| 1 | Customs and trade compliance | 15% | Customs-clearance procedures, document checks, brokerage arrangements, and records of holds or corrections. | Score against documented compliance processes and the rate of shipment files requiring correction. |
| 2 | On-time delivery performance | 15% | Recent delivery records for comparable routes, service levels, cargo types, and border crossings. | Compare the percentage of shipments delivered within the agreed delivery window. |
| 3 | Route and service coverage | 12% | Operating lanes, border-crossing options, service frequency, and arrangements for first- and last-mile transport. | Confirm that the provider can serve each required origin, destination, and border point. |
| 4 | Shipment visibility and communication | 10% | Tracking milestones, status-update frequency, proof-of-delivery access, and escalation contacts. | Check milestone coverage and response times during a trial shipment or reference check. |
| 5 | Fleet and capacity suitability | 10% | Vehicle types, load limits, equipment availability, subcontracting practices, and peak-season capacity plans. | Match available equipment and capacity to shipment volume, dimensions, and handling requirements. |
| 6 | Safety and cargo security | 10% | Driver and vehicle safety procedures, cargo-security controls, incident reporting, and insurance documentation. | Review written procedures and comparable records of damage, loss, and safety incidents. |
| 7 | Rate transparency and total cost | 10% | Itemized quotations covering transport, border-related charges, handling, waiting time, and potential surcharges. | Compare like-for-like total landed transport costs and the clarity of charge conditions. |
| 8 | Claims handling and service recovery | 8% | Claims submission requirements, investigation steps, escalation process, and published service commitments. | Assess process clarity and review documented resolution times for comparable claims. |
| 9 | Customer support and operational expertise | 5% | Availability of operational contacts, language support, route knowledge, and issue-escalation arrangements. | Evaluate response quality and continuity of support during a route-specific consultation. |
| 10 | Environmental reporting and efficiency | 5% | Fuel-efficiency initiatives, vehicle information, emissions-reporting methods, and shipment-consolidation options. | Compare the availability and consistency of relevant environmental data for the proposed service. |