Logistics and distribution | High Point, NC
IT Services for Logistics and Distribution Companies
Preferred Data keeps the warehouse WiFi, handheld scanners, label printers, networks and order systems of distributors, warehouses and manufacturers running, on a managed IT plan priced per user per month, and every plan includes 24/7 threat detection and response. We are headquartered in High Point, North Carolina, work on site within 200 miles of our office, and deliver our services remotely to clients across the United States and around the world. Schedule a consultation or call (336) 886-3282.
What we look after for distributors
- Warehouse WiFiCoverage for aisles, docks and yards, designed for roaming scanners.
- Networks and firewallsScanners, office, guest and plant traffic kept on separate segments.
- Managed IT and helpdeskWorkstations, printers, servers and Microsoft 365, monitored and patched.
- Cybersecurity24/7 detection and response, MFA and email threat protection.
- In business since 1987
- 39 years
- Active clients
- 100+
- Average client tenure
- 20+ years
- BBB Accredited rating
- A+
- On site from High Point; remote support worldwide
- 200 mi
- Threat monitoring on every plan
- 24/7
What IT does a logistics or distribution company need?
A distribution operation runs on four things: a network that reaches every aisle and dock, the scanners and printers on it, the order or ERP system behind them, and the security that keeps the chain from stopping. In North Carolina, where we are headquartered, the trade, transportation and utilities sector employed about 940,600 people in August 2026 (preliminary), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and most of that work now depends on a handheld and a live connection.
- Wireless coverage for aisles, docks and yards, designed through our manufacturing and warehouse WiFi practice
- Firewalls, switches and wiring that keep scanners, office, guest and equipment traffic apart, from our network infrastructure team
- Workstations, pack-station PCs, label printers and servers, monitored and patched under managed IT
- The order, inventory and accounting system, including our own PDC Software Suite for distributors and importers
- Microsoft 365, email security and restore-tested backup
Key takeaway: In a warehouse, an IT outage is a shipping outage. Plan the network, the devices and the security together, not one ticket at a time.
How do you design warehouse WiFi for handheld scanners?
Warehouse WiFi has to be designed around the building, not the floor plan: steel racking, high ceilings and stock that changes every week all block signal, and scanners must roam between access points all shift without dropping a session. Preferred Data walks the site, places access points for aisles, docks and yards, and puts scanners on their own network segment before anything is installed.
The design and the equipment, including building-to-building links for yards and separate warehouses, are covered in detail on our manufacturing and warehouse WiFi page. You get a written quote after the walkthrough and before any work starts.
- A site walkthrough before the quote, so access points go where the racking and docks actually are
- Separate networks for scanners, office staff, guests and equipment, enforced at the firewall
- Power over Ethernet switching and tidy wiring closets, so an access point is never the weak link
- Ongoing monitoring and support under a managed IT plan once the network is live
What are the biggest cybersecurity risks for logistics companies?
Logistics companies sit inside other companies' supply chains, and that is where attackers are aiming. In the 2026 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, breaches involving a third party rose 60% and now make up 48% of all breaches, and exploited software flaws (31%) overtook stolen passwords as the most common way in.
The other everyday risk is payment fraud. A spoofed email asking you to change where a carrier, vendor or customer is paid is the classic version, and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center 2025 report recorded more than $3 billion in reported business email compromise losses in 2025.
Read more in our article on logistics cybersecurity and AI-era supply chain risk, or see what our cybersecurity services cover beyond the plan baseline.
- Every plan includes 24/7 managed detection and response, endpoint detection and response, and patching, which closes the software flaws attackers use first
- Multi-factor authentication and email threat protection on every account
- Security awareness training, so dock and office staff recognize a spoofed payment request
- A simple rule we recommend to every client: confirm any change to bank details by calling a number you already have, never one in the email
Which managed IT plan fits a warehouse that runs more than one shift?
