By Omri Shafran
CEO, Texas Logistic & Fulfillment Services
LinkedIn profile
Did you know? A 19.3% return rate on sales translates to approximately $23.92 returned for every $100 retained, before other adjustments. We calculated 19.3 ÷ 80.7 × 100 using NRF and Happy Returns’ projected 2025 online-sales return rate. This is a value-based benchmark conversion, not a prediction of return parcels, processing costs, or TLS performance. It is a useful reason to compare the reverse flow as carefully as outbound fulfillment when replacing a 3PL. Source.
Texas Logistic Services is worth evaluating as a ShipBob alternative when you want a Houston-area relationship covering storage, fulfillment, and hands-on preparation. ShipBob is also worth keeping on your shortlist when a distributed fulfillment network and established retail connections are central to your plans. The right choice depends on the work your products need, where inventory arrives, and where customers buy.
This guide is published by TLS. It explains where to investigate our fit and gives ShipBob credit for its documented capabilities. It is not an independent rating or a claim that TLS will be cheaper or faster for every brand.
Start with the reason you are switching
Write down the problem you need a new provider to solve: unexplained invoice items, limited preparation options, slow issue resolution, stock discrepancies, or a network that no longer matches demand. Turn that problem into a requirement you can test. “Better service” is difficult to compare; an agreed escalation contact, response process, and exception report are concrete.
Share the same recent order file, SKU dimensions, inventory profile, return activity, and receiving schedule with both providers. Separate regular DTC orders, wholesale cases, and jobs that require extra handling. Include quiet periods as well as promotions.
What the public service descriptions establish
| Buyer need | Teksas Lojistik Hizmetleri | ShipBob | What to verify in a proposal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas operating relationship | Houston-area warehousing and fulfillment | Texas fulfillment centers, primarily around DFW | Which facility would actually hold your stock? |
| DTC and wholesale | Publicly describes both B2B and consumer fulfillment | Publicly describes DTC, B2B, and marketplace fulfillment | Case quantities, routing rules, and channel allocation |
| Preparation work | Kitting and FBA preparation are listed services | Kitting, assembly, and FBA prep are listed services | Accepted work instructions, labor pricing, and approval samples |
| Inventory information | Publicly describes inventory visibility | Offers a shared platform and inventory tools | Demonstrate your exact store and reporting workflow |
Sources: TLS services, TLS FBA preparation, ShipBob Texas, and ShipBob kitting. Public descriptions checked September 5, 2026; they do not establish account-specific acceptance or service levels.
When to put TLS on your shortlist
Evaluate TLS when your purchasing decision starts with a Houston-area warehouse and you want to discuss receiving, storage, kitting, FBA preparation, and outbound orders together. Send a bill of materials and photos for any assembly or repacking task. Ask the team to confirm acceptance and explain how completed kits, loose components, and damaged stock will be recorded.
For food or hazardous products, identify the exact goods and required conditions before comparing offers. A general service category is not proof that a warehouse can accept every product within it.
When ShipBob may fit your brief
ShipBob explicitly describes a distributed network, retail-channel support, and fulfillment across DTC, B2B, and marketplaces. If your main requirement is placing stock across several regions or supporting particular retailers, investigate those capabilities directly. Request the actual facilities, integrations, inventory-transfer costs, and retailer requirements that would apply to your account.
Do not assume that choosing a regional provider automatically improves support, or that choosing a larger network automatically lowers total costs. Test the particular offer.
Compare a complete invoice and a real exception
Request separate lines for receiving, storage, picking, packaging, shipping, returns, special projects, recurring account fees, and minimum charges. Then ask each provider to explain one difficult order from your recent history. Examples include a partial shipment, a return needing inspection, or a wholesale order with retailer-specific labels.
Before moving stock, agree on a count reconciliation, a test-order sequence, the switching date, and who resolves orders still open with the previous provider. A migration should have explicit ownership for both inventory and customer orders.
Request a Houston fulfillment assessment
Contact TLS with your order history, SKU list, inbound schedule, storage needs, and the problem you want to solve. Ask for a written scope and compare it with ShipBob’s proposal using the same assumptions.
For a cost framework, see 3PL versus in-house fulfillment. For shared stock across channels, see multichannel fulfillment.
