Evaluate road connectivity to primary arterials, proximity to feeder ports and air hubs, on‑site cross‑dock capacity, and access to regional trucking pools. Confirm carrier contracts, transit frequency, and parcel/pallet lane performance so the 3PL can meet your SLA and seasonal peaks.

Lower land and labor costs reduce storage and handling rates per pallet. Shorter dray times and regional carrier pools enable zone bypass and consolidation strategies that lower parcel costs and transit days. Model landed cost impacts across SKU velocity to quantify benefits.

Insist on on‑time in‑full (OTIF), pick accuracy, order cycle time, inventory accuracy, return processing time, and real‑time inventory visibility. Define penalties or remediation steps for SLA misses and require regular operational reporting and dashboard access.

Conduct a site visit, audit security and safety protocols, review disaster recovery and continuity plans, request WMS screenshots and API/EDI documentation, test integrations with your order platform, and check customer references and financial stability for seasonal scaling.