For importers, the chain from port to Amazon FC is: customs clearance, port pickup, trucking to warehouse, receiving, prep, and outbound to FC. Each step takes time. A prep center near the port eliminates the trucking leg and reduces total chain time by 1–3 days.
Port proximity also reduces drayage cost — the short-haul trucking from port to warehouse. For container-volume importers, drayage can add $0.10–$0.30 per unit to landed cost. A nearby prep center reduces or eliminates that charge.
Same-day prep from port arrival is only achievable when the prep center is close enough for morning container pickup to lead to afternoon outbound dispatch. At 30+ miles from the port, this becomes logistically difficult.
South Florida's prep centers near Port Everglades and PortMiami have a natural structural advantage for importers on Caribbean, Latin American, and certain European freight lanes.