WMS for 3PL logistics operators and public warehouses
Inventory segregated per depositor, storage billing per contract, a client portal under your brand, receiving via the NF-e XML and cross docking with blind checks — what a 3PL needs to bill the warehouse and the dock.
A WMS for logistics operators (3PL) needs three things an industrial WMS doesn’t have: inventory segregated per depositor (each warehouse client sees only its own), storage billing per contract (pallet-equivalent, m², handling, measured by peak, presence, average or daily sum) and a portal where the depositor checks stock, balance and billing without asking by e-mail. BrainCargo’s WMS was built for the carrier that became a 3PL: receiving via the NF-e (electronic goods invoice) XML with item-by-item checking, per-pallet labels, batch and expiry with FEFO (first-expired, first-out), three temperature ranges, scanner-based picking in the warehouse, a cross-dock mode (blind receiving by volume, one pallet per invoice and loads checked by scan) with a USB/Bluetooth reader or a handheld in keyboard mode, and immutable billing closings — on the same account as the CT-e, MDF-e and delivery.
A logistics operator sells trust: the depositor needs to know their inventory is right, kept apart from everyone else’s and billed as agreed. That’s why the module is multi-depositor by design, with batch-level inventory counts and a portal under the warehouse’s brand.
Operators that also run transport don’t need two systems: the warehouse outbound becomes the trip’s CT-e and MDF-e, delivery is proven by the driver app, and storage billing closes together with financials.
And when the dock also does cross docking — the trailer arrives mixed, with volumes from many invoices, and leaves sorted by delivery sector —, the same WMS’s cross-dock mode does the blind check by volume, builds one pallet per invoice and only loads the pallet that belongs to the load. Warehouse and dock stay in one system, with the cross-dock area separate from storage.
What you can achieve
100%
segregated inventory
Positions, movements, inventories and reports per depositor — another client’s resource returns 404.
4
billing measurement methods
Peak, presence, average and daily sum, combinable in MIX, plus per-m² billing and handling.
1
portal under your brand
The depositor checks stock, balance as of a date, load sheets, stock counts and billing; the balance arrives by scheduled e-mail.
0
XML re-keying
The depositor’s NF-e arrives by XML and is checked item by item: expected × received, batch and expiry.
Why this module
Segregation per depositor
Each warehouse client only reaches its own — in positions, movements, reports and the portal.
Billing by contract
Pallet-equivalent or m², peak, presence, average or daily sum, handling: each depositor’s contract becomes automatic measurement.
White-label portal
The depositor checks stock, dated balance, inventories and billing under your warehouse’s brand — and receives the balance by e-mail on closing day.
Integrated transport
The warehouse outbound becomes the CT-e and MDF-e, and delivery is proven by the app — no second system.
Cross dock at the same dock
The mixed trailer is blind-checked, by volume; each invoice becomes a labeled pallet and the load leaves by delivery sector, checked by scan. “Where is the invoice” answers in seconds.
How a 3PL runs on BrainCargo, in 4 steps
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Register the depositor and contract
Each warehouse client has a record, portal users and a billing contract (unit, measurement method, handling rates).
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Receive by XML and label
The depositor’s NF-e arrives by XML; receiving records expected × received, batch and expiry; the pallet gets a label and an address.
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Operate on the scanner
FEFO picking, stock counts and address transfers by scan; cross dock with a USB/Bluetooth reader or a handheld in keyboard mode; every movement stays in the depositor’s history.
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Close the month and publish
The simulator shows the billing; the closing generates the immutable statement; the depositor sees it all in the portal and receives the balance by e-mail.
