Evaluate transit times to primary markets, dock-door capacity, storage mix (ambient/refrigerated), WMS integration, picking accuracy, SLA terms, labor scalability, and carrier diversity. Prioritize providers with clear KPIs, reporting cadence, and experience handling seasonal volume swings common in northern logistics.

Proximity to Parks and Glenn Highway corridors shortens overland transit to Anchorage and interior towns, lowering drayage and consolidation costs. Carrier access affects LTL vs parcel economics, pickup frequency, and last-mile timing; seasonal road conditions and limited ocean options must be modeled into transit-time and rate estimates.

Key capabilities include a modern WMS with API/EDI, zone and batch picking, cold storage if needed, dedicated cross-dock capacity, secure inventory staging, and real-time inventory visibility. Integration with carriers and marketplaces is essential for fast order flows and reduced order-to-ship lead times.

Include storage tiers, handling and throughput fees, inbound consolidation costs, drayage, and potential peak-season surcharges. Factor forecast variability, safety stock, and lead-time buffers; run scenarios for peak months to compare true landed cost and working-capital impacts across providers.

Negotiate order accuracy targets, on-time ship-rate thresholds, cut-off and lead-time guarantees, inventory accuracy percentages, chargeback rules for failures, and reporting cadence. Include contingency plans for capacity constraints, escalation paths, and defined surge pricing for predictable peak-season handling.