Evaluate highway and rail access, carrier density, dock/door counts, storage density, automation and WMS capabilities, peak-season labor availability, and proximity to major customer clusters. Quantify transit time variability and landed cost impacts for your SKU mix and order profiles before shortlisting providers.

A Flint-based fulfillment footprint reduces carrier hand-offs and shortens lanes to Midwest and Northeast markets thanks to interstate and regional rail connectivity. That typically improves same- and next-day regional options and increases predictability for LTL and parcel deliveries.

Primary cost drivers include facility rent, labor rates and productivity, pick-and-pack efficiency, storage density, inbound freight mix, and carrier access. Seasonal labor surcharges, value-added service fees, and chargebacks for low compliance also materially affect total landed cost.

Expect receiving, inventory management, pick/pack/ship, returns processing, kitting/assembly, and value-added services. Leading providers offer WMS with API or EDI integrations to ecommerce platforms, real-time inventory visibility, performance reporting, and configurable SLAs to support omnichannel order flows.