Introduction

Location: Southeast USA
Industry: B2B & B2C eCommerce 3PL

Roles: Pickers, packers, general labor, lead roles, facilities associates, lumpers, quality control associates, recycling techs, warehouse runners, and returns associates

A leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider serving eCommerce businesses faced unpredictable demand and low fill rates, challenging their ability to efficiently fulfill orders for diverse categories like health, wellness, beauty, nutritional supplements, and pet care. As the operational backbone for lifestyle subscription services and FDA-regulated products, their consistent year-round demand and significant New Year seasonal peak required a reliable workforce. Learn how Traba stepped in to boost their operational efficiency and meet these challenges head-on.

Problem 

Unpredictable Demand Drove Low Fill Rates and Inconsistency in their Workforce

The primary challenge for this 3PL provider was managing unpredictable demand while maintaining speed and accuracy of their fulfillment operations. To address this, they needed a reliable and consistent pool of qualified personnel who could efficiently move through their facility to meet fluctuating order volumes. Inconsistency of their labor pool led to retraining costs and reduced productivity driven by a revolving door of temporary workers.

Before finding Traba, our client used 6 staffing agencies, which averaged 70% fill rates. The impact of these low fill rates was huge - they relied on 90% of their workforce from contingent staffing.

Their highest priority is and continues to be speed and accuracy of fulfillment. 

Solution

To tackle this challenge, Traba leveraged our skilled operations team to provide the 3PL with consistent, reliable and highly qualified workers, filling all shifts in <24 hours. Initially, Traba focused on fulfilling staffing needs for the 3PL’s largest client, primarily in picker and packer roles. As we demonstrated our value, our engagement expanded to cover their entire facility operations, including more skilled roles that other agencies struggled to fill. Traba achieved a 97.5% of average fill rate across all roles.

Our client prided themselves on being selective with their talent, making it more difficult for them to find dependable and quality workers. Traba was proud to hit 91% worker consistency, creating a unique and tailored pool of talent for our client to work with.

Results

Workers from Traba have consistently delivered high performance, completing hundreds of shifts through our app and significantly surpassing the provider’s initial targets. They have increased orders per hour (OPH) by an impressive 86.79%, nearly doubling the original target and setting new standards for operational efficiency. This consistent and high-performing labor not only met immediate staffing needs but also provided a reliable workforce that could be converted into full-time employees. Despite last-minute changes and inaccurate forecasts, our dynamic solution ensured the 3PL provider maintained a high standard of performance and efficiency, allowing them to remain agile, cost-conscious, and supported by a trusted partner. 

Traba remains committed to understanding their operations, maintaining on-site presence, and staying in constant communication with management to continue a great partnership.