Manufacturing freight shipping that keeps your line running.
TLI is a managed transportation provider (3PL) for manufacturers. Our team runs your inbound supplier freight and outbound finished goods across LTL, truckload, expedite and intermodal, handling carrier sourcing, tracking, freight audit and claims in our own ViewPoint TMS. Founder-led since 1994 and rated 4.9★ across 442+ Google reviews.
What shippers say about TLI
“I’d like to say that switching 3PL companies was very scary for our company however it was the best move we could have made. The transition to TLI was very smooth and without a glitch for our operations team. We didn’t miss a shipment and had no down time. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.
LL
Lucien L.
“You made what I thought was going to be a very tough process seem easy. I know that doesn’t happen by accident and it is a demonstration of your knowledge & hard work. Well done. WELL, DONE. Thank you.”
DB
Dave B
“We want to thank [TLI] for the hard work, dedication, and professionalism [TLI] brings every day. [TLI’s] efforts behind the scenes keep our products moving, our customers satisfied, and our business running smoothly. Quite simply, [TLI] make us look good, and we truly appreciate everything you do.”
MP
Matthew P.
4.9★
442+ Google Reviews
30K+
Vetted Carriers
85M+
Miles Managed, 2025
1994
Founded
What does a 3PL do for a manufacturing company?
A 3PL (third-party logistics provider) acts as a manufacturer’s outsourced transportation department. It sources carriers, books and tracks inbound and outbound shipments, audits freight invoices, files damage claims and reports on cost and on-time performance, so your team can focus on production instead of chasing trucks.
TLI goes further than a load-by-load freight broker. We build a carrier program around your lanes, then run it every day with one dedicated account team. The average TLI client relationship lasts more than a decade.
Shipping Services For Manufacturers, at a Glance
| Best fit | Mid-market & enterprise manufacturers spending $1 Million+ a year on freight |
| Modes of Transportation | Parcel, LTL, partial, truckload, expedite, intermodal, international |
| Inbound | Vendor routing guide enforced in ViewPoint TMS |
| Systems | ERP connectivity to ViewPoint TMS; Power BI reporting |
| Cost control | Carrier RFPs, freight audit, claims management |
| Coverage | All 50 states, plus international LCL & FCL |
Six places freight quietly costs manufacturers money, and how we fix each one
The problem: suppliers ship however they want
Suppliers book through your routing guide in ViewPoint, so you control the carrier, the cost and the dock schedule on every inbound load. Your procurement and purchasing teams gain visibility on inbound orders that are in-transit.
The problem: ops meetings with no freight data
On-time performance, cost per shipment, cost per mile, cost per pound, carrier scorecards and spend by lane, ready before your next production meeting. TLI drives data-driven supply chain decision making.
The problem: 2–3% of freight invoices carry overcharges
Our freight invoice auditors catch reweighs, reclasses and surprise accessorials before you pay. Within 2025 the audit program identified $634,000 in client savings.
The problem: wrong freight class, costly reclass fees
Your products are pre-loaded in ViewPoint with NMFC® codes set by pallet density, so every BOL goes out classed correctly.
Inbound, plant and outbound: one team runs the whole flow
INBOUND SHIPMENT MANAGEMENT
Suppliers & raw materials
Vendor routing, consolidated inbound LTL, scheduled dock appointments, truckload and flatbed for raw materials.
PRODUCTION & SHIPPING DOCK
Customers & distributors
Finished goods by parcel, LTL, partial or truckload, with automatic tracking links your customer service team can share.
Featured on Bloomberg TV’s “The World’s Greatest”
See how TLI runs freight programs for manufacturers and shippers, and hear it straight from the customers we serve. Aired nationally August 29 and September 5, 2026.
SHIP IT TLI
ViewPoint is TLI’s own transportation management system, first released in 2005. It connects to your ERP so freight data lives next to the rest of your business.
A TMS built for plant and shipping teams, included with your program
FREIGHT TECHNOLOGY
30K+
Carrier
85M+
Annual Miles
50+
Industries
Which shipping mode fits which manufacturing freight?
