Peak Season Pressure Test: 5 Critical Questions Every 3PL Should Be Asking Right Now

Don’t let the dog days of summer mislead you - the time to talk about peak season is today. That’s right, today. According to a recent report, U.S. consumers spent a record $241.4 billion online during the 2024 holiday season (November 1 to December 31), marking an 8.7% increase over the previous year. And there’s no reason to expect that growth to slow in 2025.

A Successful Peak Season Starts with a Strategic Summer

Here's a five-part checklist to help identify how and where to optimize operations before the rush hits and how smarter packaging strategies can play a critical role.

1. Can your team handle peak season without slowing down?

Labor is one of the biggest variables in peak season operations. High turnover and temporary staffing make training and ramp-up critical points of failure or success. And complex manual packing processes can lead to bottlenecks, errors, and downtime.

Key questions to ask about labor readiness:

• Are your manual workflows intuitive for new, temporary workers?
• Can you simplify tasks to reduce touches and speed up training?
• Are veteran employees focused on complex operations while newer team members handle repetitive, simplified tasks?
• Do you have clear visual instructions at every packing station?
  

Pro tip: Run a time test to spot labor bottlenecks

Measure how many packs each packer completes per hour and compare it to last year’s volume, plus projected seasonal growth. If the numbers aren’t stacking up, it may be time to add an on-demand void-fill system or automated bagging to boost throughput without increasing labor strain.

2. Are you making the most of your warehouse space?

With brands sending extra inventory ahead of peak season, warehouse space becomes premium real estate. Inefficient packaging and equipment choices can waste valuable square footage.

Key questions to ask about warehouse and storage optimization: 

• How much square footage is your packaging inventory taking up right now?
• Are you right-sizing packaging to reduce material storage needs?
• Could on-demand packaging solutions help eliminate the need for excess pre-packed materials?
• Are you using compact, modular packing systems that adapt to your space?
• Can automation reduce the physical footprint of your packing operation?
  

Pro tip: Put a price on your packaging footprint

Measure how much floor space your packing materials occupy and multiply it by $8.60 per sq. ft. per month. This equals the average cost of warehouse space. If the total makes you wince, it’s time to rethink. Streamlined materials and on-demand systems can free up valuable space, easing strain not just in outbound fulfillment but also in inbound receiving, inventory shelving, and returns processing.

3. Are you minimizing downtime between customer jobs?

3PLs often handle multiple brands and SKUs, making changeovers between customer orders a key source of lost time. Peak season magnifies these inefficiencies.

Key questions to ask about workflow efficiency:

• Are materials and equipment organized to cut down on unnecessary movement?
• Have you mapped out your packing floor for maximum flow and minimal travel?
• Is preventive maintenance complete to avoid equipment breakdowns mid-peak?
• Can you quickly shift from one brand’s order to another without disrupting output?
  

Pro tip: Time your changeovers

Track how long it takes to switch from one job to the next and list every step involved. That checklist can be gold for a strategic packaging partner, pinpointing exactly where workflow tweaks or layout changes could deliver immediate ROI and keep operations moving at peak pace.

4. Are you protecting products and relationships?

Peak season isn’t just about speed, it’s about accuracy and protection. Damaged or late deliveries lead to returns, lost loyalty, and frustrated brands. On top of that, 3PLs’ ability to contribute to the sustainability KPIs of their customers has moved from nice-to-have to need-to-have.

Key questions to ask about customer experience:

• Is your packaging workflow designed to prevent poor customer experience? (i.e. Damaged products)
• Are you maintaining packaging quality under volume pressure?
• Do you have daily stand-ups to track fulfillment accuracy and improve processes?
• Is your protective packaging aligned with each customer’s unique product mix and expectations—from a brand, experiential and sustainability standpoint?
  

Pro tip: Protect products and brand priorities

Take stock of your customers’ packaging preferences: paper vs. poly, artwork requirements, paper certifications, etc. and see if there’s a “one size fits most” solution that works across accounts. The right fit keeps damage rates low, packing times fast, and brand relationships strong, while avoiding the waste and cost of multiple SKUs.

5. Can you expand without sacrificing control?

Many 3PLs are growing beyond peak season spikes. But adding locations or clients quickly can lead to inconsistent customer experiences.

Key questions to ask about scalability and consistency:

• How many packers are you having to add each time you acquire a new customer?
• How are you controlling the uniformity of your fulfillment operations?
• Is decision-making centralized to ensure consistent quality?
• Are you sharing best practices across locations to scale smarter?
• Can you replicate successful packing processes in new warehouses?

Pro tip: Plan the work, work the plan

Schedule a post-peak recap to pinpoint what worked, what didn’t, and where costs spiked, whether in packaging, labor, or workflow. Partnering with Applications Engineering can turn those insights into scalable, repeatable processes that keep operations running smoothly year-round.

Peak season is a test of operational resilience. By asking the right questions now, 3PLs can optimize before the volume hits and deliver better outcomes for both customers and the bottom line.

If one thing is clear, there’s no shortage of questions to answer or opportunities to optimize for 3PLs. That’s why we offer full-service, consultative guidance. With a Pregis representative, you can assess the peak-readiness of an entire 3PL operation and put a plan in action today to position yourself for peak performance this fall and beyond.