Prioritize transit time to your largest customer bases, carrier connectivity (parcel hubs, LTL, FTL lanes), warehouse footprint and layout for your SKU mix, labor availability and wage trends, and the provider's WMS/OMS integration capabilities. Also evaluate SLA performance, scalability for peak demand, and value-added services such as kitting, returns processing, and quality inspection.

Regional factors—real estate rates, labor costs, access to major highways/ports/airports, and proximity to parcel sorting hubs—directly affect last-mile zones and LTL/FTL lane distances. Shorter transit zones lower per-unit delivery costs for parcels; efficient access to intermodal terminals reduces palletized freight spend. Analyze landed cost models that include transportation, handling, and inventory carrying impacts when comparing locations.

Require a modern WMS with API-based connectivity to your ecommerce platform and ERP, real-time inventory visibility across locations, support for distributed order management, carrier rate shopping, and returns management. Confirm the 3PL can handle barcode/RF scanning, ASN processing, EDI or modern APIs, and reporting for SLA and inventory analytics to support omnichannel fulfillment.

Look for facilities with cross-dock bays, multiple dock doors, mezzanine and racking flexibility, buffer staging for surge handling, and on-site reverse logistics. Local carrier density and multiple carrier partners reduce single-point failure risks. Also evaluate contingency staffing plans, weekend operations capability, and WMS rules that prioritize high-velocity SKUs to maintain SLA during peaks.