3PL RFP Questions to Ask: A Category-by-Category List
The 3PL RFP questions to ask, organized by operations, technology, pricing, contract terms, and team fit, plus a post-proposal scoring checklist.
A long list of 3PL RFP questions to ask is easy to find. A list organized so you can actually compare answers across providers is harder to come by. Here's how we break it down, sorted by the categories that matter most when you're deciding between 3PLs.
Why Category Matters More Than a Long List
Providers answer more thoroughly when questions are grouped by topic instead of scattered. It also makes your own comparison easier: you can line up every provider's operations answers against each other, then their pricing answers, instead of trying to hold an entire 40-question survey in your head at once.
Operations & Capacity Questions
Cover the full order lifecycle, not just picking and shipping:
- What's your onboarding process and typical timeline?
- What are your receiving standards, and do you support both standard and expedited receiving?
- How do you handle storage for our SKU mix and volume?
- What's your process for pick and pack, for both direct-to-consumer and B2B orders?
- What are your shipping capabilities and carrier relationships?
- How do you handle returns?
- Do you offer value-added services like kitting or custom packaging?
- What does account management look like day to day?
Technology Questions
Don't accept "we integrate with most platforms" as a full answer. Ask for specifics:
- What's your WMS platform, and what does your API documentation actually look like?
- How do you handle EDI, OMS, and cart integrations we currently use?
- What visibility do we get into inventory and order status in real time?
Pricing Questions
- Can you provide a complete rate card with all fees listed, not a summary?
- How do you price storage, and how does that change seasonally?
- What's included versus billed separately (pick fees, pack fees, kitting, returns processing)?
Contract & SLA Questions
- What performance guarantees do you offer, and what happens when you miss them?
- What's your error resolution process?
- What data access do we retain if we ever switch providers?
Team & Communication Questions
One operator we interviewed put it simply when describing what she was actually looking for in a provider: someone she could continue to grow with, who was more tech-advanced, operationally sound, strong on customer service, and capable across both retail and multiple locations. None of that shows up on a rate card. It shows up in how a provider answers questions about their team and how they communicate.
- Who is our day-to-day point of contact, and what's their tenure with the company?
- How do you handle escalations outside business hours?
- What's your process for regular business reviews?
After the Proposals Come In
Once you've received proposals, it's worth revisiting a shorter set of questions to score what you got back:
- Did their service offerings and technology capabilities align with your specific business needs?
- Was their pricing structure clear and competitive for your budget?
- Was their team responsive, and did they communicate well throughout the process?
- Did their contract terms and performance metrics align with your expectations?
These four hold up as a final gut check even after all the detailed questions above have been answered.