Prioritize facility footprint and layout (racked vs bulk), SLA adherence and chargeback history, order-to-ship velocity, integration capabilities with your OMS/ERP, and access to value-added services like kitting and returns processing. Assess carrier contracts and inbound consolidation options to control landed cost and transit variability.

Close proximity to ports, arterial highways, and regional intermodal yards reduces dray and linehaul times, enabling more predictable ETAs and lower freight spend. Evaluate carrier frequency, regional LTL lanes, and existing 3PL spot agreements to quantify transit-time improvement and cost per pallet or cubic meter.

Look for scalable storage systems, temporary capacity options, experience with peak labor scaling, WMS and TMS flexibility, and documented peak-season performance metrics. Confirm cross-dock capacity, pick density strategies, and contingency plans for surge labor or overflow storage.

Negotiate clear SLAs with measurable KPIs, chargeback and dispute resolution terms, minimum throughput commitments, inbound/outbound rate cards with fuel and accessorial definitions, and integration milestones for connectivity. Include termination and transition clauses to safeguard inventory movement if performance falters.