If your warehouse runs a second or third shift, helpdesk hours matter most. Preferred Essentials covers business hours, Preferred Professional adds priority response with extended hours, and Preferred Complete includes 24/7 support including after-hours and weekends. Every plan includes 24/7 threat detection and response.
| What a distribution operation needs | Essentials | Professional | Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helpdesk hours | Remote helpdesk, business hours | Priority response with extended hours | 24/7, including after-hours and weekends |
| Technician hours included each month (whole account) | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 24/7 threat detection and response (EDR and MDR) | Included | Included | Included |
| On-site visits (within 200 miles of High Point) | Quoted before work starts | Included when we cannot fix it remotely | Unlimited on-site support |
| User onboarding and offboarding, useful for seasonal staff | Not included | Included | Included |
| Zero-trust VPN and DNS filtering | Not included | Included | Included |
| Recurring vulnerability scanning and annual security assessment | Not included | Not included | Included |
Support beyond the included hours is quoted before the work starts. Network builds such as a new warehouse or a WiFi redesign are projects, quoted separately in writing, so the monthly price does not quietly grow. See every line on the pricing page.
How much do IT services cost for a distribution company?
Managed IT is priced per user per month, and warehouses carry more equipment per person than an office, so the equipment we manage (servers, firewalls, switches, access points and storage) is counted during a free quote and covered at the same plan level on the same agreement. Preferred Data does not publish a rate card; you get a written quote with no obligation.
The cost to weigh against it is an incident. IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026 puts the global average cost of a breach at $4.99 million, 12% higher than the year before. For typical cost drivers, read our guide to IT support costs for small businesses, or rough out a budget with the free IT budget calculator.
Key takeaway: Ask any provider for a per-user quote that counts your warehouse equipment and states in writing what is and is not covered.
Can you support the ERP or order system we already use?
Yes. Whatever system runs your orders and inventory, we support the servers, network, workstations and printers it depends on, and keep it backed up. If you are replacing it, the PDC Software Suite is the ERP we write and support for manufacturers, distributors and importers; Preferred Data, founded in 1987, writes and supports the PDC Software Suite.
The Suite covers order entry and invoicing, inventory, purchasing and accounting in one database, and is licensed separately from our managed IT plans. Manufacturers with their own warehouses can also see our manufacturing IT and furniture industry pages.
Where do you work, and do you come on site?
Preferred Data supports logistics and distribution companies remotely across the United States and around the world, and on site within 200 miles of our headquarters at 1208 Eastchester Drive in High Point, North Carolina, which covers the Piedmont Triad, Charlotte, Raleigh and most of North Carolina. Our service area page lists what we deliver remotely and on site.
- IT services in High Point, where our office is
- IT services in Greensboro and Winston-Salem
- IT services in Charlotte and Raleigh
Free resource library
Free resources for distributors and warehouses
Guides, free tools, policy templates and checklists picked for distributors and warehouses, in one place. Everything here is free to read and use. Most of it needs no sign-up; the policy generators ask for your contact details before the finished document unlocks.
Start with a guide
GuideEcoVadis and Customer Security Questionnaires: What US Manufacturers Need to KnowWhat EcoVadis ratings and customer questionnaires ask of US manufacturers, why customers ask, what EU law does and does not require, and which parts your IT can help prove.
GuideHow to Use AI at Work Safely: A Small Business GuideHow a small business can use AI tools safely: approve the right tools, keep sensitive data out, write a short policy, train people and have a person check the output.
GuideRansomware: How North Carolina Small Businesses Prevent It and RecoverWhat ransomware is, how criminals usually get in, the handful of controls the FBI and CISA recommend, what to do in the first day, and whether to pay.
GuideCyber Insurance for Small Businesses: What Insurers Ask and How to QualifyWhat cyber insurance covers, the security controls insurers commonly ask about, why claims get disputed, and how to get ready for your next renewal.
GuideNorth Carolina Data Breach Notification Law: A Plain-English GuideWho North Carolina's breach notice law applies to, what counts as personal information and a breach, who you must notify and when, and the written disposal policy the law expects.
Free tools
Free toolSPRS Score CalculatorAnswer the 110 NIST SP 800-171 requirements in plain language and see your estimated SPRS score, from -203 to 110, plus the gaps worth the most points.
Free toolCyber Insurance Readiness CheckerSixteen quick questions about the security controls insurers commonly ask about, with a readiness score and a fix list in priority order.
Free toolCybersecurity AssessmentEighteen yes, partly or no questions on logins, computers, data and people, with a letter grade and the actions to take first.
