Evaluate warehouse footprint (racking, dock doors), handling equipment, SLAs for order-to-ship, peak-season labor scalability, inventory management integrations (WMS/APIs), and value-added services like kitting and returns. Verify carrier lanes, customs handling, and transit times to your primary customer regions.

Run a cost-to-serve analysis comparing current transit lanes vs. Bokhtar routing, including transport rates, duties, local handling, and storage. Model lead-time reductions from proximity to highways/rail and factor service-level penalties. Use historical volume profiles to size inventory and calculate working capital impacts.

Require a WMS with API-enabled integrations for order management, EDI or API support for carriers, real-time inventory feeds, barcode/RFID support, and reporting dashboards. Confirm SLA for data uptime, cycle count procedures, and ability to support multichannel order allocation rules.

Confirm customs brokerage capabilities, bonded storage options, C-TPAT or equivalent security measures, insurance coverage, contingency plans for peak season surges, and documented procedures for returns and disposition. Review contract clauses for force majeure and service-level recovery.

Assess the 3PL’s carrier matrix, frequency of departures on key lanes, transit time performance, and relationships with national and regional carriers. Validate transloading options, regional hub connectivity, and reported on-time delivery metrics. Consider partnering with 3PLs that offer multi-carrier selection and route optimization to improve last-mile performance.