Is St. Louis the Next Big 3PL Hub? Here’s Why the Answer Is “Yes”

If your business isn’t considering St. Louis for third-party logistics (3PL) services, it might be missing a powerful opportunity. With its strategic location, multimodal transportation infrastructure, skilled workforce, and vast warehousing capacity, St. Louis is quickly becoming one of the top 3PL hubs in the U.S.

At Clark Logistics, we’ve seen firsthand how St. Louis’ unique advantages help companies streamline supply chains, reduce costs, and improve delivery times.

Why Choose St. Louis for 3PL Services?

1. Strategic Central Location

St. Louis sits near both the geographic and population center of the U.S., making it ideal for nationwide distribution. In fact, 50% of the country’s manufacturing facilities are within 600 miles—a one-day truck drive.

Major cities like Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Memphis are all easily accessible, which enables faster, more cost-effective shipping across the country.

2. Exceptional Ground Transportation Infrastructure

St. Louis is a logistics powerhouse when it comes to road and rail:

• Interstate access: Located at the crossroads of I-70, I-55, I-64, and I-44, St. Louis allows rapid transportation in every direction.

• Major rail hub: St. Louis is the third-largest rail center in the U.S. and is served by all Class I railroads, including:

  • Union Pacific (UP)

  • BNSF Railway

  • CSX

  • Norfolk Southern

  • Canadian National

  • Kansas City Southern

This unrivaled rail access offers seamless coast-to-coast and cross-border shipping options, making it ideal for intermodal and transloading services.

3. Access to Waterways and Air Cargo

St. Louis offers 3PL flexibility you won’t find in every city:

• Inland Port Powerhouse: As the third-largest inland port in the U.S., St. Louis enjoys year-round, ice-free shipping on the Mississippi River. Plus, with no locks or dams between St. Louis and New Orleans, barge shipments flow freely to and from the Gulf Coast.

• Air Cargo Capabilities: The region boasts two major air freight facilities:

  • Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

  • MidAmerica St. Louis Airport

With additional general aviation fields relieving congestion, your freight moves faster—by land, water, or air.

4. Logistics Workforce Advantage

Unlike other “emerging” logistics markets still building talent pipelines, St. Louis is already there. The metro area is home to:

• 80,000+ experienced logistics professionals

• Competitive wages (average hourly rate: $13.83, below the national average)

• Deep expertise in transportation, warehousing, distribution, and supply chain management

This labor force gives companies the ability to scale operations quickly and cost-effectively.

5. Established 3PL Infrastructure

St. Louis isn’t just a city with potential—it’s already delivering results:

• 245 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space

• Over 5,400 logistics operations

• Fully developed industrial parks and turnkey 3PL solutions, including those offered by Clark Logistics

Whether you need eCommerce fulfillment, public warehousing, transloading, or reverse logistics, the region is equipped and ready to support your business.

Clark Logistics: Your 3PL Partner in St. Louis

At Clark Logistics, we leverage everything St. Louis has to offer—location, labor, infrastructure, and experience—to provide flexible, efficient, and cost-effective 3PL services. Whether you’re expanding operations, optimizing distribution, or entering the U.S. market, we can help you build a smarter, faster supply chain.

Ready to move your logistics forward?
Contact Clark Logistics today and discover why St. Louis should be at the center of your 3PL strategy.