Prioritize proximity to major highways and intermodal terminals, robust dock capacity, and direct LTL/parcel carrier relationships. Verify on-site equipment, cross-dock capability, and a WMS that supports carrier rate shopping and manifesting. Assess typical pickup frequency and lane coverage to estimate parcel spend and transit-time reductions.

Model landed cost per order including freight, last-mile delivery fees, and inventory carrying cost. Lower rents can justify slightly longer transit only if carrier network density and service-levels meet your delivery promise. Use historical order distribution to run zone-rate and delivery-window scenarios before committing.

Require KPIs such as order accuracy, picks per hour, dock-to-stock time, average outbound transit days, on-time carrier pickup rates, and cost per pick/pack. Include SLAs for peak season capacity, chargeback thresholds for errors, and regular reporting cadence to ensure continuous improvement.

Look for clear column spacing for flexible racking, available contiguous bay space for expansion, adequate ceiling height for pallet racking, modern sprinkler and fire systems, and room for automation. Also confirm labor pool availability and temporary staffing partnerships to handle peak surges.

Ensure the 3PL’s WMS provides real-time inventory sync, API integrations for order flow and carrier manifesting, and configurable return workflows. Test reporting granularity for lot/serial control if required, and validate SLA for return inspections, dispositions, and restocking timelines to protect cashflow and customer experience.