Free toolIT Budget CalculatorPick the IT services your business needs and get a realistic monthly and yearly budget range for your size.
Free toolWebsite Health AnalyzerEnter any web address to check its speed, security settings and search basics, with a score for each.
Free toolM&A Technology Readiness AssessmentFor buyers of a business: rate the target company’s technology risk and see how hidden IT costs could change the deal math.
Show 2 more free tools
Free toolEmail Domain Security CheckerType your domain to see, in plain English, whether criminals can send email in your name and whether you meet the Google and Yahoo sender rules.
Free toolMSP Evaluation ScorecardCompare up to three managed IT providers on the questions that matter, from response times to who owns your passwords, and print your results.
Policy templates
Policy templateIT Supplier Code of ConductSet clear expectations for the companies you buy IT from: security, data protection, ethics, labor and environmental basics, take-back and recycling, and your right to ask for evidence.
Policy templateSystem Security Plan (SSP) StarterA starter System Security Plan for defense contractors that handle CUI, organized by the 14 NIST SP 800-171 families, with a plan of action and milestones (POA&M) section and the CMMC rules that apply to it.
Policy templateOT and Plant Floor Security PolicyProtect the machines, PLCs, HMIs and plant PCs that run production: an equipment list, a wall between office and plant networks, safe vendor access, USB rules, backups of machine programs and a plan for machines you cannot patch.
Policy templateAI Governance PolicySet how your organization approves, uses, oversees and audits AI tools, aligned to the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
Policy templateAI Acceptable Use PolicyGive every employee clear, signable rules for using ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and other AI tools at work without exposing company or customer data.
Policy templateIT Acceptable Use PolicySet clear rules for how employees use company computers, email, internet, software and data, and what monitoring they should expect.
Show 18 more policy templates
Policy templateInformation Security PolicyEstablish the core security program every insurer, auditor and customer now asks about: data classification, access control, patching, encryption, logging and vendor risk.
Policy templateIncident Response PlanKnow exactly who does what in the first hours of a ransomware attack, data breach or business email compromise, including who to call and which notification clocks start.
Policy templatePassword and MFA PolicyModern password and MFA rules based on current NIST SP 800-63B guidance: long passphrases, a password manager, no forced resets, and phishing-resistant MFA where it matters.
Policy templateRemote Work and BYOD PolicyLet people work from home and use their own phones safely, with clear rules for home networks, device enrollment, company data and what happens when someone leaves.
Policy templateData Backup and Recovery PolicyDefine what gets backed up, how often, where copies live and how fast you must recover, using the 3-2-1-1-0 rule that ransomware now demands.
Policy templateWire Transfer Verification PolicyStop fake invoices and email payment fraud with simple rules: call back on a known number before any bank change, two approvers for large payments, and no payment changes by email alone.
Policy templateVendor Risk Management PolicyChoose and monitor the vendors that hold your data or reach your systems: a vendor list, simple risk tiers, security questions, contract clauses, remote access rules and a clean exit.
Policy templateAccess Control PolicyGive people only the access they need, protect every sign-in with MFA, keep admin accounts separate, review access every quarter and remove it the moment someone leaves.
Policy templateData Retention and Destruction PolicyDecide what records to keep and for how long, with a sensible default schedule, legal holds, and secure destruction of paper and devices following NIST SP 800-88.
Policy templateSecurity Awareness Training PolicyDecide who gets cybersecurity training, when, how phishing tests work, and which training records you keep for insurers and customer questionnaires.
Policy templateBusiness Continuity PolicyKeep the business running through storms, outages, fires and cyberattacks: critical functions, recovery targets in plain words, a call tree and an annual tabletop test.
Policy templateData Protection and Privacy PolicySet internal rules for the personal and confidential data you hold: collect less, limit access, share carefully with vendors, handle requests, and respond to a breach under North Carolina law.
Policy templateIT Asset Disposal PolicyRetire old computers, phones, servers and copiers safely: track every device, wipe or destroy data to NIST SP 800-88, get certificates of destruction, and recycle through certified recyclers.
Policy templateVendor Remote Access PolicyControl how vendors, machine builders, software suppliers and IT providers connect in: approved tools only, a named account and MFA for every technician, access switched on per session, logged sessions and quick removal.
