Prioritize transit time to target markets, multimodal connectivity, warehouse layout for your SKU profile, labour availability and seasonality, and existing carrier integrations. Evaluate service-level history, inventory visibility via WMS/APIs, and the 3PL’s ability to scale during peak demand.

Compare fixed versus variable fees, pick-and-pack rates, pallet storage and handling, inbound cross-dock charges, and returns costs. Include transit time-driven penalties and service credits in model assumptions. Use test fulfillment runs and request historical performance data for accurate landed-cost modeling.

• Integrated WMS with API-level inventory visibility
• Flexible pick strategies (batch, zone, wave)
• Returns processing and reverse-logistics workflows
• Temperature control where needed and scalable racking

Request carrier partner lists, typical transit times to primary destinations, average parcel and pallet lead times, on-time delivery metrics, and sample rate cards. Validate frequency of trunking runs and consolidation hub locations to understand true last-mile costs.

• Clear SLA definitions (OTD, pick accuracy, inventory accuracy)
• Audit and reporting cadence with API access
• Escalation and remediation clauses tied to service credits
• Flexible capacity terms and clear surcharge policies for seasonality