United States Fourth-Party Logistics Market Assessment, By Type, By End-user, By Mode, By Region, Opportunities and Forecast, 2018-2032F

United States fourth-party logistics market is projected to witness a CAGR of 5.57% during the forecast period 2025-2032, growing from USD 15.46 billion in 2024 to USD 23.85 billion in 2032F, driven by digital integration, resilience demands, and sustainability. As businesses evolve post-pandemic, the preference is shifting toward single entity solutions that synchronize procurement, multimodal execution, visibility, and optimization-all while being agile enough to adapt. Now, it is about predictive logistics, full transparency, and operational synergy. Fourth-party logistics (4PL) in the United States is not just a service; it is orchestration on steroids. No longer are companies satisfied with separate carriers or fragmented supply services. The United States manufacturers, e-commerce companies, and healthcare entities increasingly turn to 4PLs for end-to-end management: transportation, inventory, compliance, data analytics, and control towers.

Top players are not just transporting goods; they are building digital supply networks. Whether it is cold chain for pharma or just-in-time parts for automotive, 4PLs now offer plug-and-play capabilities that rival in-house logistics, with better sophistication and far greater scale.

For instance, in April 2025, Amazon Inc. announced a USD 4 billion investment through 2026 to build over 200 new delivery stations across rural America. This effort triples its rural delivery footprint, enabling faster shipping logistics and creating 100,000 new jobs, signaling Amazon's increased 4PL-like control over the last-mile supply chain for both its own and third-party goods.

Surge in Healthcare and Pharma 4PL Services Drives United States Fourth-Party Logistics Market

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals are reshaping 4PL demand through stringent logistics needs. The pandemic taught the industry that temperature control, traceability, and on-hand readiness are non-negotiable. The recent surge in the United States healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors is driven by a combination of factors, including rapid innovation in drug development, an aging population with increasing chronic disease prevalence, and rising healthcare spending from both public and private sources. Advances in precision medicine, gene therapies, and digital health technologies are transforming treatment options and patient care, while the United States regulatory environment continues to support swift drug approvals and foster innovation.

In April 2025, UPS announced a USD 1.6 billion acquisition of Canada's Andlauer Healthcare Group, enhancing their climate-controlled distribution network-including 31 centers and 22 branches-to expand their 4PL capabilities in North America.

Simultaneously, in December 2024, UPS launched its Supply Chain Symphony platform, aimed at healthcare customers, unifying orders, warehousing, air/ground transport, and inventory visibility in a single cloud control tower. These developments show 4PLs becoming linchpins in critical goods supply, especially in time- and temperature-sensitive sectors.

Automation and AI in Freight Management to Shape the Market Dynamics

The freight management market is undergoing a fundamental transformation, driven by the rapid integration of automation and artificial intelligence (AI). These technologies are not merely enhancing efficiency; they are redefining how logistics networks operate, optimizing costs, improving reliability, and enabling real-time decision-making in increasingly complex supply chains. Automation is not just a buzzword in 4PL; it is a lifeline. The United States firms are deploying AI to streamline complex, multi-modal freight operations and inventory orchestration. IoT-enabled tracking provides granular shipment visibility, while AI-driven anomaly detection flags delays or disruptions before they escalate.

In February 2024, C.H. Robinson introduced touchless, AI-powered appointment scheduling for United States freight loading/unloading-handling over 1 billion appointments annually, with no manual intervention and significant efficiency gains.

In November 2024, it launched "Managed Solutions", a service suite combining AI-tracking, TMS platforms, control towers, and freight automation, letting both SMBs and enterprises automate transportation planning. This shift toward AI-driven logistics is transforming 4PLs from executors into logistics architects with predictive control.

Dominance of Retail and E Commerce in 4PL Demand

The retail and e-commerce sectors are now the largest users of 4PL services due to their requirement for real-time coordination, omnichannel fulfillment, returns, and data-mediated logistics. Retail/e-commerce dominance is driving scale, tech adoption, and process unification in the United States 4PL offerings faster than any other vertical.

For example, in April 2024, XPO partnered with UPL, a major agriculture products firm, using its Key-PL 4PL model for seamless land, sea, and data orchestration, showing how integrated platforms solve complex logistics needs. The Key-PL solution ensures that every transport plan is carried out in the most efficient way possible, bringing together more than 1,400 connected carriers and 180 loading points, and resulting in significant savings by improving operational and financial performance for customers. Moreover, in May 2025, Amazon Logistics has quietly developed a 4PL-like model-coordinating air, road, and last-mile via Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) with API access for third-party sellers. This model effectively places e-commerce front and center in 4PL growth.

Impact of U.S. Tariffs on the United States Fourth-Party Logistics Market

Tariff changes-especially those on Chinese goods under Section 301-have made it harder for 4PLs to forecast costs and optimize multimodal freight. Many U.S. importers began rerouting shipments through alternate ports or warehousing in tariff-exempt zones, forcing 4PLs to upgrade dynamic routing, customs compliance layers, and brokerage visibility.

In response to tariff uncertainty, many U.S. manufacturers have started reshoring supply lines or sourcing more from Mexico and Canada. 4PLs are now coordinating regionalized fulfillment, multimodal routing via USMCA partners, and cross-dock optimization across North America. This has led to more cross-border 4PL solutions, especially in automotive and electronics.

Sudden tariff changes often result in unpredictable cost surges for shippers. 4PLs must renegotiate contracts with downstream vendors, offer dynamic fuel and duty surcharges, and bake flexibility into SLAs. This has driven innovation in real-time cost modeling and cloud-based tariff impact tools, especially for companies operating on thin margins (e.g., in retail, textiles, and tech hardware).

Key Players Landscape and Outlook

The United States 4PL market is led by global integrators that offer control tower visibility, predictive analytics, and multi modal orchestration. UPS leverages its investments via Andlauer and Symphony, while C.H. Robinson spearheads AI-enhanced TMS and touchless logistics. XPO's Key PL model-used by UPL-demonstrates digital execution across land and sea. Emerging players are addressing the niche needs in specialized verticals or small batch industries. The competitive advantage lies in tech depth, network integration, compliance infrastructure, and the ability to serve as a single orchestration layer, making traditional carrier-based services increasingly obsolete.

For instance, in June 2025, Amazon Logistics, Inc. announced three major AI advancements aimed at enhancing value for customers, employees, and delivery partners. Innovative technologies include Wellspring, a generative AI mapping tool; an advanced AI-powered demand forecasting model optimizing Amazon's supply chain; and new agentic AI capabilities for robotics. With over 750,000 robots now deployed, including nine distinct robotic arms in fulfillment centers, Amazon continues to invest in practical AI solutions that address real-world logistics challenges. These innovations are expected to deliver more accurate delivery locations, faster shipping, and improved product availability for customers.