Definition: Cross Dock is a process where goods are received at a warehouse or Distribution Center and it flows in & out of the facility without being held in inventory. This duration of this activity ranges from minutes to hours, however it is usually completed within 24 hours.
Also Known As: Flow-Through, Just in Time (JIT), Break Bulk
Examples: A dairy delivers a milk order for the requirements of 100 supermarket locations at the main warehouse of a grocery retailer. Workers at the retailer's warehouse sort through the milk order and allocate the order requirements for each of the 100 stores. The indivudual orders are then re-loaded into the retailer's delivery trucks for delivery along with their regular orders.