Ecommerce Logistics for Imported Inventory

Ecommerce logistics for imported inventory

Our ecommerce logistics service covers the port-side steps between a container arriving at Long Beach or Los Angeles and your inventory being received and sellable at a fulfillment center. We dray the container, unload it, sort and count cartons by SKU, label and palletize to the receiving network's requirements, hold overflow stock in our Long Beach warehouse and deliver by LTL or full truckload to booked appointments.

Our role sits upstream of order fulfillment. We do not pick and pack individual customer orders. We make sure bulk inventory reaches the marketplace fulfillment network, your own 3PL or your warehouse in a condition that gets it received quickly, because every day freight waits at a receiving dock is a day it cannot sell.

Why ecommerce import logistics has changed

Many online sellers once shipped low-value orders directly to customers as individual parcels under the de minimis exemption. CBP suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for shipments from all countries effective August 29, 2025, so those parcels now require formal or informal entry with duties paid.

That change has pushed more sellers toward importing in bulk by ocean container, clearing once through a customs broker, and distributing domestically. Bulk ocean imports bring a different set of tasks: drayage, free time, container unloading, carton prep and freight delivery to fulfillment centers. That is the part of the chain we handle. For the full import picture, see our importing guide for Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Fulfillment center freight prep checklist

Fulfillment center freight prep means making cartons and pallets match the receiving network's rules before they ship. Rules differ by network and change often, so we work from the current requirements you send us. These are the areas they usually cover.

How a floor-loaded container becomes FC-ready inventory

Most ecommerce containers arrive floor-loaded, with loose cartons stacked to the ceiling to maximize cube. This is how we turn one into deliverable shipments.

1. 01
   Plan the split before arrival

   You send the packing list by SKU and carton, and the shipment plan showing how many cartons of each SKU go to each fulfillment center or to storage. We plan labor and pallets against it.

2. 02
   Drayage within free time

   We pull the container from the terminal on our own chassis and bring it to our Long Beach dock, planning to the last free day so demurrage does not start before unloading.

3. 03
   Unload, count and sort by SKU

   We unload the container carton by carton, count each SKU against the packing list, note damage and set aside cartons that fail size or condition checks.

4. 04
   Label and palletize per destination

   Cartons get the labels you generated for each shipment. We build pallets to the receiving rules, or keep cartons loose for small parcel or LTL shipments when that is how the network wants them.

5. 05
   Ship and store the rest

   Shipments go out by LTL or full truckload to their appointments. Remaining cartons stay in our warehouse as overflow inventory for later replenishment.

Overflow inventory storage and ecommerce warehousing

Overflow inventory storage is bulk stock held outside the fulfillment network and sent in as the network accepts it. Fulfillment networks often limit how much inventory a seller can send or charge more for long-term or peak-season storage. Holding the bulk of a container near the port and replenishing in smaller shipments keeps you within those limits while protecting against stockouts.

Our Long Beach warehousing tracks inventory by SKU with barcoding and a warehouse management system, so you can see what is on hand and request replenishment shipments by SKU and carton count. Storage near the port also shortens the trip for the next inbound container, since our dock is where it gets unloaded anyway. See also our national warehousing service.

Example: a seller imports a 40-foot container with 1,000 cartons across 25 SKUs. The fulfillment network will accept 400 cartons now. We ship 400 cartons in two LTL loads to two fulfillment centers and hold 600 in storage, releasing 150 every few weeks as sell-through data supports it. Figures are illustrative.

LTL or truckload to fulfillment centers

The right mode depends on how much is going to each destination. This is a general guide; our FTL vs. LTL comparison goes deeper.

Common ecommerce logistics mistakes

• Supplier cartons with no SKU markings. Unmarked cartons slow sorting and invite mislabeling. Ask suppliers to mark SKU and quantity on two sides of each carton.
• Shipment plans created before the container is counted. If the factory short-shipped a SKU, labels for cartons that do not exist cause receiving problems. Let us count first when timing allows.
• Mixed SKUs in master cartons. Networks that require single-SKU cartons will reject or rework them. Sorting and repacking at our dock is cheaper than rework at the destination.
• Planning around the vessel ETA alone. Containers can sit on holds. Plan to free time and let us pre-pull through container storage when appointments are not yet available.
• Sending everything at once. Overloading the fulfillment network can trigger storage fees or capacity limits. Hold the surplus near the port and replenish.

Frequently asked questions