Those starting a new cross dock system must have a solid understanding of their logistics plan to determine how their system is affecting their business as a whole.

• Pallet storage can be evaluated by cube weight to better understand how shipping costs are affecting the facility’s shipping costs.

• The time it takes to receive each truckload will help to determine the effectiveness of shortening shipping routes.

In addition to noting how original shipments are being delivered, it is in the company’s best interest to evaluate how shipments can be condensed or combined to eliminate the number of shipments necessary to address the company’s needs.

Most companies today are implementing cross docking systems on at least a small scale to better improve the effectiveness of their business.