Warehousing Distribution in California
Store it minutes from the airport, ship it the moment you need it. Marvin runs warehousing distribution from our SFO Hub in South San Francisco and our LAX Hub in Inglewood: pallet storage, cold storage, pick and pack and scheduled distribution, delivered across California on our own vehicles.
- No rigid minimum term
- Pick and pack, same day
- Chilled storage available
What warehousing distribution means with Marvin
Warehousing distribution is two jobs done by one company: we hold your stock, and we deliver it. Freight comes in from the airport, a supplier or your own trucks. We count it, photograph it, put it away and keep it safe. When you need it, we pick it, pack it and send it out on our own vans and box trucks.
The difference is where we run our warehousing distribution. Our two hubs sit minutes from the SFO and LAX cargo areas, so air freight is on our floor quickly, and a release in the morning can be delivered across the Bay Area or the LA Basin the same afternoon.
With Marvin warehousing distribution you also deal with one team for both halves. The people who store your freight are the people who dispatch the vehicle, so there is no gap between a warehouse and a separate carrier where things go missing.
Choose how you want to store with us
Four ways to use our warehousing distribution hubs. Most customers start with one and add another as they grow.
Short-term pallet and parcel storage
Short-term warehousing distribution is for freight that needs somewhere safe for a few days: air freight waiting for a delivery appointment, stock held until a buyer collects, or goods released by customs and waiting to be scheduled. We receive it, store it and deliver it when you say.
- No rigid minimum term
- Received from SFO or LAX cargo
- Released for delivery the same day
- Best for forwarders, importers and buyers
Long-term storage programs
Ongoing pallet storage for businesses that keep stock in California all year. You keep a regular stock level with us and we replenish your customers or your own sites on a schedule, so the warehousing distribution side runs without you chasing it.
- Racked and floor positions
- Scheduled outbound runs
- Monthly stock reports
- Best for distributors and manufacturers
Chilled storage for sensitive freight
Chilled warehousing distribution for pharmaceutical, biotech and perishable freight. Handled in line with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines: product is kept apart from ambient stock, monitored while it is with us and delivered in a refrigerated box truck with a temperature log for the whole storage and delivery period.
- Handled in line with GDP guidelines
- Separate from ambient freight
- Refrigerated delivery
- Best for pharma, labs and food
Pick and pack fulfilment
Fulfilment is warehousing distribution at the order level: we hold your inventory and pack orders as they come in, then deliver them the same day or next day across California. It suits brands selling into California that want stock close to their customers without running their own warehouse.
- Orders packed same day
- Same or next day delivery
- Kitting and labelling
- Best for e-commerce and medical supply
Everything our warehousing distribution team handles
Storage is only half of warehousing distribution. These are the services that make the freight move in and out cleanly.
Distribution programs
We receive your goods, store them and distribute on your schedule to customers or sites across California, with one point of contact for the storage and the delivery.
Dedicated fleet servicesFreight consolidation
Several inbound shipments combined onto pallets and sent out as one delivery.
- Fewer runs
- Lower cost
Palletize and crate
Pallets built, shrink-wrapped, banded and labelled. Custom crates for fragile freight.
- Wrap
- Crate
Pallet breakdown
Inbound air freight pallets broken down, sorted by consignee and staged for delivery.
- Sort
- Stage
Air freight staging
Freight collected from the terminal and held until your customer is ready to receive it.
- SFO
- LAX
Stock reporting
Receipts with photos, stock levels on request and an ePOD for every delivery, so you always know what is where.
- Receipts
- Stock levels
- ePOD
How your stock moves through our warehouse
Seven warehousing distribution steps from the inbound door to your customer’s door. Every hub is laid out so freight flows one way and never doubles back.
Five checks on every inbound delivery
Most warehousing distribution problems start at the receiving door. We take care there so you never have to argue about a count later.
- Count against the paperworkpieces and pallets checked against the packing list or AWB.
- Condition photosany damage photographed and reported to you before put-away.
- Label and locateeach pallet labelled and given a bin location.
- Temperature checkchilled freight checked on arrival and moved to the cold room.
- Receipt sent to youthe receipt with photos is emailed the same day.
iThe floor plan above is a sample. Zones and capacity vary between the SFO and LAX hubs.
When you release an order
- Morning releaseDelivered the same afternoon
Orders released in the morning are picked, packed and delivered across the metro area that afternoon.
- AfternoonPicked today, out on the next route
Later releases are packed the same day and go on the next scheduled route.
