3PLs
Multi-modal moves and mixed billing rules make the 3PL back office complex. We run POD, audit, billing, accounts receivable (AR), and compliance across all of it, inside your TMS.
The 3PL back office
A 3PL is rarely billing one way. Different customers, modes, and contracts mean different rules for what gets billed, when, and with which backup. That complexity is where errors and missed charges hide. We handle the full post-dispatch workflow across every lane and mode you run. Built for owners and ops managers who carry the admin load behind every shipment. Add outsourced bookkeeping to handle the transaction volume that comes with multi-modal complexity.
DSO Reduction
Reporting
POD Chase
Volume is the 3PL’s advantage and its exposure. A mode billed on the wrong rule, an accessorial that did not carry through, a duplicate carrier invoice paid in a busy week. None of it is dramatic on a single load.
Across the book it adds up, and it gets harder to catch as you grow. The fix is a consistent audit and billing process that runs the same way on every transaction, regardless of mode or customer.
At a few thousand transactions a month, small error rates turn into real money.
Different customers and modes bill differently. One wrong rule and the invoice is short or rejected. We apply each customer’s rules per transaction.
Charges that carry differently by mode slip through. A pre-billing audit catches them before the customer invoice goes out.
At volume, duplicate and overbilled carrier invoices get paid in busy weeks. Invoice audit and duplicate detection stop them first.
Tracking authority and insurance across a big carrier base is easy to let slip. We monitor it continuously.
We map your modes, customer billing rules, TMS, and volume.
A dedicated team trains on your contracts and systems. About 2 to 3 weeks.
Audit, billing, AR, and compliance run on every transaction, every mode.
Add lanes, modes, and volume without adding back-office staff.
The result is a back office that keeps up with your volume:
We work inside the platforms you already run, with no migration and no new software to learn.
McLeodTMWAljexMercuryGateTaiTurvo
Yes, that is the normal case for a 3PL and it is built into how we work. During onboarding we document each customer’s billing rules, required backup, and timing, then the team applies them per transaction. The goal is that a load bills the right way the first time regardless of which customer or mode it belongs to.
For 3PLs the two functions that move the needle first are shipper billing and ownership and transaction reporting. Benchmark your current billing lag with the DSO calculator.
It changes the rules, not the workflow. POD and backup still have to be retrieved, invoices still have to be audited, and customers still have to be billed and collected. We adapt the inputs per mode while keeping one consistent process so nothing falls between modes.
With a process that runs the same way on every transaction and an audit step that runs before money moves. Duplicate detection and invoice audit catch carrier overbilling, and pre-billing review catches missed or misapplied charges before the customer invoice goes out. Consistency is what keeps a small error rate from becoming a large dollar figure across thousands of transactions.
Yes. We operate inside your existing platform, including McLeod, TMW, Aljex, MercuryGate, Tai, and Turvo. Your data and reporting stay in place.
Yes. Bookkeeping is a standalone add-on delivered by a separate dedicated team inside QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, or Sage. For a 3PL running high transaction volume across modes, it keeps settlement and your books current without adding internal staff.
3PL back-office support is the financial and document side of moving freight for multiple customers: POD and document chase, carrier invoice audit, shipper billing, accounts receivable and collections, and bookkeeping. It is handled as a dedicated function so your team can stay on operations and growth.
Many 3PL customers require invoices through EDI or their own portal instead of email, and each has its own format, reference fields, and timing. Getting it right means mapping every customer rule and submitting complete invoices the first time, which is where a lot of 3PL billing delays begin.
Pricing is scope-based and scales with load count, so the cost tracks the work instead of a fixed salary. For most 3PLs it runs below the fully loaded cost of an equivalent in-house team, with no hiring or turnover to manage.
A broker matches shippers and carriers and bills the spread. A 3PL often manages multiple modes, warehouses, and customer-specific rules, which makes its billing more complex. Both depend on the same disciplines: clean invoicing, carrier invoice audit, and steady AR follow-up.
Catch duplicates, overpayments, and rate discrepancies before they are paid.
Catch missed and misapplied charges before the customer invoice goes out.
Consistent invoicing and follow-up to keep receivables from aging.
Get Started
Most clients begin with POD chasing or invoice verification, then grow into full back-office management.
