If you run a business in Metro Vancouver, you know that some of the best practices for a thriving company are making the most of every minute and keeping your customers happy. Entrepreneurship comes with a laundry list of responsibilities and logistics to keep your business running smoothly. You may find yourself wondering if there is a solution to streamline your operations and maximize your business’s potential while also staying on budget. That solution is cross-docking services in Vancouver. Here are some of the businesses that benefit most from cross-docking services with the experts here at Comet Warehousing.
Just what is cross-docking?
Cross-docking is a logistics practice that involves goods arriving at a warehousing facility and rather than being entered into an inventory system and stored, they are moved directly onto an outbound truck to be delivered to the consumer or retail location. Without the need for added storage services, cross-docking services can be a cost-efficient way to move goods from supplier to consumer promptly. Most often, facilities that offer cross-docking have a dedicated space that is designed for the streamlined processing of goods that will not be housed for more than 24 hours before being shipped out again. For cross-docking to be effective and beneficial for both the business owner and the logistics provider, the warehouse needs to have a steady stream of incoming goods and enough trucks going to different places to maximize distribution at minimum cost. At Comet Warehousing we are fully equipped and specialized to handle cross-docking services in Vancouver. If you’re not sure whether this style of shipping and distribution might be a good fit for your business, read on for some examples of businesses that could benefit from cross-docking.
Perishables
Vancouver is home to so many amazing businesses in the food industry. With all the flavours of the West Coast in demand from customers across the Lower Mainland, companies must have a way of getting their perishable food products from manufacturing to stores as quickly and efficiently as possible. This way no time, or product, is wasted by sitting too long in a warehouse. Cross-docking services are perfect for businesses dealing in perishable food items as they allow for everything from bread to butter chicken to baklava to come straight from the supplier to our sorting dock and onto a truck to continue their journey to the retailer or consumer.
Smaller shipments
For many small businesses, cross-docking services in Vancouver are perfect because of the flexibility they offer regarding shipment sizes. With an abundance of trucks coming in and out, businesses with LTL (Less-than-truckload) incoming shipments can take advantage of remaining empty spaces on trucks headed the same routes as their products, saving on time and shipping costs. Consolidated outbound shipments make deliveries more cost-efficient and more environmentally friendly by reducing the number of back-and-forth trips for delivery trucks. However, cross-docking is also a great way to move bulk shipments that don’t need to be stored or parceled out into single orders. For example, a B2B (business-to-business) wholesale-to-retailer order that doesn’t need to be entered into a warehouse management system can also be efficiently processed through a cross-docking system.
If your business needs an effective way to run your supply chain, reach out to our professionals in logistics here at Comet Warehousing to see if cross-docking services could streamline your budget and your route to success.