- RecurringScheduled replenishment
Regular orders go out on a fixed day and time, so your sites know when to expect them.
- UrgentPulled and sent direct
One urgent order can be pulled straight away and sent on a dedicated same day vehicle.
How much warehouse space do I need?
Tell us roughly what you are storing. The planner works out your floor footprint, the right storage program and how many truck loads it takes to deliver, so your first call with us is quicker.
24 floor positions for standard 40 x 48 in pallets
- Program
- Short-term, billed weekly
- Deliver it all in
- 2 box truck loads
Each liftgate box truck load is about 12 standard pallets or 10,000 lbs, whichever comes first.
Get a quote for this Estimate only. Footprint covers the pallets themselves, not aisles. Your quote is based on your actual freight.
Two warehousing distribution hubs near SFO and LAX
Each hub is a short drive from a major air cargo area and the freeways that feed its region, so stock comes in fast and goes out fast.
Northern California warehousing
SFOOAKSJCUS-101I-380I-280- San Francisco
- Peninsula
- Oakland
- East Bay
- San Jose
- Palo Alto
- Sacramento
- Stockton
- Modesto
- Fresno
- Santa Rosa
Southern California warehousing
LAXBURLGBONTI-405I-105- Los Angeles
- El Segundo
- Torrance
- Long Beach
- Burbank
- Orange County
- Inland Empire
- San Diego
How customers use our warehousing distribution
Six situations we see every month. If one of them sounds like yours, we can usually have a program running within days.
Imports waiting for appointments
An importer’s air freight lands at LAX, but the customer’s dock is booked for Thursday. We collect it, hold it and deliver it to the appointment, which saves the terminal storage charges.
A brand selling into California
An online brand keeps 600 SKUs at our SFO Hub. Orders are packed the same day and delivered next day across the Bay Area, instead of crossing the country by parcel.
Clinic supplies on a schedule
A medical supplier stores kits with us and replenishes a group of clinics twice a week on a fixed route, with signed proof at every stop.
Chilled stock for labs
A biotech company keeps chilled supplies in our cold room and releases small orders to three research sites, each delivered in a refrigerated truck with a temperature log.
Trade show materials between events
An exhibitor stores stands and displays between shows and sends them to each convention center on the move-in day, then back to storage after.
Overflow during a busy season
A distributor runs out of space before the holidays and sends overflow pallets to us for eight weeks, delivered to stores on their usual schedule.
The distribution fleet
Every warehousing distribution order goes out on vans and liftgate box trucks sized to the route. Chilled stock leaves in a refrigerated box truck with the temperature logged.
Cargo Van
Parcel and carton orders on multi-stop routes through dense city areas.
Liftgate Box Truck (16 to 26 ft)
Pallet deliveries and replenishment runs, with a liftgate for sites without a dock.
Refrigerated Box Truck
Chilled orders from the cold room to the customer with continuous logging.
How to start warehousing distribution with us, in 4 steps
Most warehousing distribution programs are up and running within a few days of the first call.
- 1
Tell us what you store
Pallet or carton counts, weights, temperature needs and how long. You get a price on the call or soon after.
- 2
Send or we collect
Your freight arrives at the hub, or our drivers collect it from the airport or your supplier.
- 3
Received and stored
Counted, photographed, labelled and put away. The receipt is emailed to you the same day.
- 4
Release and deliver
Release orders by email or phone. We pick, pack and deliver, and send an ePOD for every drop.
Why California businesses store with Marvin
Plenty of companies rent warehouse space, but warehousing distribution needs more than a building. Fewer can store it, pick it and drive it to your customer the same day.
Minutes from the airports
Hubs in South San Francisco and Inglewood, close to the SFO and LAX cargo areas.
Storage and delivery in one
Our own vehicles do the delivery, so there is one team and one contact from receipt to doorstep.
Flexible terms
Daily, weekly or monthly. No rigid minimum, and room to scale up for a busy season.
Receiving you can trust
Every delivery counted and photographed, with the receipt sent to you the same day.
Open around the clock
Receiving and dispatch 24/7, so late flights and early orders are handled.
CLDA member
A member of the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association, the trade body for professional last-mile carriers.
Who uses our warehousing distribution
Businesses that need stock close to California customers without running their own warehouse.
Freight Forwarders and 3PLs
Air freight staged near the airport until delivery.
Aerospace and AOG
Spares stored close to SFO and LAX, sent when needed.
Pharma and Biotech
Chilled storage with temperature logs.
