Cross-docking made easy

Cross-docking equipment helps companies meet customers' demands for quick and accurate product delivery.

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 10/1/1998

Cross-docking--the movement of goods from the receiving dock directly to the loading dock, without being stored in a warehouse or distribution center--allows companies to expedite the flow of products to their customers. To make sure this process runs smoothly, it's important that shippers choose the right equipment.

Shippers today can choose from a wide array of equipment, ranging from automatic-identification technology to carousels to dock levelers. The following is just a sample of what's currently available.

The Buschman Co. now offers a new drive-out mobile package belt conveyor for automatically loading trailers at distribution centers. The conveyor is completely pre-assembled and tested before it is shipped to the customer. On-site installation requires only that the guide rails be anchored to the dock floor and four wires be connected to an electrical source.

The belt-drive unit is a self-contained, motorized drive pulley. Both the motor and gearing are self-contained within the drive drum's cavity, reducing the overall width of the conveyor.

The conveyor is as easy to operate as it is to install, says the manufacturer. A single operator can run the conveyor using belt start and stop buttons. The safety bar on the leading end of the pullout conveyor section automatically halts further conveyor extension upon contact with a resisting object.

The conveyor features a fixed welded-steel main section and a 14-foot gravity-skatewheel conveyor pullout section that can be extended to any intermediate point. In addition, it will automatically load a 53-foot trailer, with an eight-foot setback from the loading dock to accommodate lift-truck traffic. The conveyor operates at speeds of 80 feet per minute and can handle a maximum live load capacity of 50 pounds per foot.