Cleveland cross docking services can save time and warehouse space, improve customer satisfaction and decrease the risk of damage to products. However, it can also require significant capital and a lot of patience – unless you work with a third-party logistics company that already has these streamlined systems firmly in place.

What is Cross Docking?

Cross docking is a type of logistics strategy that involves a carrier unloading cargo from an incoming container and then immediately loading it onto an outbound carrier. It requires some complicated mathematics and organization of people, goods and trucks, but the end result is it cuts down on the need for warehousing, which in turn lowers your expenses and helps keep your supply chain moving.

Warehouse facilities like those at On Time Delivery & Warehouse offer Cleveland cross docking because we recognize the great value our customers retain from it.

It’s not a practice without pitfalls. That’s why having an experienced team is so valuable. For cross docking to work, supply chain managers need a detailed understanding of their own team, the needs and capabilities of their partners and the technology that is integral to keeping the chain visible and progressing.

Different Options for Cleveland Cross Docking

Warehouses that offer Cleveland cross docking services will have an established sorting center through which incoming goods can be quickly passed and transferred to outgoing trucks. There are inbound/outbound lanes so products can be promptly received, sorted, consolidated and then shipped back out. In general, these items are going to spend less than 24 hours in the docking station.

There are also several different ways of cross docking. It’s important to discuss your options with the warehousing or 3PL provider with whom you’re contracted. These may include:

• Continuous Cross Docking. This is probably the quickest method. This is when there is a single, central site for product shipments, and those goods are rapidly transferred from inbound trucks to outbound trucks. The biggest issues with continuous cross docking arise if inbound/outbound trucks get to the dock at differing times. This is why experienced cross docking managers are so important.
• Consolidation Arrangements. This is when several smaller product loads are merged into a single truckload at the docking station. This allows each customer to pay less-than-truckload rates and still have their goods delivered promptly.
• Deconsolidation Arrangements. This is when sizable loads are broken down for easier local transport, typically customer-direct.

The kind of cross docking you choose will depend on the kind of operation you’re running and how fast you need your products to reach their destination. Lots of different industries benefit from cross docking, but those wherein rewards are especially notable include:

• Those shipping perishable goods, particularly food and drink products.
• Suppliers of raw materials.
• Those whose products are already sorted and packed.

Just make sure that whichever Cleveland cross docking service you use, there is a level of automation and transparency as well as tried-and-tested logistics expertise at the helm. A supply chain that involves cross docking demands management competency in assignments of dock doors, vehicle routing, product allocation, warehouse layout, barcode scanning, transshipment and more.

Our team at On Time Delivery & Warehouse has offered cross docking services in Northeast Ohio for decades. We have the people, the experience, the connections and the tools to help your business make the most of these services.

If you have questions about Northeast Ohio cross docking services, contact On Time Delivery & Warehouse by calling (440) 826-4630 or sending us an email.

Additional Resources:

What Warehouses Should Keep in Mind When First Implementing Cross-Docking, Sept. 7, 2020, Global Trade Magazine

More Blog Entries:

How 3PL Ohio Kitting & Assembly Services Can Save Your Company Coin, Sept. 30, 2020, On Time Delivery & Warehouse Blog