Sydney
Inner-west · south-west cluster
$32
/ pallet / month
n = 14P25–P75: $26–$38
The independent index of Australian 3PL pricing.
47 verified contracts. Updated weekly.
Find out in 30 seconds if you're above market.
What the median Australian brand overpays its 3PL, every month.
$14,160 a year. Across 47 verified contracts, only 17% of brands were paying at or below market median. The rest had something to renegotiate.
Tell us your city and two rates. We'll show you exactly where you sit against the index — live.
Industrial land cost is the primary driver. Sydney runs ~14% above national median; Brisbane ~14% below. Bars show the P25–P75 range — where the middle 50% of contracts sit.
Tap your monthly order tier. The bars below update with the median first-pick and additional-pick rates from contracts in that tier.
Combined, they typically account for 8–15% of a brand's total monthly bill — and almost never appear on the front page of the rate card.
Flat monthly. Often described as "support" or "client services" but with no defined SLA.
Multiplier kicks in after 60–180 days on hand. Slow-moving SKUs compound this fastest.
Per inbound return. Apparel and beauty brands feel this most — return rates push it to 8–15% of revenue.
Percentage on top of carrier rate. The single largest hidden cost when present. Pass-through is the alternative — and it's worth fighting for.
Per SKU received. Compounds fast for high-SKU brands — beauty + apparel.
Every figure on this page, normalised, with sample sizes and percentile ranges. Methodology and citation included.
| Volume tier | First pick | Additional | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 500 orders / mo | $4.50 | $1.20 | n=12 |
| 500 – 2,000 | $3.95 | $0.95 | n=21 |
| 2,000 – 5,000 | $3.45 | $0.80 | n=8 |
| 5,000 – 15,000 | $2.95 | $0.65 | n=4 |
| 15,000+ | $2.55 | $0.55 | n=2 |
| City | Median | P25–P75 | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $32.00 | $26 – $38 | n=14 |
| Melbourne | $28.00 | $24 – $32 | n=12 |
| Brisbane | $24.00 | $21 – $28 | n=7 |
| Perth | $26.00 | $22 – $30 | n=4 |
| Adelaide | $22.00 | $19 – $26 | n=4 |
| Statistic | Monthly | Annualised | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median identified overpay | $1,180 | $14,160 | n=47 |
| 25th percentile | $680 | $8,160 | — |
| 75th percentile | $2,420 | $29,040 | — |
| Largest single overpay | $4,200 | $50,400 | apparel · MEL |
| At or below market median | 8 / 47 | 17% | stay |
47 verified AU 3PL contracts as of 03 May 2026. 14 supplied by partner 3PLs under disclosure agreements; 33 uploaded by brands during reviews with anonymisation consent. The dataset compounds — by month twelve we expect n > 200.
Every contract normalised to standard volume bands and standard storage units (pallet / bin / cubic foot). Tiered structures evaluated at midpoint volume; flat-rate contracts mapped to their effective tier.
Each line item cross-checked against the AU 3PL Fee Catalogue (44 known fee types). Vague descriptions flagged with a confidence interval rather than silently included.
Identified overpay is relative to the verified market median. It does not predict the full saving — execution costs, transition friction and provider-specific terms apply. Median brand recoups switching cost in 38 days.
Upload your contract. We benchmark every line against the figures above. We tell you whether to renegotiate, switch, or stay. No 3PL has paid us to recommend them. They never will.