What Questions Should I Ask On My First Call with a 3PL?
Faith Artieda • September 17, 2026
Your first conversation with a 3PL should not feel like speed dating with a warehouse. You are not simply looking for space to put inventory. You are trying to figure out whether this is a team you can trust with your products, your customers, and potentially the next several years of your growth.
That means asking questions that get beyond square footage and pricing.
Start With Your Business, Not Their Capabilities
Most 3PLs can tell you how many warehouses they have, what technology they use, and how quickly they can ship an order. Those things matter, but your first call should help you understand how those capabilities apply to your business.
Consider asking:
- Do you work with brands similar to mine? Ask about similar order profiles, sales channels, products, and growth stages.
- Can you support where we are going next? If retail, marketplaces, new regions, or higher ecommerce volume are in your future, bring that up now.
- How do you prepare for unexpected increases in volume? Your forecast will change. Find out how the 3PL responds when it does.
- What information do you need from us to build the right solution? A thoughtful 3PL should want to understand your inventory, order history, seasonality, packaging, sales channels, and future plans before recommending an approach.
- Who will actually manage our business? The salesperson may begin the relationship, but operations will live it every day. Ask when you can meet the people who would work directly with your account.
- How do you handle our specific requirements? This could mean retailer compliance, kitting, branded packaging, gift messages, lot control, returns, or another detail that matters to your customer experience.
- What happens when something goes wrong? Problems happen. The more revealing question is how they are communicated, addressed, and prevented from happening again.
- Can we visit the facility? Seeing the operation and meeting the people behind it can tell you things a presentation never will.
Do Not Rush Straight to Price
Of course you should talk about cost. But asking “How much will this cost?” before a 3PL understands your operation may not give you a particularly useful answer.
Pricing depends on the space your inventory requires, the work involved in handling orders, your order profile, seasonality, special requirements, and many other details. A meaningful quote should reflect the business behind the numbers.
Your first call does not need to answer everything. It should leave you feeling like the 3PL asked just as many thoughtful questions about your business as you asked about theirs.
Because you are not only choosing where your inventory will sit.
You are choosing the people who will help move your brand forward.
Looking for a 3PL that takes the time to understand your business?
Start a conversation with Barrett Distribution Centers.
Recent Blog Posts
Activewear brand founded by “The Real Housewives of New York City” star Erika Hammond now shipping orders from Barrett’s Somerset, N.J., facility
The Results Most brands brace for one peak season a year. The holidays hit, volume spikes and everyone holds their breath until January. SCOUT Bags does it four times. Yes, that's right, four times... Through every launch, SCOUT has maintained 99.6% DTC on-time shipping. That's while moving 120,000+ units in a two-week window and keeping the rest of the business running.
FRANKLIN, Mass., Aug. 11, 2026 — Barrett Distribution Centers , a leading third-party logistics provider specializing in eCommerce fulfillment, announced a new partnership with PAHI Footwear , an emerging footwear and wellness brand focused on balance, stability and confidence. Barrett is providing omnichannel warehousing, fulfillment and managed transportation services from its Memphis fulfillment campus to support PAHI's direct-to-consumer, independent retail and mass retail channels. "As a growing brand, choosing the right fulfillment partner was a big decision for us," said Luke Schapfel , logistics manager at PAHI. "From the beginning, Barrett took the time to understand our business and where we're headed. Their team was responsive, easy to work with and genuinely invested in helping us build the right foundation for growth. That gave us confidence we had the right partner." The implementation began in late 2025 with a phased rollout. Barrett first onboarded PAHI's direct-to-consumer (D2C) business before expanding support to independent retailers and national retail partners throughout the second and third quarters of 2026. "Barrett has a successful history working with emerging apparel and footwear brands and helping them scale across omnichannel programs," said Scott Hothem , senior vice president of customer solutions at Barrett. "We're excited to support PAHI as it builds its presence in the U.S. market from our Memphis fulfillment campus. We look forward to helping the brand grow across both direct-to-consumer and retail channels." Barrett currently supports approximately 500 SKUs of men's and women's footwear for PAHI across direct-to-consumer, independent retail and mass retail channels. The partnership provides PAHI with a scalable fulfillment foundation as the brand continues to grow across channels. About PAHI Footwear PAHI was born from a simple yet powerful vision: to create footwear that combines comfort, innovation, and stability. The brand was founded to meet the growing need for footwear that offers not only style but also balance and support, empowering people to move with confidence throughout their daily lives. Drawing inspiration from the 5000-year-old twin-hull boat technology, PAHI introduced the P.O.R.T. system, revolutionizing how shoes provide balance. About Barrett Distribution Centers Since 1941, Barrett has provided customized third-party logistics (3PL), direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce fulfillment, omnichannel distribution, managed transportation solutions and retail compliance for clients across all industries, with a focus on apparel & footwear, health & beauty, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and education. Barrett continues to be a leading 3rd party logistics provider in North America, known for superior execution, customer engagement and direct access to senior leadership decision makers. As a member of Inc's fastest growing companies list 15+ times, Barrett is big enough to do the job and still small enough to deeply care about your business. Brands interested in a new 3PL partnership may contact Barrett directly here . Media Contact: Faith Artieda Marketing Content Specialist faith.artieda@barrettdistribution.com
