Evaluate 3PLs on transit lanes from their Dudley facilities to your customer base, existing carrier contracts, parcel hub connectivity, typical cut-off and dispatch times, and SKU velocity handling. Confirm SLA performance history, weekend/peak capacity, and how inventory replenishment or distributed stocking will reduce zones and shipping cost.

Prioritise clear height, racking type, dock doors, segregation options for bulk vs. eFulfilment, ambient/refrigerated capabilities if needed, and secure yards. Require WMS/WCS APIs or EDI, real-time inventory visibility, configurable SLAs, ASN/EDI support, and reporting for cost-to-serve analysis.

Key factors include motorway access for regional full-load and LTL moves, proximity to parcel sortation hubs for next-day delivery, availability of tail-lift and white-glove carriers, and options for returns consolidation. Assess how the 3PL manages mixed flows, cross-docking and last-mile handoffs to optimise speed and cost.

Dudley's lower property and labour costs reduce fixed warehousing spend and per-pallet storage rates, but evaluate the trade-off with outbound zone-related transport costs to your customer base. Use a model comparing inventory holding, pick/pack labour, carrier rates, and service-level targets to determine net impact on total cost-to-serve.