Cross Docking

Cross Docking is a logistics process in which goods are forwarded directly from inbound to outbound shipping without long-term storage. This helps reduce storage costs and shorten delivery times.

In classic cross-docking, products from various suppliers are collected in a transshipment warehouse, sorted and forwarded directly to retailers or end customers. In many cases, there is no intermediate storage at all, meaning that the goods only remain in the logistics center for a short time.

An example of cross docking is an online retailer that consolidates orders from various manufacturers. Instead of storing the products in its own warehouse, they are shipped directly to the customer upon arrival. This makes processes more efficient and optimizes delivery times.

Cross docking is particularly widespread in the food and retail sectors, as it enables goods to be made available quickly. Companies that use this process benefit from lower storage costs, optimized supply chains and better planning of goods flows.