What 3PL means
3PL stands for third-party logistics. You outsource all or part of your supply chain to a logistics provider that stores your products in its warehouse and delivers them to your customers – in your company's name. Typical reasons are to free up time and space, avoid tying capital to warehouse premises and staff, and be able to scale the operation up and down as demand changes.
A 3PL is the operating warehouse partner. It is not automatically your importer, customs broker or tax representative. For an international brand that separation is useful: the physical logistics can be outsourced while you retain control of commercial strategy, stock ownership and customer relationships.
What we handle
As your 3PL partner we take responsibility for the whole flow in the warehouse and aim for high service levels, delivery quality and delivery accuracy. We handle everything from small-item picking on shelves to bulky goods that need a lot of floor space, and everything in between:
| Area | What it means |
|---|---|
| Receiving | Unloading and receiving pallets, cartons, containers or other agreed goods, checked and registered in the WMS. |
| Storage | Pallet, floor or shelf storage based on your product profile. See Warehousing in Sweden. |
| Order handling | B2B, B2C or mixed pick-and-pack workflows. See Ecommerce fulfillment and B2B logistics. |
| Shipping | Orders packed, labelled and handed to the carrier for delivery across Sweden. |
| Returns | Receiving, inspecting and restocking returns according to your rules. See Returns management. |
| Warehouse services | Replenishment, stocktaking, labelling, truck unloading and loading, heavy goods handling and pallet breaking. |
Benefits of working with a 3PL
The main benefit is that specialists take care of warehousing and logistics, so you can use your own expertise where it creates the most value.
- Save time – less administration and no warehouse staff to manage.
- Optimise costs – capacity that scales up and down with your needs, instead of fixed premises and headcount. See how 3PL reduces fixed costs.
- Faster shipping – a structured warehouse flow helps orders leave on time, which keeps customers satisfied.
- Control of your stock – every step is scanned, so you have full visibility.
- Personal service – we work in close contact with you as a customer.
We have the warehouse and logistics resources to handle both intensive peak seasons and one-off monthly campaigns, and the setup can be scaled down again in quieter periods.
Full visibility in Ongoing WMS
Everything we do is scanned, and you can follow what happens in your stock and with your deliveries in our warehouse management system, Ongoing WMS. The system has a user-friendly interface and the flexibility to handle different types of goods flows efficiently. It can also be connected to your existing business and ecommerce systems – Ongoing has documented integrations with many webshop platforms, ERPs and shipping tools, as well as an API. Which integration fits your setup is confirmed during onboarding. See Integrations.
Location and transport links
Our warehouse is in Karlholmsbruk in Tierp Municipality, Uppsala County, close to the E4 – Sweden's main north–south motorway. By road it is a little over half an hour from Gävle, about one hour from Uppsala and about 1.5 hours from Stockholm. We ship to customers throughout Sweden.
Goods arriving in Sweden by sea or air – for example through the Port of Gävle, Stockholm Norvik or Stockholm Arlanda Airport – can be transported on to our warehouse after the terminal. See Ports and airports.
For international companies
If your company is based outside Sweden, a Swedish 3PL can give you stock close to Swedish customers without leasing and staffing your own warehouse. A typical process looks like this:
- Map your current logistics model and the markets you want to serve first.
- Define inbound units, SKU profile, order types, returns and any special handling.
- Agree systems, stock ownership and data responsibilities.
- Plan the opening stock and warehouse onboarding.
- Set service levels, exception rules and reporting.
- Go live and review volumes, quality and capacity as the business grows.
Customs, importer and VAT roles must be settled with your customs broker and advisers before the first shipment; our warehouse process is then designed around that setup. Read more in Nordic fulfillment for international brands and our guide to importing goods from outside the EU.
Getting started
You are welcome to contact us and book a no-obligation meeting. Tell us about your products, expected volumes, sales channels and current systems, and we will go through which setup could work. Read how the start-up works on our onboarding page.
Frequently asked questions
Can Karlholm Logistics handle both B2B and B2C orders?
Yes. We handle logistics for companies selling to businesses, to consumers, or both. The exact workflow – for example pallet deliveries to retailers alongside parcel orders to consumers – is defined when your setup is designed.
Is 3PL only for large companies?
No. No customer is too small for us, and there is no single volume threshold. Your product range, order profile, seasonality and internal resources matter as much as the number of orders.
Can we follow our stock and orders?
Yes. Everything we handle is scanned, and you can follow stock and deliveries in our warehouse management system, Ongoing WMS, which can also be connected to your existing webshop or business systems.
Do you act as importer or customs agent?
No. We are the warehouse operator. Customs representation, importer of record responsibilities and VAT registration are handled by your customs broker and tax advisers; we design the warehouse process around the setup you choose.
Where do you deliver?
We ship to customers throughout Sweden. If you also want to serve customers in other countries from our warehouse, tell us your target markets and we will go through which transport options can work for your order profile.