Start with your own requirements
Before comparing providers, write down what you actually need: product types and sizes, number of SKUs, monthly orders, sales channels, Amazon FBA or FBM, B2B orders, special handling, and where your customers are. A 3PL that is perfect for a brand shipping 50,000 small parcels a month may be a poor fit for an importer storing 100 pallets.
Location: where are your customers and suppliers?
Warehouse location drives shipping cost and transit time. If most customers are in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, or you import from Europe via Atlantic ports, an East Coast warehouse makes sense. Ask every provider exactly where its facilities are — and whether they are owned or partner sites.
Services: can one partner do everything you need?
List the services you need now and in 12 months: storage, pick and pack, FBA prep, kitting, returns, cross-docking, B2B orders. Working with one provider for all of them avoids moving inventory between warehouses. Also ask what they don't do — for example, many 3PLs do not provide customs brokerage or hazmat storage.
Pricing: understand every fee
3PL pricing usually combines receiving, storage, fulfillment, packaging, shipping and special project fees. Ask for a quote based on your real order profile and compare the total monthly cost, not individual rates. Ask about minimums, setup fees and how fees change if volume drops. Our 3PL pricing guide explains each fee.
Contract terms
Some providers require long-term contracts or monthly minimums. Others, like Konsey Logistics, work without long-term contracts. Check notice periods, how inventory is released if you leave, and liability for lost or damaged goods.
Technology and integrations
Ask how orders reach the warehouse from each of your sales channels, how you'll see inventory levels, and how tracking returns to customers. Request a walkthrough of reporting rather than a feature list.
Accuracy and communication
Ask how the provider checks orders and handles receiving discrepancies, and who your day-to-day contact is. A responsive, named contact often matters more than a large network.
A 15-question checklist
- Where exactly are your warehouses?
- Do you have experience with products like mine?
- Which services do you provide in-house?
- What don't you handle?
- How is pricing structured? Are there minimums or setup fees?
- Is a long-term contract required?
- How do orders connect from my sales channels?
- What are your order cutoff and processing times?
- Which carriers do you use?
- How do you handle receiving discrepancies?
- How do you handle returns?
- Can you do Amazon FBA prep and FBM?
- Who is my point of contact?
- What happens during peak season?
- How do I get my inventory back if I leave?