Cross-Docking
We route your goods straight from goods-in into shipping, without the detour via the shelf, when the order is already set.
Some goods never need the warehouse. They're already sold or assigned to a specific store before they even reach us. With cross-docking, we take in your delivery at our fulfillment locations, check it, sort it and hand it to the shipping line in the same run. Instead of days on the shelf, the goods spend hours on the dock. You see every step live in the control center, from goods-in to the tracking number.
When cross-docking pays off
Cross-docking fits when the recipient is already known: pre-sold batches, launch quantities, restock for stores or marketplaces, plannable promotions. The goods arrive single-SKU or pre-picked, we simply assign them to the right order or the right store and they go straight out. That saves the storage costs and shortens the turnaround, because one work step falls away.
For cross-border between Switzerland and the EU, this is especially effective. We couple the intake to the right location, take care of customs and VAT matters and send the goods on without an interim warehouse. That keeps them close to the market, and the turnaround of an average 1.2 days shrinks even further for docked shipments.
How a cross-dock delivery moves through
Advance notice and slot
You announce the delivery in advance, we reserve the dock window at the right location and set the allocation.
Goods-in and inspection
The goods are scanned, checked against the advance notice and inspected for quantity, batch and integrity.
Sort and dock
We split the goods straight across the open orders or destination stores, without putting them on the shelf.
Handoff to carrier
The shipments go to Swiss Post, FedEx, UPS or DHL in the same run, and the tracking number appears in the control center right away.
Control stays, even without storage
Fast doesn't mean unchecked. Every docked delivery runs through the same inbound scan as stored goods. We reconcile quantity and batch against your advance notice, flag discrepancies immediately and document the intake without gaps. If something's off, we stop the shipment before it goes to the customer. That keeps inventory accuracy of 99.7% intact even for runs that never see the shelf.
Goods that turn out not to be ship-ready at intake, for instance because of missing quantities or damaged units, we reroute into regular storage. You don't commit to the entire delivery upfront; instead, every line item is cleanly documented.
Billing per delivery, no flat rates
You pay for goods-in based on effort: single-SKU at a fixed rate per delivery, mixed deliveries a bit more involved. We bill the allocation to orders like Pick & Pack, per order for the first and with a small rate for each further item in the same parcel. Since the goods never go on the shelf, the storage fees in a shelf bin or on pallet spots at a fixed monthly rate fall away. No minimum volume, no forced term, every line item clearly itemized. The pure shipping rates run separately through the rate calculator.
+What's included
Here's everything that's included
- Goods-in straight to shipping, without storage
- Inbound scan and reconciliation against the advance notice on every delivery
- Sorting to orders or destination stores in the same run
- Cross-border Switzerland and EU including customs and VAT handling
- Rerouting into storage when goods aren't ship-ready
- Goods-in single-SKU at a fixed rate per delivery, mixed a bit more involved
- Live status per delivery in the control center including tracking number
FAQCommon questions
Questions about cross-docking
What does cross-docking cost?
Goods-in is charged single-SKU at a fixed rate per delivery, mixed deliveries a bit more involved. We bill the allocation to orders like Pick & Pack, per order for the first and with a small rate for each further item. Storage fees fall away because the goods never go on the shelf. Shipping costs are added via the rate calculator. Everything tailored to your volume, every line item transparently itemized.
How does cross-docking differ from normal storage?
With storage, the goods rest on the shelf until an order comes in. With cross-docking, the recipient is already known, and the goods are sorted and shipped in the same run. That saves storage costs and shortens the turnaround.
Does this also work across borders between Switzerland and the EU?
Yes. We dock at the right location, in Switzerland for Swiss shipping and in the EU for EU shipping, and we take over the customs and VAT matters. That keeps the goods close to the market, without passing through an interim warehouse.
What happens if a delivery isn't right at intake?
We reconcile every delivery by scan against your advance notice. In case of quantity or batch discrepancies or damaged units, we stop the affected line item and reroute it into storage instead of forwarding it blindly. It's recorded and documented.
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