Selecting the perfect 3PL warehouse partner can transform your e-commerce operations with reliable fulfillment, cost savings, and scalability. With the global ecommerce market projected to grow significantly amid rising e-commerce demands, the wrong choice can lead to stockouts, compliance issues, or hidden fees. At ShipWizard, we’ve helped countless ecommerce clients, from nutraceuticals to clothing brands, scale efficiently through our FDA-registered, climate-controlled facilities. We’ve compiled a list of 5 essential things to look for, and questions to ask, when evaluating 3PL providers.
1. Product Handling Expertise and Certifications
Not all warehouses are equipped to manage delicate, perishable, or regulated items in the same way. For example, if you sell supplements, the warehouse should be FDA-registered and comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), which include maintaining strict temperature controls to prevent product degradation. Without these standards, sensitive ingredients in supplements may lose potency or spoil. Similarly, chocolate brands need warehouses with humidity regulation to prevent bloom—a condition that affects appearance and texture—ensuring customers receive fresh, high-quality products.
Questions to Ask:
- What certifications do you hold (e.g., FDA, cGMP, food-grade)?
- Can you provide examples of handling similar products?
At ShipWizard, our warehouses combine modern climate control with rigorous inventory management to ensure your products—whether supplements, chocolates, or other sensitive goods—are stored safely and shipped efficiently. We offer spacious, secure facilities that maintain ideal temperature and humidity levels to preserve product quality and freshness.
2. Technology Integration and Real-Time Visibility
For e-commerce brands, seamless technology integration with a 3PL is essential—it’s the backbone that keeps your operations running smoothly without constant manual intervention. The 3PL’s Warehouse Management System (WMS) needs to connect directly with your sales platforms like Shopify, Amazon, or BigCommerce. This enables automatic syncing of orders (so when a customer buys, it instantly appears in the warehouse for picking), real-time inventory updates (preventing oversells or stockouts across channels), and detailed reporting on fulfillment metrics like shipping times or error rates.
Questions to Ask:
- What platforms do you integrate with, and how long does onboarding take?
- Do you offer dashboards for stock levels, expirations (FEFO/FIFO), and analytics?
Look for APIs, mobile apps, and alerts for low stock or expiries. ShipWizard connects to 75+ carts with live dashboards, ensuring 99%+ accuracy and 2 business day delivery to 95% of US customers.
3. Scalability and Capacity for Growth
A 3PL must demonstrate the capacity to manage your current order volumes while scaling reliably for anticipated growth or seasonal peaks, such as holiday chocolate rushes or New Year’s supplement demand surges. Evaluate their infrastructure, staffing flexibility, and historical performance during high-volume periods to ensure they can handle 2x-5x increases without delays, stockouts, or quality drops.
Questions to Ask:
- What’s your capacity for order surges (e.g., 2x-5x volume)?
- How do you manage labor, space expansion, and multi-SKU complexity?
ShipWizard seamlessly handles current volumes and future surges through its scalable infrastructure across Phoenix and Fort Lauderdale warehouses, with flexible staffing, dedicated space allocation, and proven peak-season performance maintaining 99%+ order accuracy and 2-day nationwide shipping—even during holiday chocolate rushes or New Year’s supplement booms.
4. Look for A 3PL With Transparent Pricing and Total Cost Structure
When you hear about low bids from a 3PL, it’s important to dig deeper because the initial price may not tell the full story. The Total Cost of Fulfillment (TCF) includes several components beyond simple packing and shipping fees. It accounts for all expenses involved in fulfilling your orders effectively.
Here’s what you should consider in TCF:
- Storage Fees: Charges based on the amount of space your inventory occupies, often calculated by pallet or cubic foot.
- Pick and Pack Fees: Costs for selecting items and packing them into orders, which may vary based on the number of items per order.
- Receiving Fees: Expenses related to checking in and processing new inventory.
- Return Handling: Costs for processing returned items, inspecting them, and restocking or disposing of inventory.
- Technology Fees: Charges for integration, real-time inventory tracking, and order management tools.
- Additional Surcharges: This could include rush orders, special packaging, or seasonal volume spikes.
Questions to Ask:
- What’s your full fee breakdown, including volume tiers and hidden costs?
- How will this price change when my volume goes up or down? What should I expect as my business grows?
ShipWizard provides clear fulfillment pricing with no surprises, plus rate shopping for carriers.
5. Choose A Warehouse With A Strategic Location and Dedicated Customer Support
When choosing a 3PL warehouse, location isn’t just about being close to your own office or headquarters. What’s truly important is having facilities strategically placed to serve your customers efficiently. Warehouses near major highways, ports, airports, or densely populated areas help reduce transit times and lower shipping costs. This means products can reach customers faster and cheaper, which boosts satisfaction and your bottom line.
Questions to Ask:
- Where are your warehouses, and how do they serve my customer base?
- What’s your support structure—dedicated managers, 24/7 response?
ShipWizard operates two major warehouses: a fully air-conditioned, FDA-registered, cGMP-compliant facility in Phoenix, Arizona, located at Mack Innovation Park, 33 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Suite 131. This 90,000+ sq ft warehouse offers precise temperature and humidity control ideal for sensitive products like supplements and chocolates. Phoenix’s strategic location allows rapid 2-day shipping to the Southwest and West Coast, reaching 35 million consumers within a one-day truck haul and benefiting from major highway access and the nearby international airport.
On the East Coast, ShipWizard’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida facility complements Phoenix perfectly by enabling nationwide coverage and two-day shipping to much of the continental US. The Fort Lauderdale warehouse offers similarly stringent climate control and regulatory compliance, ensuring product integrity regardless of season. This bi-coastal network provides clients with fast, reliable fulfillment and flexibility during seasonal or promotional peaks.
Still looking for the perfect 3PL warehouse for your ecommerce needs? Contact ShipWizard today to learn more or request a quote!