What's included
Third-party warehousing with full control of the depot
- Multi-depositor: inventory, positions and reports segregated per warehouse client
- Receiving via the NF-e XML with item-by-item checking and supervisor approval
- Internal pallet label (Zebra printing) and aisle-bay-level-position addressing
- Batch and expiry with FEFO dispatch; three temperature ranges on product and address
- Warehouse picking by scan (barcode gun, phone camera or NFC)
- Storage billing: pallet-equivalent, m², handling; peak, presence, average and daily-sum methods
- Immutable closing with snapshot, simulator and Excel, PDF and CSV export
- Depositor portal under the warehouse’s brand and scheduled balance e-mail
- Cross docking for LTL: blind receiving by volume, discrepancies with an optional photo, one pallet per invoice and loads checked by scan (USB/Bluetooth reader or handheld in keyboard mode)
- Role-based access: each person sees and does only what their role allows
- Warehouse outbound integrated with the CT-e, MDF-e and proof of delivery
3PL WMS, industrial WMS or spreadsheet: what changes for the operator
| Criterion | BrainCargo (3PL WMS) | Industrial WMS | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Several clients in one warehouse | Inventory segregated per depositor | Adaptation by “company” or “branch” | One tab per client |
| Storage billing | Per contract, 4 methods and immutable closing | Not present | Parallel spreadsheet |
| Depositor portal | Included, under the warehouse’s brand | Rare | |
| NF-e XML intake | Yes, checked item by item | Varies | Typing |
| Cross docking | Blind receiving by volume, pallet per invoice, loads by delivery sector | Varies | Paper and radio |
| Outbound transport | CT-e, MDF-e and delivery on the same account | Another system | Another system |
Criteria observed across BrainCargo 3PL client operations.
WMS family
Warehouse, cross dock and client in one system
The same WMS stores depositors’ inventory and runs cross-dock cargo — with role-based access; the storage depositor checks their stock and closing in the portal.
- WMS for 3PL warehouses Receiving via the NF-e XML, scan-based addressing, checked FEFO picking and cycle counting, with inventory segregated per depositor.
- new Cross docking system Mixed trailer → blind receiving by volume → one pallet per invoice → load checked by scan, with a PDF load sheet.
- Blind receiving The team counts what arrived without seeing the invoice; the difference appears at closing, and shortage, overage and damage go to the supervisor’s queue — a photo can be attached to damage.
- Depositor portal The warehouse’s client checks balance, movement statement and the month’s closing on its own, under your warehouse’s brand.
- Storage billing The month’s inventory becomes a per-contract closing for each depositor — no parallel spreadsheet.
- you are here WMS for logistics operators Several clients in the same warehouse, role-based access, Zebra labels and reports under the warehouse’s brand.
Frequently asked questions
Which WMS do logistics operators use most?
Large operators use market WMS or ERP modules; what decides the choice for a mid-size 3PL is having multi-depositor, storage billing and a client portal without expensive customization. BrainCargo’s WMS delivers all three out of the box, on the same account as transport.
What is 3PL in logistics?
Third-party logistics: the company that runs warehousing and transport for others. The carrier that stores clients’ cargo and charges for it is a 3PL — and needs a WMS with segregated inventory and contract-based billing.
How much does a WMS for a logistics operator cost?
BrainCargo plans follow the operation’s size (depositors, positions and modules hired), with no long lock-in; values come in the quote. What doesn’t change is what’s included: multi-depositor, billing and portal.
How does storage billing work for several clients?
Each depositor has their own contract: unit (pallet-equivalent or m²), method (peak, presence, average, daily sum or MIX) and handling rates. The system measures every month against real inventory, the simulator shows the value beforehand and the closing is immutable.
Do I need a dedicated handheld?
No. Warehouse picking and counting work with a barcode gun, the phone camera or NFC; the internal pallet label prints on a thermal (Zebra) printer. Cross-dock mode uses a USB/Bluetooth barcode reader or a handheld in keyboard mode.
Does the WMS do cross docking?
Yes. Cross-dock mode receives NF-e invoices pre-linked per vehicle, does blind receiving counted by volume, records shortage, overage and damage (a photo can be attached) for supervisor approval, builds one pallet per invoice with a label and closes the load by delivery sector, checked by scan, with a PDF load sheet. See the cross docking system.
What does the depositor see in the portal?
Their stock balance, the movement statement and the month’s closing — only their own, under your warehouse’s brand. Details on the depositor portal.
What is a public warehouse system?
It is the WMS of whoever stores third-party goods (a “general warehouse”, Brazil’s licensed public-warehouse category): separates inventory per depositor, records every receipt and issue and bills storage per each client’s contract — the focus of BrainCargo’s 3PL WMS.
Other modules
The warehouse as a service, billed right
Talk to us on WhatsApp and see the 3PL WMS with a sample depositor.
Modular pricing, sized to your operation: you only pay for the modules you use, and the plan scales with your volume. Ask for a quote on WhatsApp.