LOGISTICS & DISTRIBUTION
Cross-border complexities This complexity brings about many challenges leaders have to overcome. One of those logistics leaders is Scott Shannon, Vice President of North American Cross Border at C. H. Robinson.
He oversees more than two million cross-border shipments annually and understands its pressure points more than most – particularly across Mexico and the US.
“ Unlike freight between Canada and the United States, it typically takes three trucks to bring a shipment from Mexico to the United States,” Shannon explains.
“ A Mexico carrier brings the trailer to the border, a Mexico transfer carrier takes it across, then the freight is reloaded onto a US carrier’ s trailer at a cross-dock.”
The limited truck lanes in this region can be easily closed by protests, slowed by weather events or held up by customs delays. Carriers have little control over this, so finding efficiencies elsewhere is key.
“ It’ s at the cross-dock where a shipper can get greater throughput,” says Shannon.
To address this, C. H. Robinson built one of the largest cross-docks of its kind in Texas, standing at 400,000 sq. ft.
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