Prioritize location relative to ports and key delivery corridors, WMS and API capabilities, SLA guarantees for order accuracy and lead time, bonded/customs options, labor flexibility for peaks, and clear pricing for storage, pick & pack, and value‑added services.

Compare average dray times to major ports, frequency of carrier pickups, available parcel and pallet carrier contracts, nearby freight consolidation options, and provider performance data on on‑time pickup and delivery windows.

Model inbound receiving, storage per pallet and per SKU, pick & pack labor, returns processing, cross‑dock fees, fulfillment packaging, outbound freight rates, any customs/bonded handling, and integration/setup fees to estimate true landed cost.

Essential capabilities include a modern WMS with real‑time inventory, open APIs or EDI for order and tracking exchange, reporting dashboards, support for multi‑location inventory allocation, and integrations for marketplace and OMS platforms.