Evaluate proximity to major highways and rail, access to regional carriers, available cold-storage or specialized handling, labor pool and shift flexibility, on-site equipment, and the provider’s WMS/EDI capability. Also assess SLA track record, scalability for peak seasons, location-driven transit times, and transparent cost-to-serve modeling.

Carrier density and scheduled freight lanes from Terrace reduce drayage and multi-leg routing, lowering transit times and variable freight costs. Good last-mile coverage shortens delivery windows for urban and remote customers, decreases dwell time, and reduces expedited shipping spend during peaks.

Require a modern WMS with real-time inventory visibility, EDI/API or marketplace connectors, robust pick-and-pack and kitting operations, returns processing, lot/batch tracking for perishables, and reporting APIs. Integration speed and data accuracy drive order cycle times and customer experience.

Key drivers include storage (per pallet/cubic meter), inbound receiving and put-away labor, pick-and-pack labor, packing materials, outbound freight and fuel surcharges, cross-dock fees, accessorials, and seasonal premiums. Benchmark against cost-per-order, cost-per-pallet-month, and landed cost to compare providers.

Run a defined pilot period with target KPIs (order accuracy, lead time, on-time shipments), start with a limited SKU set, require access to test environments for WMS integration, agree service credits for missed SLAs, and plan incremental volume ramps to validate labor and space scalability during peak cycles.