Start by defining the freight, not the building: commodity, pallet or piece dimensions, weight, total volume, monthly container throughput, dwell time and handling requirements. With that specification, a capacity search can be targeted at the handful of buildings in the port's industrial ring that can actually take the freight: which is a much shorter list than the general warehouse market.
Define the requirement precisely
Most failed warehouse searches fail because the requirement was described as square footage. Square footage is an output, not an input.
- Commodity and its physical characteristics, including weight per pallet or piece.
- Total inventory at peak, not average.
- Monthly inbound and outbound container or truck volume.
- Average dwell time and whether the freight turns or sits.
- Special handling: crane, side-loader, floor rating, security, outdoor space.
Decide the drayage radius honestly
Closer is not automatically better. Rent inside the first ring is usually much higher, and the right answer is often a building 20–35 miles out where the cost of an extra drayage mile is far less than the rent differential.
Then search against that specification
With a defined requirement, candidate buildings can be qualified on the criteria that actually disqualify them: floor rating, clear height, dock count, equipment and availability date: rather than on marketing descriptions.
Need actual warehouse capacity?
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