Prioritize transit times to core customers, carrier access (parcel and regional LTL), warehouse slotting and pick/pack productivity, integration with your order management system, and storage cost per pallet or per cubic foot. Evaluate peak season scalability, reverse logistics capability, and real-time visibility tools to control cost-to-serve.

Multimodal options—river, rail, and highway—allow you to choose lower-cost bulk inbound modes or faster trucked options depending on SKU value and lead time. That flexibility reduces landed cost by enabling intermodal moves for heavy or low-value inventory, while truck or express parcel can serve time-sensitive shipments.

Seek a 3PL offering separate workflows for eCommerce pick/pack and palletized B2B shipments, inventory segmentation, same-day or next-day cutoffs, integrated returns processing, and omnichannel inventory visibility. Confirm ASNs, EDI/API integrations, and kitting/assembly services for promotional cycles.

Key drivers include land and labor costs, local tax incentives, proximity to carrier hubs (affecting dray and fuel), building age and racking type, and availability of automation. Winona typically offers lower rent and labor rates, but balance savings against transit times to your primary markets and carrier rate schedules.