Cross dock

Cross-docking moves inbound goods straight from receiving to outbound shipping with little or no storage in between, usually under 24 hours. Trucks discharge at one dock door, the freight is sorted and consolidated by destination, then reloaded onto outbound vehicles at the opposite door. It cuts warehousing and inventory-holding cost and shortens lead time, which suits high-turnover retail distribution, perishables, and parcel hubs. Cross-docking depends on accurate advance shipping notices and tight carrier scheduling, since there is no buffer stock to absorb a late inbound load. It pairs naturally with consolidation and just-in-time replenishment.