If you look at a map of the U.S. supply chain network, you'll see a dense, complex web. Highways and rail lines crisscross the country, connecting dozens of major hubs. Now, look north of the 49th parallel where the map of Canada’s primary supply chain has historically looked very different. It was, for all intents and purposes, a long, thin line — a single corridor running parallel to the US border, tethered to the Trans-Canada Highway and the main east-west rail lines of CN and CP (now CPKC). But this map is being enhanced in real-time, and for those occupying or involved in the industrial real estate world, understanding this shift is critical.

In my last article, Where has all the distribution space gone, Alberta?, we took a superficial look at the soaring demand for warehouse space in Alberta due, in part, to the expedited shift in consumer patterns as the world dealt with COVID-19. This article will analyze how this problem, in conjunction with many other interconnected links in the supply chain, have reverberated around the world causing blockages and delays in the manufacturing, transportation and delivery of goods, and earning the name of “The Great Supply Chain Disruption”. My goal is to simplify what may be one of the most complex global issues, where no one player is steering the ship (pun intended).

I recently had the opportunity to Get a better understanding of cross-docking and supply chain management with Rosenau Transport President, Ken Rosenau. So what is cross-docking, and why are so many corporations, multinational and local alike, turning to this model of distribution to streamline their global supply chain?

Are we surprised? Not even a little. 

It was only a matter of time before Amazon found the final piece of the logistics puzzle to allow them to consolidate and manage ALL the steps from the moment an order is placed online, to the the moment the package efficiently arrives in the hands of the consumer.