Evaluate transit times to your customer clusters, carrier density for parcel and pallet shipments, cross-dock and consolidation capabilities, SLA performance on pick-and-pack, and peak-season labor scalability. Also review connectivity to national motorways and rail options to optimize multimodal routing and total landed cost.

Costs in Dolj typically reflect lower land rents and labor rates versus primary urban centers, improving unit storage and handling costs. Consider local industrial park incentives, utility availability, and predictable labor pools when modelling cost-per-order and break-even for nearshore distribution.

Confirm inventory visibility and WMS integration, order cycle times, returns processing flows, temperature-controlled storage if required, and carrier API connectivity for rate shopping and tracking. Ask for measurable KPIs (OTIF, picking accuracy, order-to-ship lead time) and SLA remedies.

Assess direct access to national parcel networks, regional LTL and FTL carriers serving the Balkans, customs brokerage capabilities for cross-border flows, and the 3PL’s experience managing transit documentation. Scalability for peak volumes and multi-carrier routing options reduce transit risk and cost.