Capability

Contract logistics and third-party logistics (3PL) in Singapore

Outsourced management of a client's logistics operations under a multi-year contract. Scope spans warehousing, transport, order fulfilment, and inventory management, run as a dedicated or shared operation. Buyers select on sector experience, systems integration, dedicated versus shared model, and cost per unit handled.

Contract logistics is the outsourced supply-chain layer — the 3PL and 4PL firms that take over a client's inventory, warehousing, transport and value-added services under a multi-year contract, and increasingly design and orchestrate the whole chain rather than just execute pieces of it. This is the highest-value, stickiest slice of Singapore's logistics economy: the country's 3PL market was worth about US$5.76 billion in 2025, forecast toward US$7.2 billion by 2031, with life-sciences/healthcare (~5.3% CAGR), e-commerce (~5.7%) and hybrid asset-light models (~5.9%) the fastest-growing segments. Singapore's ranking as the world's top logistics hub (World Bank LPI 2023) and the presence of most of the top 25 global logistics players make it the natural regional-control-tower location — which is precisely why the homegrown champions have built technology-led, multi-country platforms rather than competing on storage alone.

The buyer reads a contract-logistics provider on scope (does it run the full chain — inbound, warehousing, distribution, returns, value-added assembly/kitting — or a slice); sector depth (electronics/semiconductor, chemicals, pharma/healthcare, FMCG, retail/e-commerce); technology (proprietary WMS/control-tower, automation, visibility platforms); network (regional footprint managed from Singapore); and asset model (asset-heavy own-warehouse versus asset-light 4PL). The anchor is the homegrown Singapore-HQ champion YCH Group, whose control-tower model and Supply Chain City run integrated contract logistics across electronics, chemicals, pharma and FMCG for the region. Around it sit homegrown operators — Cogent, Poh Tiong Choon, GKE, ST Logistics (defence/government), Yang Kee and Vibrant — and the foreign-HQ contract-logistics majors with large Singapore operations: DHL Supply Chain (the world's largest), Kuehne+Nagel, DSV, DB Schenker, Kerry, GEODIS, CEVA and Yusen. The structural driver is the outsourcing of complex, compliance-heavy supply chains (life sciences especially) to providers who can guarantee visibility and control.

Also known as: 3PL · third-party logistics · contract logistics provider · outsourced logistics · logistics outsourcing

Capability specifications

Models: Dedicated (client-exclusive), shared / multi-user
Scope: Warehousing, transport, fulfilment, inventory, reverse logistics
Systems: WMS and TMS integration, EDI, client portal
Contract structure: Multi-year term, governed by KPIs and SLAs
Certifications: ISO 9001, TAPA; sector-specific GDP or HACCP where required

