East Coast or West Coast 3PL? Choose using your order map

Start with where orders actually go

Export a representative period of destination data and group it into useful regions. Separate promotional spikes from normal demand and identify wholesale shipments that behave differently from consumer parcels. Use aggregate data for the shortlist; you do not need to send a provider a complete customer database to begin the location discussion. Ask for modeled transit and shipping costs using the same order mix.

Include the inbound journey

Consider how stock reaches the warehouse, how frequently you replenish, and which delays your plan can tolerate. A location that looks attractive on the outbound map may create a more difficult replenishment pattern. Ask each provider to quote the relevant receiving and storage work alongside outbound shipping. Record the actual proposed facility, not simply the regions the network advertises.

Test one site before assuming two is better

An illustrative brand sends 60% of orders to western destinations and 40% elsewhere. Those percentages alone do not prove that two warehouses are economical. Add replenishment frequency, safety stock, SKU demand, and the cost of transferring inventory. Compare a single-site plan with a two-site plan under the same assumptions. Watch for slow-moving SKUs that would be duplicated without improving the customer promise.

Turn geography into a shortlist requirement

Define the delivery outcome you need and the inventory you can support. Ask providers to explain which services and destinations their proposal covers and how returns will be handled. Use the directory’s region filter to find candidates, then confirm facility availability directly. If your demand pattern is still changing, discuss a phased approach instead of locking the business into a network it cannot yet replenish reliably.