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How Cross Dock Appointments Work
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Why Cross Dock Appointments Exist
Cross dock appointments assign each truck a time and a door. Without them, inbound and outbound trailers arrive whenever they can, freight piles up on the floor and drivers wait in the yard.
Timing carries more weight at a cross dock than at a storage warehouse, because freight is supposed to leave soon after it arrives.
What an Appointment Includes
Most cross dock appointments record a few basic details. The date and time window, the carrier, the trailer or load number and the reference numbers for the freight on board.
Many docks also want a count of pallets or cartons and the destination lanes involved. With that, the dock can plan labor and staging space before the truck shows up.
Matching Inbound to Outbound
The schedule works in pairs. An inbound trailer feeds one or more outbound routes, so its appointment needs to come before theirs with enough time to unload and sort.
If the inbound truck runs late, the outbound truck either waits or leaves without the freight. Either choice costs something. The article on cross dock delays walks through the common causes.
Cross Dock Appointments and Driver Hours
Drivers work under federal hours of service limits. The hours of service rules cap driving and on duty time, and waiting at a dock counts against that time in many cases.
For that reason, a long wait can push a driver out of hours before the next stop. Carriers notice which docks keep appointments and which do not, and some price that risk into their rates.
Missed and Changed Appointments
Policies differ by facility. Some docks work a late truck in when a door opens. Others require a new appointment, which may push the freight a day.
- How early or late a truck can arrive and still get a door
- How far ahead carriers must book
- Whether the dock charges for missed appointments
The guide on missed delivery appointments covers what happens to freight after a missed slot.
Making Cross Dock Appointments Hold
Accurate information keeps appointments on track. Send correct counts, reference numbers and destination details when you book. Tell the dock early when a supplier slips.
For example, a hypothetical beverage distributor might book inbound loads two days ahead and send the advance notice the morning of shipment. That gives the dock time to plan outbound lanes. The time frames in that example are illustrative, so ask each facility for its own booking rules.
