Prioritize robust road access to major corridors, available dock doors and staging areas, power reliability, and scalable racking. Assess local carrier coverage for last-mile delivery, cross-dock capability for expedited flows, and the 3PL's capacity to handle returns and multi-channel order routing.

Expect lower base rates for storage and labor, but compare ancillary fees: receiving, pick-and-pack, kitting, inventory reconciliation, and transport surcharges. Review minimum billing increments, shrinkage policies, and seasonal rate adjustments to model total landed fulfillment cost.

Include order cycle time, on-time shipment percentage, pick accuracy, inventory accuracy, return processing time, and claims resolution windows. Also define escalation protocols, performance reviews cadence, and financial remedies or service credits for SLA breaches.

Require flexible storage density, rapid labor scaling, cross-dock and overflow handling, integrated WMS with API connectivity, and value-added services like labeling and kitting. Confirm contingency plans for peak periods and transparent lead times for capacity expansion.

Request carrier partner lists, sample transit time matrices, and populated route performance reports. Ask for proof of local pickup/drop schedules, references for similar lanes, and analytics showing historical on-time delivery and damage rates for target destinations.