Companies with this capability in Singapore

Halcon Primo Logistics
Halcon Primo Logistics is a Singapore-headquartered logistics group founded in 2003, running 838,000-plus sq ft of bonded, non-bonded and automated warehousing — including an owned seven-hectare zero-GST bonded hub — plus air, ocean and cross-border road freight, project logistics and customs brokerage. Its NVOCC arm, Vega Orient Line, operates 800 containers in the Intra-Asia trade. Offices in Singapore, Malaysia and China; ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified, bizSAFE Star.
YCH Group
Singapore's flagship homegrown supply-chain champion, running its entire Asia-Pacific network from the purpose-built Supply Chain City at Bulim Avenue, with specialised Singapore nodes (YCH ChemPark for chemicals, YCH DistriCentre), multi-temperature cold-chain warehousing and a control-tower 3PL/4PL model on proprietary WMS technology. Serves electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and FMCG, and provides international freight forwarding across the region.
Website (opens YCH Group in a new tab)
Cogent Holdings
A Singapore-HQ integrated logistics-hub operator whose Cogent 1.Logistics Hub combines ramp-up warehousing, container depot and automotive logistics, alongside freight forwarding, contract logistics and transport supporting project and heavy-cargo moves. Now a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping International (Singapore).
Website (opens Cogent Holdings in a new tab)
Poh Tiong Choon Logistics (PTC)
A long-established homegrown SGX-listed 3PL operating a fleet of over 1,000 cargo vehicles (prime movers, trailers, tippers, reefers), with warehousing and distribution, chemical and bulk haulage and drumming, a Jurong Island dangerous-goods complex and a multi-storey Pandan Road warehouse; supports infrastructure and industrial heavy moves and bulk-cargo stevedoring.
Website (opens Poh Tiong Choon Logistics (PTC) in a new tab)
Zuellig Pharma
A Singapore-headquartered healthcare-distribution group and the region's dominant pharma cold-chain distributor, running GDP-compliant temperature-controlled (2-8 degrees C and frozen) storage and delivery for medicines and vaccines, with capacity expanded ahead of COVID-19 vaccine distribution, plus warehousing and healthcare contract-logistics services across the region.
Website (opens Zuellig Pharma in a new tab)
ST Logistics
A homegrown Singapore 3PL with a strong defence and government-logistics heritage, plus commercial warehousing, distribution and supply-chain management.
Website (opens ST Logistics in a new tab)
GKE Corporation
A homegrown, SGX-listed integrated logistics and infrastructure-materials group providing freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution, contract logistics and transportation.
Website (opens GKE Corporation in a new tab)
Yang Kee Logistics
A homegrown Singapore-HQ integrated group with international air and sea freight forwarding, warehousing (including dangerous-goods and temperature-controlled cold storage), trucking, distribution and contract logistics across a multi-country network, with self-performed customs.
Website (opens Yang Kee Logistics in a new tab)
CWT
Singapore's largest homegrown integrated logistics group, offering air and sea freight forwarding, LCL consolidation (its CWT Globelink arm is one of the world's largest NVOCC/LCL consolidators), container depot, warehousing, contract logistics, self-performed customs declaration, and a CWT Project Logistics entity for project cargo with an islandwide bulk and container trucking fleet including FSB-licensed hazmat operations.
Website (opens CWT in a new tab)
Commonwealth Kokubu Logistics (CKL)
A Singapore-HQ food cold-chain 3PL/4PL (a Commonwealth Capital and Kokubu joint venture, with MOL taking a stake), described as Singapore's largest food cold-chain logistics company; its Jalan Besut facility spans over 500,000 sq ft of ambient, chilled and frozen space with up to 90,000 pallet capacity, including a 45-metre ASRS. Food only, no pharma.
Website (opens Commonwealth Kokubu Logistics (CKL) in a new tab)
DHL (Singapore)
The Singapore operations of DHL Group (Germany), spanning DHL Global Forwarding (air and sea forwarding and customs brokerage from a regional hub) and DHL Supply Chain (the world's leading contract-logistics provider), which runs the Advanced Regional Centre at 1 Greenwich Drive and a Life Sciences & Healthcare pharma hub near Tuas Biomedical Park with GMP/GDP-compliant ambient and 2-8 degrees C cold rooms.
Website (opens DHL (Singapore) in a new tab)
Kuehne+Nagel
The world's largest sea-freight forwarder, with a large Singapore operation and a 46,000 sqm Logistics Hub (over 40% temperature-controlled, with 2-8 degrees C and 15-25 degrees C zones, vault storage and reefer bays; Green Mark Platinum / LEED Gold), delivering forwarding, contract logistics and cold-chain warehousing, and self-performing customs.
Website (opens Kuehne+Nagel in a new tab)
DSV
A global air, sea and road forwarder and contract-logistics provider (its Solutions division), whose largest Singapore warehouse, DSV Pearl, is a five-storey facility of roughly 66,000 sqm with Autostore automation and temperature-controlled zones for retail and e-commerce, healthcare and technology, plus a site at Changi North Way; self-performs customs.
Website (opens DSV in a new tab)
Kerry Logistics
An integrated forwarding and contract-logistics provider with a Singapore operation, part of Hong Kong's Kerry Logistics (SF Holding).
Website (opens Kerry Logistics in a new tab)
GEODIS
A global forwarding and contract-logistics provider with a Singapore operation, part of France's SNCF group.
Website (opens GEODIS in a new tab)
CEVA Logistics
A global contract-logistics and warehousing provider with a Singapore operation and a new strategic Singapore warehouse announced, part of CMA CGM.
Website (opens CEVA Logistics in a new tab)
Yusen Logistics
A forwarding, warehousing and contract-logistics provider with a Singapore operation, part of Japan's NYK group.
Website (opens Yusen Logistics in a new tab)

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