Prioritize transit time to your customer base, carrier density and lane coverage, warehouse dock and staging capacity, inventory accuracy rates, and WMS integration. Also evaluate labor availability, peak‑season scalability, and proximity to last‑mile hubs to align cost‑to‑serve with promised SLAs.

Better carrier access in Kole lowers rates through competition and enables multi‑modal routing for cost optimization. Availability of regional carriers and intermodal options reduces reliance on national networks, improving delivery windows and lowering per‑parcel costs for both large and small shipments.

Require WMS with real‑time inventory, barcode/RFID capability, integrated OMS connections, and defined returns workflows (RMA processing, refurbishment lanes). Also assess dock capacity, dedicated returns zones, and reporting on OTIF, accuracy, and cycle times.

Negotiate on variable terms tied to utilization, pick density, and throughput. Leverage minimum commitment tiers for better rates, request transparent chargeback schedules, and require KPIs with financial remedies for missed service levels to align incentives between your operations and the 3PL.