Prioritize multimodal connectivity (sea, road, rail, air), bonded customs capabilities, carrier diversity for last-mile and palletized freight, and SLA transparency. Assess warehouse layout, automation level, and peak-season scalability to model cost-to-serve and service reliability.

Closer proximity to ports and airports shortens transit windows and reduces drayage and handling steps, lowering landed cost and variability. Carrier access enables routing flexibility, faster replenishment cycles, and better negotiation on freight rates and transit guarantees.

Require order cycle time, on-time-in-full (OTIF), inventory accuracy, and return-to-shelf timing as KPIs. Confirm WMS and API integrations for real-time inventory and order tracking, and validate the 3PL's processes for returns triage, refurbishment, and disposition to preserve margins.