Both technology and shipper-3PL relationships play major roles in this year’s 2026 30th Annual 3PL Study, “Transforming the Supply Chain: Leveraging Technology and Relationships for Success.” The findings highlight how shippers and logistics providers have long agreed that their relationships are successful and it’s clear that both sides experience positive benefits. But only recently have advancements in technology been key drivers of that success.
The survey polled shippers, 3PLs and 4PLs worldwide. Most of the 2026 3PL Study survey respondents were concentrated in the U.S., Europe and Canada, representing industries such as food and beverage, high tech and electronics, manufacturing, and automotive, among other sectors. The in-depth study is created annually by supply chain professor Dr. C. John Langley, and is sponsored by NTT Data and Penske Logistics.
Here’s a look at a few of the top findings from the 2026 30th Annual 3PL Study:
Strategic relationships rule
Shippers are increasingly turning to 3PLs for strategic reasons: their ability to provide adaptability and innovation in a volatile operating environment. Shippers’ motivators include relief from supply chain disruptions (81%) as well as digital transformation and technology integration (57%) as priorities.
Both 3PLs and shippers are aligned on cost optimization through collaboration is an important driver (56% for 3PLs and 76% for shippers). 3PLs also cited their customers are motivated by end-to-end visibility (61%) and customized/value-added services (61%).
Both groups noted the continued trend toward partner consolidation, suggesting prior optimization efforts are maturing. In the 2026 responses, both shippers and 3PLs reported less use of outsourced logistics than in the prior year’s survey though outsourcing is viewed not only as more strategic but more collaborative, based on many of the drivers cited earlier.
Shipper-3PL relationship have clearly pivoted from just transactional to strategic. This requires time, trust, alignment on shared goals and often joint investment with relationships built on performance. And even the way the two sides measure the effectiveness of collaboration is changing. Quarterly business reviews (QBRs), SLAs and gain-sharing agreements are among the top mechanisms for collaboration. Other ways to collaborate noted include joint steering committees and innovation hubs.
Technology gains ground, driven by analytics
There’s no doubt the accelerated pace of tech innovation is transforming logistics, serving to heighten the capabilities shippers expect from their providers. This makes technical expertise and IT systems a key differentiator for 3PLs. The 2026 found while both shippers and 3PLs are engaging with emerging technologies, current adoption isn’t considered at an advanced level. In other words, legacy approaches are still prevalent.
The “IT gap” remains: only 57% of shippers said they were satisfied with their 3PL’s technology capabilities. Barriers to greater technology adoption by 3PLs include securing capital and building compelling business cases for new tech investments, along with risk aversion and lack of skilled talent.
But despite the apparent dissatisfaction by shippers of their assessment of their 3PL’s pace of technology adoption, 73% of 3PLs said they leverage AI and machine learning (ML) solutions, compared to only 67% of shippers.
Similar to findings we reported on in last year’s 3PL study, AI and ML are gaining prominence especially to enable better use of data across the supply chain and do things like analyze data and optimize networks. Likewise, investment in and use of advanced analytics was cited by both 3PLs and shippers as a leading priority.
Similarly, both groups are adopting emerging technologies to create digital supply chains that improve the flow of goods, information and finances. Fully 70% of shippers said they’re making “significant use” of digital supply chain technologies, compared to only 13% of 3PLs.
Getting a grip on tariffs
One of the biggest current impacts to the supply chain is the disruption caused by the tariffs on U.S. imports and evolving trade policies, triggering many shippers to reassess their sourcing, production and distribution strategies.
Taking a cue from lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, shippers and 3PLs are pursuing a number of strategies to mitigate the tariff dynamics. The good news: both groups in the 2026 3PL study reported they are confident of their ability to adapt to the tariffs.
The bad news: it’s not just shippers (or consumers) who are affected by the tariffs. The study cited commentary from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) on the hit that 3PLs are taking: not only from the cost perspective but from the supply chain architecture and responsiveness viewpoints as they assist cargo owners to solve problems from the tariff disruptions.
According to the 2026 3PL study, short-term strategies of shippers to deal with the dynamic tariffs include shifting to alternative sourcing approaches, identifying new foreign suppliers, and modeling tariff risks. A fair amount of 3PLs (41%) reported no plans to implement short-term tariff strategies. Similar numbers of 3PLs said they plan to source domestically, and a smaller portion said they’ll purchase from premium domestic suppliers.
Both shippers and 3PLs suggest that long-term strategies have caused them to reevaluate product portfolios and reestablish manufacturing bases, which includes nearshoring (as the 2025 3PL study also identified). About one-third of each the shipper and 3PL respondents indicated they have no plans for long-term tariff strategies.
Addressing the talent gap
Shortages of skilled talent in logistics isn’t new and the gap is widening, according to the 2026 3PL Study. Within the past decade of studies, talent shortages have been noted such as in 2024 when the majority of 3PLs reported labor shortages were impacting their SLAs. Another key contributor to the current talent shortages is the imminent retirement of many seasoned professionals who helped shape modern supply chains.
The 2026 study called out lack of investment in younger professionals. The CSCMP said that many 3PLs fail to spend much of their annual budgets on employee development. The disconnect is especially noticeable during periods of disruption when companies realize they lack the internal expertise to adapt quickly. In response, shippers are increasingly asking their 3PLs for transparency around talent strategy as part of their QBRs.
Addressing the broader talent gap requires not only cultivating the next generation of supply chain leaders through education, certification and continuous learning but also fostering adaptable talent capable of navigating technology-driven environments.
Among 3PLs, 29% of the cohort reported inadequate talent as the third most cited barrier to greater technology investments (after making the business case and securing capital). The study noted that even as technology continues to transform operations, it is skilled professionals who ultimately enable agility, resilience and innovation.
In conclusion, the 2026 30th Annual 3PL Study findings underscored the continuation of mutually beneficial, strategic relationships between shippers and their 3PLs. Shippers want their 3PL to provide adaptability, innovation and resilience in today’s volatile operating environments (such as navigating the changes required from the tariffs). Lastly, the majority of shippers said their 3PLs help to improve their customer service and reduce costs while providing new and innovative ways to improve logistics effectiveness.
The 2026 3PL study is available for download at www.3PLStudy.com.