Benchmark peak hourly picks, peak pallet inflow/outflow, dock door utilization and reserve buffer for safety stock. Confirm WMS throughput, labor flexibility, and temporary staffing options. Include SLA tests for peak weeks and scalability terms in the contract.

Expect direct road access to A14 and regional arterials, nearby rail freight links, and short feeder services to Adriatic ports. Carriers typically include national parcel networks, pallet carriers for B2B, and specialized temperature-controlled hauliers for regulated goods.

Positioning inventory closer to Adriatic ports shortens modal transit; cross-docking and aggregation reduce per-unit transport cost; zone-skipping and regional consolidation lower parcel spend. Efficient routing and regional hubs cut transit days to central Europe.

Specify OTIF, order accuracy, inventory accuracy, dock-to-ship cycle time, claims rate and chargeback rules. Include penalties for missed SLAs, regular operational review cadence, data-sharing obligations (EOD manifests, inventory snapshots) and an exit plan for inventory migration.