Ship Smarter
Third-party logistics provider in Indianapolis offering DTC and B2B fulfillment, inventory planning, and supply chain consulting, with a proprietary SOS System dashboard layer and specialization in durable medical equipment, medical supplies, and toys/games verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ship Smarter does
Ship Smarter LLC is a privately held third-party logistics (3PL) provider headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, operating a single fulfillment center that serves direct-to-consumer and business-to-business brands. The company tailors DTC and B2B order fulfillment operations to specific brand needs through an extensive discovery process, distinguishing itself from typical 3PLs that lease warehouse space and sign WMS contracts. It has explicitly specialized in three vertical niches — durable medical equipment, medical supplies, and toys/games — and serves growth-stage brands seeking operational relief from prior poor 3PL experiences, high parcel costs, inventory constraints, and process gaps.
The company's core product is the SOS System (Ship Smarter Operating System), a proprietary operational framework that provides simplified performance and spend visibility through reporting dashboards with leading indicators and scenario planning tools. Complementary service modules include inventory planning and management, freight mode and spend analysis and optimization, 3PL warehouse selection and contract negotiation, and process and system integration consulting. Together these offerings position Ship Smarter as a consultative partner rather than a transactional warehousing provider.
Revenue is generated through two primary streams: transaction-based fulfillment fees tied to pick, pack, ship, and storage volumes, and professional services revenue from supply chain consulting engagements. The go-to-market model is consultative and sales-led, with free initial consultations booked through Calendly and a primary focus on growth-stage brands. Marketing is light-touch, relying on email newsletter signups and client testimonials (notably Battle Royale Golf) rather than paid acquisition channels.
Ship Smarter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ship Smarter
- Legal name
- Ship Smarter LLC
- Website
- https://shipsmarterllc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Third-party logistics provider in Indianapolis offering DTC and B2B fulfillment, inventory planning, and supply chain consulting, with a proprietary SOS System dashboard layer and specialization in durable medical equipment, medical supplies, and toys/games verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ship Smarter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Third-Party Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Warehousing Operations & Contract Storage (Dedicated/Shared) (TLAIAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Rate Procurement, Carrier Sourcing & RFP/Tender Management (TLAIANAF)
Keywords
Where Ship Smarter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ship Smarter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 3PL Fulfillment Services: Full-scale third-party logistics order fulfillment operations for DTC and B2B brands, including warehousing, pick and pack, and shipping services. Revenue is generated through fulfillment fees typically based on transaction volume, storage, and shipping costs passed through.
- Supply Chain Consulting: Strategic consulting services including operational audits, process optimization, freight mode and spend analysis, contract negotiation, and supply chain network analysis. Provided as part of the collaborative engagement model.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Ship Smarter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ship Smarter is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider operating an Indianapolis, Indiana fulfillment center to deliver DTC and B2B order fulfillment services, including warehousing, pick-and-pack, and shipping. The offering is anchored by its proprietary SOS (Supply Operating System) framework, which provides performance and spend visibility, and is supplemented with supply chain consulting services covering inventory planning, freight mode and spend analysis, 3PL warehouse selection, and contract negotiation.
Product overview
Ship Smarter is a 3PL (third-party logistics) fulfillment company offering a unified service platform centered around their SOS System (Ship Smarter Operating System). The core offering combines DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) and B2B order fulfillment services from their Indianapolis, Indiana fulfillment center, supplemented by strategic consulting services including inventory planning and management, freight optimization, 3PL warehouse selection, and contract negotiation. The company specializes in niche verticals: durable medical equipment, medical supplies, and toys/games. The SOS System serves as the operational framework providing performance visibility and spend analysis to drive operational excellence.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SOS System (Supply Operating System) Proprietary operational framework that removes complexity behind client operations and supply chain by providing simplified performance and spend breakdowns through custom dashboards, scenario planning tools, and reporting on leading indicators.
