Marcana vs national 3PL networks
A national network with warehouses in five states is the right choice for some brands, and we will tell you when it is. For most brands shipping under a few thousand orders a month, and for nearly every brand entering the US from Latin America, a single well-run warehouse with public pricing is the better deal. Here is the comparison, written by the person who runs the warehouse.
Where the two models differ
We describe what is typical of national networks rather than naming any company, because their terms change and vary by client. Our side is the published rate card.
| What you are comparing | Typical national 3PL network | Marcana 3PL in Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Custom quote after a sales call; rates vary by client | Published rate card; the same rates for every client, visible before you talk to anyone |
| Minimums and onboarding | Monthly minimums, onboarding or integration fees are common | Plans from $89 per month, standard onboarding and integration included, no order minimum |
| Locations | Several warehouses across the US; inventory split by algorithm | One warehouse in Miami; your inventory in one place you can visit |
| Delivery reach | Nationwide two-day ground from a distributed network | Next-day ground in Florida, two days across most of the Southeast, national by air or ground |
| Latin America | Rarely a focus | Port of entry for the region, Spanish-language onboarding, receiving of cleared air and ocean cargo |
| Who you talk to | Account manager, ticket queue | The founder and a small bilingual team, same business day |
| Systems | Proprietary WMS, sometimes with integration fees | Marcana Flow on Essential; ShipHero added on Growth and Scale, included |
| Best fit | Brands shipping thousands of orders a day to every state | Brands shipping 40 to 5,000 orders a month, or entering the US from Latin America |
Choose a multi-warehouse network if
You ship thousands of orders a day
At that volume, splitting inventory across regions cuts carrier cost enough to justify minimums and integration work.
Two-day ground everywhere is the promise
If your brand promise is two-day ground delivery to every state, only a distributed network delivers it at ground rates.
You have a logistics team
Networks assume someone on your side manages inventory allocation across nodes, reports and account reviews.
Choose a single Miami warehouse if
You want the number before the call
Plans and every rate are published. You can build your logistics plan and see the monthly cost without talking to sales.
You ship 40 to 5,000 orders a month
No order minimums, standard onboarding included, and a per-order rate of $1.95 that does not depend on negotiating power.
You are coming from Latin America
Miami is the port of entry. Spanish onboarding, receiving of cleared cargo, and FBA and WFS prep from the same floor.
One location means one location
We are not going to pretend a single warehouse in Miami reaches Seattle as fast as a warehouse in Nevada. Ground from Miami is next day in Florida, two days across most of the Southeast, and three to five days to the West Coast. For lightweight parcels, USPS and carrier ground rates keep national shipping affordable; for a brand whose customers are mostly west of Texas and who expects two-day ground, we will say so and point you to a network.
- One inventory, one count, one receiving process. No allocation between nodes and no stock stranded in the wrong region.
- One address for suppliers, returns and removal orders, which keeps the paperwork simple.
- Every rate published, so growth does not trigger a renegotiation.
- A founder you can reach, a warehouse you can visit, and a team that works in your language.
Miami, FLFive questions that settle it
Where are your customers?
Pull the last 90 days of orders by state. If the Southeast and Texas dominate, Miami is a strong base.
How many orders a month?
Under about 5,000, a single warehouse with published rates is usually cheaper than a network with minimums.
Where does inventory come from?
Latin American or Caribbean origin lands in Miami. Asian origin can land anywhere; Miami still works for the Southeast.
What do you promise customers?
Same-day shipping is ours. Two-day ground to every state is theirs.
Who manages logistics on your side?
If the answer is you, choose the partner who answers the phone.
The best comparison is the one where you know both prices. Ours are on the pricing page. If a network's quote beats them for your volume and your customers are spread across the country, take it, and we will still help you prep the FBA inbound.
Questions about choosing a 3PL
For brands under a few thousand orders a month, usually yes, because there are no order minimums, standard onboarding is included, and the per-order rate is published. Above that volume, a network's distributed carrier savings can outweigh its fees.
Yes. Ground from Miami is next day in Florida, two days across most of the Southeast, and three to five days to the West Coast. Lightweight parcels ship nationwide at USPS and carrier ground rates, and air options exist for faster delivery.
Standard onboarding and integration are included in the plan. Shopify, Amazon, Walmart and TikTok Shop connect through Marcana Flow or ShipHero. Custom integration work, if you need it, is quoted before we start.
We tell you. When your West Coast volume justifies a second node, we help you split the inventory and keep Miami as the Southeast and Latin America base.
Miami is the closest US port of entry to the region, so cargo lands here without a domestic leg. Our onboarding, receiving and support work in Spanish, which most national networks do not offer as standard.
Yes. Every plan and rate is on the pricing page, and the logistics plan builder gives you a monthly number from your volumes in about three minutes without an account.
Compare with real numbers.
Build your Marcana plan with published rates, then put it next to any quote you have. If ours is not the better deal for you, we will say so.