There are a number of points that must be considered by a company when designing their crossdock system. The cargo reloading schedule and tools that can be used will vary based on the number of venues that needs to be managed. You will also need to customize your delivery methods to best accommodate the nature of your goods.

Applications for Cross Docking Systems

There are a number of ways that a cross dock system can be implemented in order to most effectively manage the type of cargo a business is attempting to ship.

• Cargo cross docking solutions are designed with a unique set of checkpoints and a fleet system, based on the size of the company and the average amount of cargo that will need to be shipped on a regular basis.

• One of the most common types of crossdocking arrangements is a consolidation system. In this case semi-trailer reloading is used to take a set of small shipments, combining them into one big shipment that is moved to the sales location. This system is designed to better manage the economy of the transport system.

• Truck loading in a “hub and spoke” arrangement will focus on bringing materials to a central location where it can be sorted and then shipped to a variety of additional destinations as necessary.

• On the other end of the spectrum, pallet storage in a deconsolidation system focuses on taking large shipments like those from a rail yard and breaking them down into smaller shipments that can be easily delivered to a variety of locations as necessary.

One of the most common examples of a successful crossdock system is the one used by Wal-Mart. This system tracks the truck reloading and transport with a network of satellites that help to watch both the distribution centers and sales locations.

As many as 4000 vendors are tracked on this system to ensure that all merchandise is within the system at any given time. Each of these registers can connect to the system directly to send information about sales and items within distribution centers directly to Wal-Mart headquarters to determine the company’s growing needs.

Factors for Retail Crossdocks

Cross docking depends on constant communication between all parties including distribution centers, suppliers and the point of sale.

• Cargo reloading schedules will vary based on the geography between customer and supplier. Corporate institutions will likely need to manage a variety of branches at once.

• The amount that can be transported will vary based on the cost of transit, the budget of the shipping agent, the cost of the commodities being transported.

• The cargo redelivery methods used during transit will vary based on the nature of the goods and the complexity of the loads.

Tracking during transit is essential to maintaining your system. This will allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of your system while ensuring that no part of the process has gone missing. Even if you are working with an existing logistics system you will need to customize your crossdock system to meet your personal needs.