ShippingCow3PL for Shopify stores with heavy products
A Shopify store connects to a 3PL as a fulfillment service: Shopify creates a location for it, sends it fulfillment requests and takes tracking back. For heavy products the 3PL should also report real carton weights and sizes so checkout rates are right, and each warehouse should be its own location so Shopify can route an order to the one closest to the buyer.
What to check in a Shopify 3PL
| Check | Why it matters for a heavy product |
|---|---|
| A fulfillment service app built on Shopify's current API | Orders arrive as fulfillment requests and tracking goes back automatically. New public apps must use GraphQL since April 1, 2025 |
| One Shopify location per warehouse | Order routing can only ship from the closest location if each warehouse is its own location with its own stock |
| Order routing set to ship from the closest location | On a 90 lb parcel the zone is most of the bill. Routing needs two or more active locations |
| Real packed weights and sizes | Shopify's calculated rates use the weight and dimensions you send; wrong data undercharges at checkout |
| A path for orders over 150 lb | Parcel stops at 150 lb, so a freight order needs its own flow back to Shopify with tracking |
What happened to the Shopify Fulfillment Network
Shopify sold its logistics business, including Deliverr, to Flexport in 2023 and took a 13% stake in Flexport. The Shopify Fulfillment Network name now covers a directory of partner 3PLs. Shopify publishes no heavy-item limits for those partners, so ask any of them for theirs in writing.
Checkout rates for heavy orders
The fulfillment link is half the job. The other half is what the shopper pays at checkout: Shopify's carrier-calculated rates use the weight, dimensions and destination you send, and USPS takes nothing over 70 lb. Our guides on Shopify calculated shipping for 50 to 149 lb and Shopify rates over 70 lb cover the setup.
Where ShippingCow fits
ShippingCow is a self-operated US 3PL for products that pack into one carton of 50 to 149 lb, best at 71 to 110 lb, shipping from New Brunswick NJ, Ontario CA and Missouri City TX. For a Shopify store that means three warehouse locations for routing, each closer to a third of the country. How your store connects is settled during onboarding: ask us, and any 3PL, to show a test order flowing both ways before stock moves.
We are the wrong pick for a catalogue mostly under 50 lb, where a national network with a ready-made app library will serve you better.
What to ask a Shopify 3PL
1. Is your connection a fulfillment service app on Shopify's GraphQL API, or a spreadsheet or email?
2. Will each of your warehouses show as its own Shopify location with live inventory?
3. How do you send packed weights and sizes back, so my checkout rates stay right?
4. How does an order over 150 lb, or a freight order, get tracking back into Shopify?
5. Show me a test order from checkout to tracking before stock moves.
Sources
| Source | What we took from it |
|---|---|
| Shopify.dev: FulfillmentService | A 3PL connects as a fulfillment service and Shopify creates a location for it; new public apps on GraphQL since Apr 1, 2025 |
| Shopify Help: locations | Third-party logistics services can be locations; the number of locations depends on the plan |
| Shopify Help: order routing | Rules apply in order, including shipping from the closest location; routing needs two or more active locations |
| Shopify: Shopify Fulfillment Network | A directory of 3PL partners |
| FreightWaves: Flexport completes acquisition of Shopify logistics business | Jun 6, 2023. The sale and Shopify's 13% stake in Flexport |
| Shopify Help: USPS | USPS maximum weight of 70 lb |
Shopify pages read on Oct 27, 2026. Shopify updates its help pages and API often.
Questions
What is the best 3PL for a Shopify store with heavy products? +
One that connects as a Shopify fulfillment service, shows each warehouse as its own location so routing can pick the closest, sends real carton weights and sizes back for checkout rates, and ships 50 to 149 lb cartons every day. Ask for a test order before stock moves.
How do I connect Shopify to a 3PL? +
Through the 3PL's fulfillment service app. Shopify creates a location for the 3PL, sends it fulfillment requests and receives tracking back. Avoid setups that rely on spreadsheets or email for orders.
Can Shopify send orders to the warehouse closest to the buyer? +
Yes, with order routing and two or more active locations. Set the rules so shipping from the closest location comes before other preferences, and make sure each warehouse is its own location with live stock.
Does the Shopify Fulfillment Network still exist? +
As a directory of partner 3PLs. Shopify sold its own logistics business to Flexport in 2023, and Shopify publishes no heavy-item limits for the partners, so ask each one for its limits.
Can a Shopify 3PL ship orders over 150 lb? +
Not by parcel: UPS and FedEx stop at 150 lb. Above that the order moves as LTL freight, and the 3PL needs a way to send that tracking back to Shopify.
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