Prioritize proximity to ports and intermodal terminals, arterial road connectivity, dock and yard capacity, clear height and racking, and established carrier lanes. Also evaluate lead-time variability, frequency of regional LTL/parcel runs, and the 3PL’s carrier contracts to ensure reliable inbound/outbound capacity.

Evaluate total landed cost, not just rent: include drayage, local trucking rates, labor and peak premiums, inventory carrying cost, and expected shrink/returns handling. Model cost-per-order across projected volumes and seasonality to compare net benefit versus alternative locations.

Require WMS/API or EDI integration, inventory accuracy, order cycle time, on-time-in-full (OTIF), dock-to-ship throughput and returns turnaround. Insist on visibility dashboards, exception alerts, and documented breach remedies within the SLA to manage performance.

Demand distributed inventory strategies, same-day or next-day pick/pack, efficient pick-paths, zone-skipping consolidation, multi-carrier rate shopping and returns optimization. Also assess the 3PL’s ability to scale during peaks and support BOPIS, Curbside and DTC flows.