Prioritize carrier connectivity (road and intermodal), customs handling experience, SKU slotting and pick-pack throughput, lead times to target markets, and local labor skillsets. Evaluate SLA guarantees, inventory visibility via WMS, and ability to scale storage and labor during peak seasons.

Fergana generally offers lower land lease and labor costs than capital-region hubs, which can reduce per-unit warehousing and handling expenses. However, factor in potential trade-offs like fewer carrier frequency options and additional cross-border paperwork when modeling landed cost savings.

Key metrics include road accessibility to major highways, proximity to key border crossings, on-site dock capacity, inbound/outbound appointment throughput, average truck turnaround time, and partnerships with national carriers for regional trunking and last-mile delivery.

Expect the 3PL to provide customs brokerage support, accurate HS code classification, pre-clearance facilitation, documentation management for exports/imports, and experience with bonded storage or free zone options where available to minimize clearance delays.

Agree on KPIs such as order accuracy, on-time shipment rate, average order cycle time, inventory accuracy, and capacity ramp timelines. Include performance-based clauses in the contract and require WMS integration for real-time reporting and scalable labor plans for seasonal peaks.