Prioritize road access to main trade corridors, multiple loading docks, and on-site staging for last-mile carriers. Confirm local carrier coverage, transfer times to regional hubs, and availability of cross-dock services. Also assess parking for carrier trucks and loading-window flexibility to avoid detention fees and support peak season surges.

Longer transit distances increase landed costs and inventory-in-transit days; higher carrier density reduces rates and improves SLA options. Select a 3PL that can demonstrate consistent transit metrics to your major delivery zones, and negotiate zone-based pricing to protect margins on time-sensitive SKUs.

Include KPIs for inventory accuracy, order lead time, pick-and-pack accuracy, and outbound on-time rates. Require WMS integration (real-time inventory visibility), EDI or API connectivity for order flows, and regular audit cadence. Define remediation steps and service credits for KPI misses to align incentives.

Segment inventory by velocity to assign slotting and storage types, use multi-client warehousing to lower fixed costs, and negotiate variable-cost structures tied to volume. Implement streamlined returns routing and inspection SOPs with the 3PL to reduce processing time and recapture resaleable inventory quickly.