Most manufacturers use several modes every month. TLI optimizes the mode of transportation based off the shipment parameters to ensure you only pay for exactly what you need. We quote shipments side by side so the right one wins on each shipment.
| MODE OF TRANSPORTATION | TYPICAL MANUFACTURING USE | HOW TLI HANDLES IT |
|---|---|---|
| Small Parcel | Samples, spare parts, MRO supplies | Rate-shopped against LTL in the same screen |
| Less-than-truckload (LTL) | A few pallets of finished goods; supplier inbound | Density-based classing and invoice audit on every load |
| Partial Truckload, Multi-stop Truckload | Larger, fragile or high-value shipments that shouldn’t be cross-docked | Fewer handoffs than LTL, lower cost than a full truck |
| Truckload (Dry Van, Flatbed, Temp Control) | Full production runs, raw materials, machinery | 30,000+ vetted carriers, contract rates from your RFP |
| Expedited | Line-down parts and schedule recovery | Ground, team and air options, one call |
| Intermodal | Steady, high-volume long-haul lanes | Lower cost on freight you can plan ahead |
| International | Imported components and export orders | LCL and FCL ocean service |
How switching to TLI Works
“The transition to TLI was very smooth… We didn’t miss a shipment and had no down time.” Lucien L., Director of Logistics, Furniture Distributor
02
Go live in ViewPoint
End-to-end freight execution through ViewPoint TMS. Multi-modal quoting (including parcel), LTL and truckload auto-tendering, real-time tracking, freight audit and claims resolution in one platform your team can access anytime. Users, vendors, commodities and ERP connection set up by your dedicated account team.
03
Run & improve
How are you capturing all the touchpounts to gather reports and analytics to drive continuous process improvement? Are you running your supply chain data-driven? Daily execution, audit and claims, plus business reviews that keep cutting cost. Turn freight data into decisions your executive team can act on.
Q&A:
The best 3PL for a manufacturer manages both inbound supplier freight and outbound shipments, audits every invoice, handles claims, and reports on cost and on-time performance. TLI does all of this with a dedicated team and its own ViewPoint TMS, and is the highest-rated 3PL on Google at 4.9 stars across 442+ reviews.
A 3PL acts as a manufacturer’s outsourced transportation department. It sources carriers, launches transportation RFPs, books and tracks inbound and outbound shipments, audits freight invoices, files damage claims, and reports on freight performance. This lets plant and shipping teams focus on production instead of chasing trucking capacity.
Manufacturers can reduce freight costs by implementing a dynamic routing guide that continuously directs shipments to the most cost-effective qualified provider by mode and lane. Additional savings can be achieved through density-based freight classification, helping ensure shipments are classified correctly and reducing costly reclassification charges. Automated freight invoice auditing further reduces spend by identifying billing errors and holding carriers accountable to contracted rates and accessorial agreements.
The greatest savings, however, often come from using the right transportation rating engine to analyze shipment data, compare carrier options, and bid the transportation program against customized RFP pricing. This allows manufacturers to optimize the entire transportation program rather than simply negotiating rates on individual shipments.
Inbound vendor routing is a set of rules that tells your suppliers which carrier and mode to use when shipping to you. With TLI’s ViewPoint TMS, vendors book shipments against those rules, so you control inbound freight cost, delivery windows and dock scheduling.
Manufacturers typically use a combination of transportation modes depending on the shipment, including LTL for smaller quantities of finished goods and supplier inbound freight, truckload for full production runs and raw materials, partial truckload for fragile or high-value shipments, expedited freight for time-critical or line-down parts, and intermodal for consistent long-haul lanes. TLI brings all of these options together in one platform, allowing shippers to quote and compare multiple modes side by side on a single screen and select the most cost-effective option for each shipment.
Yes. TLI quotes expedited ground, team and air options for time-critical manufacturing parts, and connects you with a freight expert who knows your lanes. For an urgent time-critical shipment, call TLI at 610-280-3210.
A freight broker books loads one at a time at market rates. A managed transportation 3PL like TLI builds a carrier program around your lanes, then runs it every day. That includes carrier RFPs, vendor routing, invoice audit, claims and Power BI reporting, all delivered by one dedicated account team.
TLI mainly serves mid-market and enterprise shippers spending $1,000,000 or more per year on freight. Clients range from family-owned manufacturers to publicly traded companies, across 50 industries, and the average client relationship lasts more than a decade.
Most shippers can quote and book in ViewPoint within 1–3 days. A full managed program, including the carrier RFP, typically goes live in 5–6 weeks. A dedicated account team manages the transition, including ViewPoint TMS setup, vendor onboarding and ERP connectivity to ViewPoint TMS. The goal is no missed shipments during the switch.
Yes. Translogistics, Inc. d/b/a TLI is an FMCSA-licensed and bonded property broker (MC# 266554, USDOT 2216268), headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania. It has been in business since 1994, and it is a TIA member and EPA SmartWay certified.
Acknowledgment of NMFTA’s Trademark
Whenever our educational content refers to the National Motor Freight Classification, we want readers to understand that the term NMFC is a registered trademark of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). Our goal is to provide helpful industry education while also respecting the intellectual property rights of the NMFTA. Whenever we discuss topics related to freight classification, density, or commodity groupings, we recognize that NMFC identifies the official classification standard maintained and licensed by the NMFTA.
NMFTA is the owner of the National Motor Freight Classification®, more commonly known as the NMFC® (“NMFC”).