Policy templateIncident Response PlaybooksStep-by-step playbooks for email account takeover, vendor or IT provider compromise, insider data theft, malware, misdirected data and website attacks, built to work with your incident response plan.
Policy templateBreach Notification ProcedureDecide with your breach counsel whether an incident legally requires notice, then notify the right people with the right content: North Carolina rules by default, with HIPAA, FTC, DFARS and multistate steps when they apply.
Policy templateIncident Report FormThe forms to fill in during a cyber incident: an initial report, triage sheet, timestamped log, evidence and chain of custody register, decision log, notification tracker, cost tracker and closure summary.
Policy templateTabletop Exercise PlanRehearse your incident response plan in a two-hour guided discussion: ready-made ransomware, wire fraud and account takeover scenarios with timed injects, a scoring sheet and an after-action report.
Checklists
ChecklistEcoVadis IT evidence checklistThe IT and data security documents to gather before an EcoVadis assessment or a large customer’s security questionnaire.
ChecklistRansomware: the first 24 hoursHour-by-hour steps for the first day after ransomware or a suspected breach: what to unplug, who to call, and what to report.
ChecklistEmployee offboarding IT checklistEverything to revoke, recover and transfer when someone leaves: accounts, MFA, shared passwords, email, devices, keys and licenses.
ChecklistOffice move IT checklistThe IT plan for moving or opening an office: internet orders, phones, cabling, Wi-Fi, cameras, cutover weekend and testing.
Recent articles for distributors and warehouses
IT questions distributors ask us
How much do IT services cost for a logistics company?
Managed IT is priced per user per month, with the equipment we manage counted and covered on the same agreement, so a device-heavy warehouse is priced on what we actually look after. Preferred Data does not publish a rate card; we count users and devices during a free quote and send a written quote. Request one on the pricing page or call (336) 886-3282.
Can you fix WiFi dead spots in our warehouse?
Usually, yes. Dead spots in a warehouse are normally caused by racking, stock and ceiling height rather than by too few access points, so we walk the site first and design coverage for aisles, docks and yards. The approach is described on our warehouse WiFi page, and the quote is in writing before any work starts.
Do you support handheld scanners and label printers?
We support the network scanners run on, keep them on their own segment, and manage the workstations and printers around them under a managed IT plan. Problems inside a vendor's own application are resolved with that vendor.
Is 24/7 support included for second and third shifts?
Every plan includes 24/7 threat detection and response. The helpdesk runs during business hours on Preferred Essentials, with extended hours on Preferred Professional, and 24/7 including after-hours and weekends on Preferred Complete, which is the plan we recommend for operations that ship around the clock.
How do we protect against fake carrier or vendor payment requests?
Confirm any change to payment details by calling a number you already have on file, never one in the email. Every Preferred Data plan adds email threat protection, multi-factor authentication and security awareness training. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded more than $3 billion in reported business email compromise losses in 2025.
Do you work with our existing ERP or warehouse software?
Yes. We support the servers, network, workstations and backups your system depends on, whoever wrote it. If you are looking to replace it, our PDC Software Suite is ERP for manufacturers, distributors and importers, built and supported in High Point.
Do you provide on-site IT support in Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh?
Yes. Our office is in High Point and we provide on-site support anywhere within 200 miles, including Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Raleigh. Preferred Professional includes on-site visits when we cannot fix a problem remotely, and Preferred Complete includes unlimited on-site support.
Do you work with distributors and warehouses outside North Carolina?
Yes. Managed IT, helpdesk, 24/7 security monitoring, network management and ERP support are delivered remotely to distributors and warehouses across the United States and around the world. Site walkthroughs and installation, such as warehouse WiFi, are on site within 200 miles of our High Point office. Microsoft 365 licensing outside the United States and any on-site need beyond 200 miles are set out in your written quote. Our service area page lists what we deliver remotely and on site.
Sources
Related services and resources
Keep orders moving with IT built for your warehouse
Tell us about your buildings, your shifts and what breaks today. We will walk the site, recommend a plan and put in writing what it does and does not cover before any work starts.
Preferred Data Corporation, 1208 Eastchester Drive, Suite 131, High Point, NC 27265