Assess dock door count and trailer marshalling, racked vs. bulk storage capacity, automation and conveyor readiness, WMS/WCS integration, cross-dock capability, carrier access density, and proximity to major highways and airports. Also validate IT connectivity, SLA penalties, and peak-season surge capacity.

Location in Barrie typically reduces regional transit times to Southern Ontario and the GTA, can lower real estate and labour components of landed cost, and supports scalable trailer and dock capacity for seasonal peaks. Combine network modeling with carrier rate benchmarking to quantify benefits.

3PLs in the area commonly support major parcel carriers, regional last-mile networks, LTL consolidation, TL services, and cross-border consolidation options. Evaluate carrier integrations, pickup frequency, transit maps, and contracts for residential surcharges and returns handling.

Require clear KPIs and SLAs for OTIF, pick-and-pack accuracy, order lead time, dock-to-stock hours, inventory accuracy, damage rates, detention and dwell windows, reporting cadence, and remediation processes including chargeback terms and corrective action plans.