Prioritize cold-chain storage if needed, proven intermodal coordination (air, seasonal marine, road), equipment for cold and rugged handling, scalable labor plans for seasonality, and WMS/API integrations for visibility. Confirm throughput metrics like picks/hour and dock turns and contingency routing to maintain SLAs in constrained windows.

Seasonal windows increase reliance on forward stocking and consolidation to avoid stockouts. Plan safety stock for critical SKUs, use cross-dock to reduce storage time, and schedule inbound shipments to align with marine/air windows. Expect variable lead times and factor them into promised delivery dates and reorder points.

Major cost drivers include fuel and surcharge volatility, drayage and last-mile distance premiums, refrigerated storage rates, seasonal labor costs, and minimum billing thresholds. Consolidation and optimized slotting can reduce per-unit costs; request modeled price scenarios reflecting seasonal peaks.

Require WMS integrations, order accuracy targets, confirmed dock door and cold storage capacity, average pick-and-pack times, on-time shipping percentages, and disaster-recovery routing. Verify equipment redundancy and local carrier relationships for last-mile delivery consistency.

Yes—select 3PLs that provide customs brokerage or partner with licensed brokers, offer bonded or secure storage options, and manage required documentation (manifests, permits). Confirm experience with cross-border timelines and any specific Arctic import regulations to avoid clearance delays.