Prioritize proximity to major highways and intermodal points, the 3PL's carrier integrations and manifesting capabilities, warehouse scalability, and local labor reliability. Also evaluate their WMS/API maturity, throughput metrics (pick/pack rates), and reverse logistics processes to support eCommerce returns efficiently.

Lower warehouse rents and favorable labor rates in Lead typically reduce fixed and variable fulfillment costs. Savings depend on density of orders and labor intensity; model total landed cost including drayage, cross-dock fees, and last-mile rates to quantify net benefit.

Look for a WMS with robust APIs, real-time inventory visibility, carrier rate-shopping, and EDI/FTP or API order exchange. Services such as ASN generation, batch kitting, slot optimization, and automated returns routing are critical for minimizing manual intervention and exceptions.

Require clear SLAs for order accuracy, on-time shipment, pick-and-pack cycle time, and inventory reconciliation frequency. Track KPIs like perfect order rate, order lead time, dock-to-stock time, and cost per pick/pack to monitor operational alignment. Consider penalty and remediation terms for repeated SLA breaches.