Cross-docking: State of the art

Cross-docking is a logistics strategy in which freight is unloaded from inbound vehicles and (almost) directly loaded into outbound vehicles, with little or no storage in between. This paper presents an overview of the cross-docking concept. Guidelines for the successful use and implementation of cross-docking are discussed and several characteristics are described that can be used to distinguish between different cross-dock types. In addition, this paper presents an extensive review of the existing literature about cross-docking. The discussed papers are classified based on the problem type that is tackled (ranging from more strategic or tactical to more operational problems). Based on this review, several opportunities to improve and extend the current research are indicated.

► Cross-docking is a logistics strategy nowadays used by many companies.
► Guidelines for the successful use and implementation of cross-docking are discussed.
► Several characteristics are described to distinguish between cross-dock types.
► An extensive review of the existing literature about cross-docking is presented.
► Several opportunities to improve and extend the current research are discussed.