Prioritize transit times to your customer base, dock and staging capacity, peak-season scalability, technology integration (WMS/API), and SLA metrics for inbound/outbound processing. Assess carrier partnerships and local labor flexibility to ensure reliable omnichannel execution.

Closer port access can reduce drayage and transshipment steps, lowering landed cost and transit time. Evaluate road quality to major highways and availability of intermodal links. Optimizing these nodes often yields measurable savings in freight and inventory carrying costs.

Look for dedicated pick-and-pack lines, accurate barcode scanning and WMS controls, returns processing, climate control where needed, and scalable racking. Also verify peak labor plans and performance reporting to maintain service levels during sales surges.

Negotiate transparent rate cards for storage, handling, and value-added services; defined SLAs with penalties; minimum term flexibility; inventory reconciliation cadence; and clauses for capacity scaling and termination to align cost with demand variability.