Medical Devices
Kits stored and replenished to clinics on a schedule.
Manufacturing
Components held and delivered to the line on time.
E-Commerce and Retail
Pick and pack with same or next day delivery.
Technology
Hardware held and sent to campuses and data centres.
Airlines and Ground Handlers
Freight held off-airport until it can move.
Five questions to ask any warehouse provider
Square footage and price per pallet only tell part of the warehousing distribution story. These answers decide whether your stock actually reaches customers on time.
We do, on our own vehicles. There is no hand-off to a broker or a second carrier.
Orders released in the morning are normally delivered across the metro area the same afternoon.
There is no rigid minimum. Short-term storage is billed daily or weekly, long-term monthly.
You get receipt photos on arrival, stock levels on request and an ePOD for every delivery.
Yes. Chilled freight is kept apart, monitored and delivered with a temperature log.
Tell us what it is, how much and for how long. We will price it on the call and can usually receive within days.
Get a storage quoteWhat sets the price of warehousing distribution
You get a warehousing distribution price before anything arrives, and it does not change once your stock is on the floor. Five things drive it.
- Space and positionsHow many pallet positions or shelves, and whether pallets can be stacked.
- How longDaily and weekly for short-term storage, monthly for long-term programs.
- HandlingReceiving, put-away, pick and pack, kitting, wrapping or crating.
- TemperatureChilled storage and refrigerated delivery cost more than ambient.
- DeliveryHow often orders go out, how many stops and how far they travel.
What to have ready for a quote
- What you are storingproduct type, pallet or carton count and average weight.
- Pallet size and stackingstandard 40 x 48 in or other, and whether it stacks.
- How long and how oftenexpected storage period and how often stock moves.
- Temperature needsambient or chilled, and the range your product needs.
- Where it is goingdelivery areas, number of sites and order volume.
Warehousing distribution FAQs
Straight answers before you book. Our team picks up 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Call +1 (323) 673-7397Where are your warehousing distribution facilities?
We run two hubs: our SFO Hub at 245 S Spruce Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080, close to the SFO cargo area, and our LAX Hub at 1101 W Hillcrest Blvd, Inglewood, next to the LAX cargo facilities. Both offer short-term and long-term pallet storage with same day receiving and dispatch.
Do you offer temperature-controlled storage?
Yes. Chilled storage is available for pharmaceutical, biotech and perishable freight. Product is kept apart from ambient stock, monitored while it is with us and delivered in a refrigerated box truck with a temperature log for the whole period. We follow Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines for this work, although we are not yet formally GDP certified.
Can you collect air freight from SFO or LAX and store it?
Yes. We collect freight from the airport cargo terminals, receive it into our warehouse and hold it until your customer is ready. Forwarders, importers and e-commerce businesses use this kind of warehousing distribution to stage freight close to the airports.
Do you provide pick and pack fulfilment?
Yes. We hold your inventory, pick and pack orders as they come in and deliver them the same day or next day across California. E-commerce brands, medical supply distributors and promotional goods companies use it.
What is the minimum storage period?
There is no rigid minimum. Short-term storage is billed daily or weekly, which suits freight waiting for delivery scheduling or collection. Long-term programs are billed monthly for ongoing warehousing distribution.
Why store near SFO or LAX rather than further out?
Storing close to the airport removes the long drive from the cargo terminal to a distant warehouse before anything can be delivered. Freight on our floor is ready for delivery, cross docking or storage straight away, which matters for time-sensitive imports, perishables and e-commerce orders.
Can you hold freight that has not cleared customs?
Freight still under customs control has to stay in a facility approved by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Once your broker has the release, we collect it from the terminal and store or deliver it straight away, which avoids terminal storage charges while you schedule delivery.
How do I release orders?
Email or call the team with the order details. We confirm, pick and pack, and deliver on the next route or a dedicated vehicle, and you receive an ePOD with signature, time and photo for every drop.
Related services
Warehousing distribution works best alongside the services that bring freight in and take it out.
Motor carrier rules for the delivery side are set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Every Marvin warehousing distribution delivery runs on DOT registered vehicles with drivers who meet those standards.
Store and ship with Marvin
Tell us what you are storing, how much and for how long. We price your warehousing distribution on the call and can usually receive your first delivery within days.
- SFO Hub245 S Spruce Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080
- LAX Hub1101 W Hillcrest Blvd, Inglewood, CA
- Emailsales@marvintransportation.com · Available 24/7