Choosing a local 3PL can shorten last-mile transit to nearby urban centers and centralize outbound flows for national coverage. Key impacts include improved pickup frequency with regional carriers, potential for same-day dispatch to nearby markets, and reduced transit variability when routing is optimized through local road and rail links.

Compare base storage (per pallet or per cubic metre), pick-and-pack per-line or per-order fees, inbound receiving charges, minimum monthly activity, and accessorials (kitting, repacking, returns). Also review billing cadence, indexation clauses, and volume discounts to model landed cost per SKU and per-order economics.

Verify dock configuration and dock-to-stock times, yard and trailer capacity, rail access if required, secure storage options, parcel carrier pickup windows, and available cross-dock capabilities. Also review SLA commitments for turnaround, contingency routing, and peak season scalability.

Require demonstrations of the WMS, API/EDI capabilities, real-time inventory visibility, and reporting dashboards. Validate cycle count procedures, historical accuracy KPIs, audit documentation, and sample integration tests with your storefront or ERP to confirm latency, reconciliation, and exception handling.