Prioritize carrier connectivity to your customer base, verify dock and staging capacity for your SKU mix, and model transit-time reductions versus incremental handling fees. Assess WMS integration, pick-pack productivity, and seasonal surge plans to ensure cost and service objectives align with your order profile.

Negotiate clear KPIs—OTIF, order accuracy, picking rate per hour, and dock-to-dispatch time—plus transparent chargeback rules for accessorials. Include windowed rate reviews, capacity commitments for peak periods, and data-sharing SLAs for inventory and order visibility.

Key factors are proximity to interstates and rail terminals, frequency of parcel/LTL lanes, availability of temperature-controlled space, and local labor costs. Sites near carrier hubs reduce LTL touches and dray, lowering both transit times and per-shipment expense.

Typical onboarding takes 8–14 weeks: site acceptance testing, system integration (API/EDI), SKU mapping and slotting, workforce training, and a joint pilot phase. Include data validation, test orders, carrier account alignment, and contingency plans for peak ramp.