Quantifiable outcome
- Improved margins - Client reported 'margins are going to be improved by an insane amount'
Companies that use Ship Smarter
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Ship Smarter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Ship Smarter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Ship Smarter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Red Stag Fulfillment: U.S. 3PL focused on DTC and B2B fulfillment with an emphasis on large/bulky items and accuracy guarantees. Comparable niche to Ship Smarter in serving growth-stage brands seeking higher-service-level 3PL partnerships versus commodity warehouses.
- ShipBob: Tech-led 3PL offering DTC and B2B order fulfillment from a multi-node U.S. warehouse network. Directly comparable to Ship Smarter in target customer (growth-stage DTC brands), core service (pick/pack/ship), and bundled software/WMS offering.
- Whitebox: U.S. 3PL offering DTC and B2B fulfillment, kitting, and returns management from a multi-node network. Comparable to Ship Smarter in mid-market brand focus and bundled fulfillment-plus-services model.
- ShipMonk: Multi-node DTC and B2B 3PL fulfillment provider with proprietary OMS/WMS software. Comparable to Ship Smarter in mid-market brand focus, multi-vertical fulfillment (including health/medical-adjacent), and bundled technology offering.
- Rakuten Super Logistics: Multi-node U.S. 3PL providing DTC fulfillment, B2B distribution, and freight services. Comparable to Ship Smarter in transactional pick/pack/ship model and mid-market brand target segment.
- Deliverr: DTC fulfillment 3PL acquired by Shopify, focused on fast shipping for e-commerce brands. Comparable to Ship Smarter in DTC fulfillment focus and brand-operator target customer, though with substantially more capital and tech investment behind it.
Broad incumbents
- XPO Logistics: Large North American contract logistics provider with warehousing, e-commerce fulfillment, and dedicated transport capabilities. Comparable to Ship Smarter in contract fulfillment/warehousing but operates at vastly greater scale and broader vertical exposure.
- Ryder: Established supply chain and dedicated transportation solutions provider with e-commerce/retail fulfillment capabilities. Comparable to Ship Smarter in contract fulfillment and serving retail/DTC customers, though at enterprise scale with multi-modal offerings.
- Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): Amazon's marketplace-tied 3PL offering. Functions as the dominant incumbent alternative for DTC brands considering 3PL outsourcing; not a direct operational peer but the most-displaced benchmark Ship Smarter competes against on speed and cost.
- DHL Supply Chain: Global contract logistics incumbent offering warehousing, fulfillment, and supply chain services across verticals including healthcare/life sciences (DME-adjacent). Comparable to Ship Smarter on contract warehousing but at enterprise scale and globally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ship Smarter social profiles
Digital presenceShip Smarter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ship Smarter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Ship Smarter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ship Smarter M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ship Smarter
What does Ship Smarter do?
Ship Smarter is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider operating an Indianapolis, Indiana fulfillment center to deliver DTC and B2B order fulfillment services, including warehousing, pick-and-pack, and shipping. The offering is anchored by its proprietary SOS (Supply Operating System) framework, which provides performance and spend visibility, and is supplemented with supply chain consulting services covering inventory planning, freight mode and spend analysis, 3PL warehouse selection, and contract negotiation.
Is Ship Smarter a public or private company?
Ship Smarter is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ship Smarter founded?
Ship Smarter was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ship Smarter based?
Ship Smarter is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ship Smarter make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. 3PL Fulfillment Services are the primary driver. The others are supply Chain Consulting.
Who are Ship Smarter's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Red Stag Fulfillment, ShipBob, Whitebox, ShipMonk, Rakuten Super Logistics and Deliverr. Broad incumbents are XPO Logistics, Ryder, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and DHL Supply Chain.
Does Ship Smarter have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ship Smarter.
What industry is Ship Smarter in?
Ship Smarter's product category is Third-Party Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAIAAAC, Warehousing Operations & Contract Storage (Dedicated/Shared), with a secondary code of TLAIANAF, Rate Procurement, Carrier Sourcing & RFP/Tender Management. Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.