Prioritize measurable service levels and infrastructure: warehouse location relative to major routes, dock capacity, IT integration (WMS/OMS APIs), pick-and-pack accuracy, and scalable labor. Also evaluate carrier relationships, SLAs for lead times, returns handling, and transparent cost-to-serve reporting to compare total landed cost across channels.

A local 3PL reduces miles traveled by placing inventory closer to demand, enabling zone-skipping and consolidated shipments. They also leverage regional carrier contracts and cross-dock operations to shorten transit windows and reduce per-shipment freight spend through pooled distribution and optimized routing.

Key capabilities include flexible racked and bulk storage, seasonal labor pools, dynamic slotting, and a WMS that supports labor management and slotting optimization. Consider barcode scanning, real-time inventory visibility, and elastic staffing models to handle peaks without large fixed-cost increases.

Request transparent breakdowns of inbound receiving, storage (volume/turn tiers), picking/packing, outbound handling, returns processing, and value-added services. Require KPIs: order accuracy, on-time dispatch, inventory days of supply, and chargeback thresholds. Comparing cost per order and cost-to-serve by channel clarifies trade-offs.