Studies of Trends in Third-Party Logistics Usage: What Can We Conclude?

In this article, the authors address the usage of third-party logistics (3PL) as an object of academic investigation. It both covers the three established methodologies that exist for such an investigation (meta-analysis, repeated survey analysis, and reviews of literature) as well as proposes some new recommendations for the modification of future surveys to increase both the depth and scientific basis. This can be done by analyzing measurements scales, sampling previous studies, and modifying data collection methods. The authors arrive at such a recommendation by analyzing 3PL studies that combine and compare key longitudinal data. They conclude by suggesting that repeated survey analysis of arenas such as transportation outsourcing to third-party warehousing could, in conjunction with the application of a review of relevant literature, contribute significantly to a theoretical meta-analysis of an arena such as the intersection between transportation and warehousing.