes, panel moderation and private executive or PE sessions on fulfillment economics, 3PL strategy and network design, alongside hosting No Bull: Supply Chain Talk. Inquire through the contact page.
Which markets are covered?
23 distribution markets across the United States, Canada and Mexico — Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Memphis, Los Angeles/Inland Empire, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, Indianapolis, New Jersey, Miami, Savannah, Charleston, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec City and Mexico City.
Talk to the 3PL Cowboy before your next warehouse or 3PL decision.
One conversation now can save months of the wrong contract later.