Evaluate order-to-ship time, inventory accuracy, on-time ship rate, and cost-per-order. Confirm WMS visibility, billing transparency, sample KG/CBM freight quotes, onboarding timelines, and minimum volume tiers. Validate contingency plans for peak season and clear SLA remedies for chargebacks or service lapses.

Prioritize dock-level capacity, cross-dock capability, TL/LTL staging, secure gated yards, and proximity to regional rail ramps. Strong relationships with national LTL carriers and regional truckers reduce lane costs and improve schedule reliability for palletized and multi-stop deliveries.

Yes. Lower occupancy and labor rates combined with central Mid-South geography can reduce per-order fulfillment cost and transit days to regional consumers. Validate with ZIP-level cost-to-serve models and run pilot pick/pack cycles to measure actual savings before full migration.

Confirm real-time WMS APIs/EDI, barcode scanning, batch/kitting workflows, returns processing, and inventory segmentation for marketplaces. Ask for reporting cadence, SLA penalties, testing windows for integrations, and examples of handling peak volumes and promotional surges.