Kuehne+Nagel plans cross-dock warehouses for healthcare in US

Kuehne+Nagel announced the launch of eight, temperature-controlled, GxP-compliant facilities in the United States for cross-docking operations ideal for temperature-sensitive medicines and vaccines, medical devices and diagnostic kits.

Kuehne+Nagel’s expanded network of cross-dock facilities now includes warehouses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Los Angeles, California, says an official release. "Four additional locations across the country will open in 2024. All of the facilities offer multiple temperature ranges and comply with Kuehne+Nagel’s HealthChain certification, ensuring the highest global quality standards for transporting, handling, and storing of healthcare products."

The cross-dock concept features the loading and unloading of sea freight temperature-controlled containers in a GxP-compliant warehouse near an ocean port, allowing for the prompt return of empty containers to the port, the release added. "At the temperature-controlled warehouse, the containers are sorted and optimised for road transportation to their final destination. This reduces the use of multiple containers and eliminates or lowers detention charges due to a fast turnaround of container management."

Jeff Garcia, Industry Champion, Healthcare, Kuehne+Nagel says: "Cross-docking optimises the time that products spend in transit, streamlines the handling process, and reduces costs and CO2 emissions. We began this concept as a pilot programme with a large, global human and animal health customer for their animal health division at one warehouse, resulting in a double-digit savings of costs in the container inbound process and cutting CO2 emissions by nearly half. Based on this success, we are proud to be expanding this offering to the healthcare market across the United States.”