Warehousing and third-party logistics
Third-party logistics covers storage, pick and pack, and the fulfilment activity around it. It is the commercial counterpart to a customs warehouse: this page covers storage and fulfilment generally, while customs warehousing covers duty-suspended storage specifically.
TCSA reviews your enquiry and helps identify suitable member providers. The appointed provider confirms the scope and quotation.
What this covers
Retailers and e-commerce sellers holding stock for a market, importers needing a buffer between shipments, and businesses outsourcing pick and pack to avoid running their own facility.
Storage and inventory
Pallet, shelf or bin storage with inventory records and stock reporting.
Pick, pack and dispatch
Order fulfilment, packaging and carrier handover for onward delivery.
Returns handling
Receiving returns, inspecting condition and returning stock to saleable inventory where possible.
Value-added work
Labelling, kitting, rework and repacking performed before dispatch.
Who performs the work: A member 3PL operator. TCSA reviews the requirement, confirms which operators have the capacity and capability, and makes the introduction.
Limits: Storage capacity is not guaranteed until the operator confirms it. TCSA does not operate facilities and cannot reserve space on an operator's behalf.
How membership and accreditation differInformation to have ready
None of this is required to send an enquiry. It helps us confirm the appropriate route and the scope faster.
- Goods type and storage conditions required
- Expected stock levels and throughput
- Order profile — volume, lines per order, peak periods
- Whether returns handling is needed
- Carriers used for outbound delivery
- Whether the stock needs duty suspension
What happens next
The same four steps apply whatever the service. Timings are agreed with you rather than promised up front.
- 01
Requirement
You describe the goods, throughput and service level needed.
- 02
Matching
TCSA identifies member operators with the right capability and current capacity.
- 03
Quotation
The operator confirms storage, handling and fulfilment charges directly.
- 04
Onboarding
Stock is transferred and the fulfilment process is set up.
What affects the price
Charges usually combine storage per pallet or bin, a per-order fulfilment fee and charges for value-added work. Peak surcharges and minimum commitments are identified in the quotation.
Submitting the enquiry is free. The service itself is quoted before any work begins.
The provider who delivers the work sets its own rates. TCSA does not set them.
Where this is available
Confirmed for the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, the Netherlands and the United States. Other markets are reviewed on request.
Availability on a specific lane, site or regime is confirmed during review.
Who handles the work
Member operators are matched on goods type, throughput capability and carrier integrations, with membership status verified against TCSA records.
Membership of TCSA is not a statutory licence, and neither membership nor accreditation guarantees the performance of any provider. Scope and charges are agreed with you before work begins.
Questions about this service
Related services
Customs warehousing and bonded storage
Customs and excise warehouses hold goods with duty suspended until they are released, re-exported or moved on. The regime suits importers who need to defer duty, consolidate shipments or store goods for a market they are still developing.
Freight forwarding
A freight forwarder arranges the movement of goods across borders — booking space, preparing transport and customs documentation, and coordinating the parties involved. This page covers forwarding as a whole; the transport-mode pages cover air, sea and road in detail.
Road freight
Road freight covers the movement of goods by trailer, including cross-border road movements within Europe and inland legs at either end of an air or sea shipment. It suits palletised goods on predictable corridors.
The process
How an enquiry works
Find customs, freight and trade services through TCSA. Tell us what you need and we will review your enquiry, connect you with suitable member providers, or confirm whether TCSA can deliver the service directly. Submitting an enquiry does not book work or accept a quotation, and does not guarantee that a provider is available.
- 01
Choose a service and tell us what you need
Pick the service that fits and describe the requirement. It takes a couple of minutes.
- 02
TCSA reviews the requirement
We confirm the appropriate next step: a member provider, a TCSA-delivered service, or a managed sourcing process.
- 03
The agreed route responds
Suitable member providers or the TCSA team respond according to the route you agreed to.
- 04
You decide whether to proceed
Review the scope, the provider and the pricing before committing to anything.
Membership
What members get on services
You do not need to be a member to enquire. Membership changes the rate you pay and the way opportunities are routed to you as a provider.
For buyers
- Preferential rates on eligible services, confirmed with your quotation.
- Eligibility checked against your membership record, not a self-declaration.
- One enquiry route covering customs, freight, compliance and inspections.
For member providers
- Enquiries matched to your stated services, countries and language capability.
- Only enquiries you are assigned to are visible to you, in the Member Portal.
- Your details are shared only where the customer has permitted it.
Buying a service has no bearing on accreditation. Accreditation is assessed separately against published criteria.