Focus on transit time to your primary customer ZIP codes, carrier mix and negotiated rates, dock and throughput capacity, typical pick accuracy and order cycle times, and integration capabilities with your OMS/WMS. Also verify SLA penalties, minimums, and seasonal labor strategies to ensure predictable costs and service levels.

Evaluate warehouse storage density, slotting practices, and inventory visibility tools. Review pick-and-pack productivity metrics, kitting and value-added service experience, and ability to offer customized billing models. Ask for references and KPIs for similar SKU profiles and order profiles.

Look for strong multimodal links (road and rail or nearby port access), multiple last-mile carrier integrations, same-day/next-day dispatch capacity, and scalable staffing models. Additionally, confirm WMS/APIs for order routing, returns handling, and inventory syncing across channels.

Negotiate clear KPIs and SLA credits for accuracy and on-time dispatch, transparent rate cards with fuel and accessorial rules, minimum volume protections, termination windows, and audit rights for billing. Include clauses for seasonal scalability, dispute resolution, and data ownership of inventory and transactional records.