Evaluate port proximity and feeder schedules, regional road access and customs lanes, dock door and racking density, available temperature control, cross-dock capability, and on-site customs brokers. Also confirm carrier integrations, local last-mile partners, and redundancy for peak seasons to protect SLAs and transit times.

Compare fixed vs. variable pricing, per-pallet and per-pick rates, accessorials, minimum monthly commitments, and volume tiers. Require clear SLA language for order accuracy, dock-to-delivery lead times, and penalty clauses. Verify billing cadence, audit rights, and how customs or cross-border fees are handled.

Require a WMS with API/EDI connectivity, real-time inventory sync, multi-channel order orchestration, returns management, and shipment tracking. Confirm reporting, dashboarding, and the ability to integrate with your OMS, ERP, and carrier networks for automated routing and exception handling.

Account for multimodal transit options (sea, road), port cut-off times, scheduled feeder frequency, customs clearance windows, and cross-border permit variability. Assess local carrier density for last-mile coverage and ask for historical transit-time tables and seasonal variance data to inform safety stock and reorder points.