Assess proximity to trunk roads and customer clusters, multimodal access, warehouse footprint and racking, climate control needs, WMS and EDI capabilities, SLAs for order cycle times, scalability of labor and real estate, and the 3PL’s carrier integrations and KPIs for transit performance.

Expect lower land and average labor costs and the potential for larger yards versus coastal metros, which reduces fixed and variable expenses. Balance those savings against the availability of specialized logistics labor and the need for 3PL investments in technology and carrier relationships to maintain service levels.

Prioritize order picking accuracy, returns processing, kitting and light assembly, temperature-controlled storage where required, cross-docking for rapid throughput, and real-time inventory visibility through integrated WMS to enable omnichannel fulfillment and better customer experiences.

Review historical lane transit times and variability, confirm regional last-mile partnerships, validate frequency of carrier departures, test pilot shipments, and include SLA and penalty clauses in contracts. Factor in multimodal options and staging capacity to mitigate seasonal peaks.