Assess transit times to target markets, dock and staging capacity, slotting and storage density, technology compatibility (WMS/API), SLA guarantees, and the 3PL’s carrier portfolio. Model cost-to-serve per SKU, minimum throughput commitments, and flexibility to scale during peak seasons as primary decision criteria.

Expect road-focused connectivity toward Turkey and Iran, local trucking networks for short-haul distribution, on-site customs brokerage support, and facilities equipped for cross-docking. Verify intermodal links and the 3PL’s partnerships for onward international forwarding when planning cross-border lanes.

Border checkpoints and documentation add variable lead times and potential queueing costs. Use bonded warehousing, consolidated shipments, and accurate HS coding to reduce duties and expedite clearance. Factor in additional buffer time for cross-border lanes when modeling order-to-delivery performance.

Prioritize integrated WMS/WCS connectivity, returns and reverse-logistics handling, kitting and light assembly, label customization and rework, and temperature-controlled storage if required. Evaluate the 3PL’s ability to provide SKU-level visibility and EDI/API integrations for storefront and marketplace synchronization.

Track on-time shipment rate, order accuracy, inventory accuracy, dock-to-stock cycle time, average order cycle time, cost per order, and cross-border clearance time. Use trend analysis over multiple months to identify seasonal impacts and highlight opportunities to optimize routing or inventory placement.