The 9 questions
- Can I see your full fee schedule in writing? Watch for vague pricing or "we'll customize a quote." Reputable 3PLs publish their per-pick, storage, and accessorial fees clearly.
- What integrations do you support natively? Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, NetSuite, ShipStation — these should be turnkey, not custom dev work.
- What's your average pick accuracy? Anything below 99% will cost you in returns, refunds, and reviews.
- What's your order cutoff time? A 4 PM MT cutoff (like ours) means same-day shipping for late orders. A noon cutoff means a lost day.
- Who is my account manager — and how do I reach them? If the answer is "submit a ticket," keep looking.
- How do you handle peak season? Q4 is where 3PLs make or break their reputation. Ask about staffing plans and historical performance.
- What's your billing cadence and dispute process? Surprise invoices and slow dispute resolution are the most common complaint about bad 3PLs.
- How quickly can you onboard us? A confident 3PL gives a clear timeline — typically 2–4 weeks for SMBs.
- Can I tour your warehouse? If they say no or stall, that's a flag. We welcome visits to our Lehi facility any week.
The questions you should NOT lead with
"What's your cheapest rate?" Cheapest rate is meaningless without service quality. A 3PL that quotes the lowest pick fee often makes it back in storage minimums, pallet handling fees, and per-package surcharges. Ask for a sample monthly invoice based on your real volume — that's the real number.
Why "local" matters more than you think
National 3PLs treat your account as a row in a spreadsheet. A Utah-based, family-owned partner like Forge treats it as a relationship. When something goes wrong (and something always eventually goes wrong), you want a phone number, not a chatbot.
Forge's answers — for the record
Our pricing is transparent and shared in writing on the first call. We integrate natively with every major e-commerce platform. We hit 99.4% pick accuracy on a rolling 90-day basis. Our cutoff is 4 PM MT. Every account has a named manager. Q4 staffing is planned in July. We invoice weekly with a 7-day dispute window. We onboard most brands in 2–3 weeks. And yes — come visit Lehi any time.
Ready to compare? Request a quote and we'll walk you through every line item. Or browse everything we do and who we are.
Why Utah SMBs choose Forge Logistics
Family-owned, Lehi-based, and obsessed with helping growing brands ship smarter. We combine enterprise-grade carrier rates with the personal service only a local partner can deliver — so you can focus on selling, not shipping.
- 15–25% average shipping savings
- Same-day pick & pack accuracy 99%+
- Centrally located in Lehi, Utah
- No long-term contracts