For small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), choosing the right warehousing partner isn’t just about finding a place to store your products, it’s about finding a reliable extension of your business. The wrong partner can cost you time, money, customer satisfaction, and frankly, your sanity. The right partner, on the other hand, can help you grow, scale, and operate smoothly.

Before signing any contracts or moving any inventory, here are 8 key questions SMEs should ask when deciding on potential warehousing partners.

Every time I turn on industry news, scroll through LinkedIn, or attend a conference, it’s the same faces (typically white males ones). The same CEOs running from appearance to appearance spouting the same talking points, occasionally calling each other out. 

Look, I get it. You’re the face of the company. But if you’re the only face, that’s a problem, not just for you, but for your business and the entire industry.

Welcome to our series celebrating the incredible women in Supply Chain and Logistics! In a traditionally male-dominated field, it's important to shine a light on the inspiring women who are making a significant impact. Through a mix of insightful and fun questions, we’ll explore their journeys, challenges, and successes. While we acknowledge the contributions of everyone in this industry, this series aims to elevate the voices and stories of women who often get missed. Next up: Sarah Barnes-Humphrey

Let’s be honest, most logistics and supply chain knowledge can be taught. Understanding different transportation modes, hours of service regulations, pricing structures, and operational processes are all things you can learn through training, documentation, and shadowing others on the job. Good companies have procedures in place, and most of the day-to-day work can be handled by almost anyone willing to learn.

Welcome to our series celebrating the incredible women in Supply Chain and Logistics! In a traditionally male-dominated field, it's important to shine a light on the inspiring women who are making a significant impact. Through a mix of insightful and fun questions, we’ll explore their journeys, challenges, and successes. While we acknowledge the contributions of everyone in this industry, this series aims to elevate the voices and stories of women who often get missed. Next up: Sylvia Ng

When I walked into Manifest, I knew my understanding of warehouses, warehouse operations, and warehouse tech was, at best, basic. But after attending, I quickly realized just how much more there is to learn. (Cue Aladdin’s A Whole New World playing in the background.) So, it’s time for another series, this one diving into warehousing, the challenges that come with it, the tech that’s available to help, and the operations behind it all.

I had the pleasure of being a guest on an episode of The Postal Hub Podcast. We discussed the world of food delivery and how postal operators can try to make it work. Yep, you read that right, your local postal service isn’t just about letters and parcels anymore; they’re eyeing your food and bev too.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever sat through a meeting and thought, “this could have been an email.” Now raise your other hand if you’ve been in an email thread so long that you lost the will to live. We’ve all been there. The problem isn’t just too many meetings, it’s ineffective and pointless meetings about the wrong things.

Welcome to our series celebrating the incredible women in Supply Chain and Logistics! In a traditionally male-dominated field, it's important to shine a light on the inspiring women who are making a significant impact. Through a mix of insightful and fun questions, we’ll explore their journeys, challenges, and successes. While we acknowledge the contributions of everyone in this industry, this series aims to elevate the voices and stories of women who often get missed. Next up: Kameel Gaines

The Venetian in Las Vegas hosted 6,000+ supply chain and logistics professionals representing 60+ countries at Manifest:The Future of Supply Chain and Logistics, and while AI, robotics, and data were hot topics, the real story was how companies are adapting to an era of discomfort, change, and rapid decision-making. Here’s what stood out:

Welcome to our series celebrating the incredible women in Supply Chain and Logistics! In a traditionally male-dominated field, it's important to shine a light on the inspiring women who are making a significant impact. Through a mix of insightful and fun questions, we’ll explore their journeys, challenges, and successes. While we acknowledge the contributions of everyone in this industry, this series aims to elevate the voices and stories of women who often get missed. Next up: Christina Gindi

Every year, industry experts churn out predictions about where logistics and supply chains are headed. In 2025, AI will revolutionize the industry! The trucking market will stabilize! More visibility and transparency! Collaboration! Resilient supply chains!

Sound familiar? That’s because these so-called trends are often just recycled buzzwords—opinions dressed up as insights. Just like in fashion, trends come and go. Instead of chasing every flashy new idea, why not stick to classic, proven strategies while selectively investing in trends that show real staying power?

Welcome to our series celebrating the incredible women in Supply Chain and Logistics! In a traditionally male-dominated field, it's important to shine a light on the inspiring women who are making a significant impact. Through a mix of insightful and fun questions, we’ll explore their journeys, challenges, and successes. While we acknowledge the contributions of everyone in this industry, this series aims to elevate the voices and stories of women who often get missed. Next up: Lindsey Haught

Delegation. It practically feels like it’s illegal in the world of logistics. The “cradle-to-grave” mentality—where one person handles every single aspect of a shipment from start to finish—is deeply ingrained in our industry’s culture. People who are not available 24/7/365 are made to feel like absolute pariahs. And while there’s something to be said for owning your work, let’s be real: trying to do it all, all the time, is a one-way ticket to burnout and a lonely life.

“It is what it is.” That was the response from a large retailer when I pointed out their distribution center’s terrible reputation for driver wait-times. And it wasn’t just hearsay—clear data showed they averaged 7–9 hours for unloading, with some wait-times stretching over 12 hours. The person even admitted, “We have so much freight that carriers and drivers have to work with us, so fixing our wait-time issue isn’t really a priority.” On top of that, their procedure for paying detention fees was so riddled with bureaucracy, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d asked for a DNA sample from the driver.

Reputation in this industry is critical. Shippers with this “not-my-problem” attitude risk alienating reliable carriers and drivers, leaving themselves stuck with subpar options.

Welcome to our series celebrating the incredible women in Supply Chain and Logistics! In a traditionally male-dominated field, it's important to shine a light on the inspiring women who are making a significant impact. Through a mix of insightful and fun questions, we’ll explore their journeys, challenges, and successes. While we acknowledge the contributions of everyone in this industry, this series aims to elevate the voices and stories of women who often get missed. Next up: Katie Kaczmarek

Being a digital nomad in logistics is a balancing act between wanderlust and work-life realities. While Instagram might showcase cappuccinos and croissants, the real story involves time zones, routines, and staying connected to an industry that never sleeps. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way:

Welcome to our series celebrating the incredible women in Supply Chain and Logistics! In a traditionally male-dominated field, it's important to shine a light on the inspiring women who are making a significant impact. Through a mix of insightful and fun questions, we’ll explore their journeys, challenges, and successes. While we acknowledge the contributions of everyone in this industry, this series aims to elevate the voices and stories of women who often get missed. Next up: Katherine Kruger

As discussed in the last two posts in this series the Driver Inc. model is a hot-button topic in Canada’s trucking industry. It blurs the lines between employment and independent contracting, often at the expense of employees’ rights, government tax revenues, and fair competition. While this practice continues to generate debate, these questions remain: What is the Canadian government doing to address the issue? How are industry associations and stakeholders responding? And most importantly, how can shippers and brokers identify and avoid Driver Inc. companies?

Welcome to our series celebrating the incredible women in Supply Chain and Logistics! In a traditionally male-dominated field, it's important to shine a light on the inspiring women who are making a significant impact. Through a mix of insightful and fun questions, we’ll explore their journeys, challenges, and successes. While we acknowledge the contributions of everyone in this industry, this series aims to elevate the voices and stories of women who often get missed. Next up: Joanne Bricker