Because of increased international trade, transloading has become an increasingly common way to ship goods in recent years. So this post will provide you some key information about transloading, and help you get successful trans-loading operations.
What is transloading?
Transloading is a logistics process that involves transferring goods or cargo from one mode of transportation to another. It requires specialized facilities and equipment such as cranes, forklifts, loading platforms, etc. For example, in international transportation, a batch of goods has arrived at a port. And it needs to be loaded onto a truck to reach its destination. This is the most common form of transloading.
Additionally, some ports may be unable to accommodate large container ships due to geographical limitations. So it requires the goods to be unloaded midway and loaded onto smaller vessels for transportation to the port. This process is also referred to as transloading.
As you can see, transloading can occur at various points along the supply chain. In addition to ports, it can take place at rail yards, fulfillment or distribution centers, etc. During the transloading process, goods can get temporarily stored in warehouses or fulfillment centers. Packaging or handling requirements may get modified to ensure compatibility with the new mode of transportation.
Transloading vs intermodal
Transloading focuses on transferring goods from one mode of transportation to another during their journey. The goods can undergo operations such as packaging, unpacking, and sorting. So it can adapt to different transportation modes, or meet specific transportation requirements.
Intermodal shipping means your goods get delivered by at least 2 methods (e.g. rail, ship, aircraft, and truck) from one place to your destination. It emphasizes the integration of the entire supply chain and enables seamless transfer of goods between different transportation modes. It involves transloading services in the process. Intermodal shipping is often carried out by standardized containers or trailers.
Transloading vs cross docking
Cross docking is a logistics practice that involves transferring goods directly from inbound transportation vehicles to outbound transportation vehicles with minimal or no storage in between. The goods in this mode get immediately sorted, consolidated, and loaded onto outbound vehicles for efficient delivery to their destinations.
For example, an Amazon fulfillment center receives goods from various suppliers by trucks. After rapid sorting and reloading, the center uses trucks once again to carry goods to their different destinations.
Compared to transloading, cross-docking emphasizes the fast and efficient transfer of goods. It can simplify the handling and storage time of the cargo. Therefore, cross-docking often gets used in time-sensitive supply chains or for products with high turnover rates.
In most cases, if you are a small business owner, you can contact a freight forwarder to help you ship your goods. They can directly deliver the goods to your specified destination. And they can handle various transloading issues during the logistics process.
If you belong to a big company and want to establish your own logistics network, it is necessary to deal with transloading effectively. Since this service only accounts for a small part of the entire logistics process, many freight forwarders or logistics companies can provide it. Only when they have the relevant infrastructure and special equipment. Based on the actual situation, you can determine the responsible cooperating logistics company for transloading on each route. Then, make appropriate arrangements based on your evaluation.
As a leading sourcing company, Jingsourcing can help you source premium quality goods and solve any problems that occur. We also have long-time cooperative freight forwarders, so we can offer you flexible shipping methods to transport your goods at competitive prices.
