DOCKZILLA CREATES TRANSLOADING HUB AT PORT FOR GLOBAL 3PL

An international third-party logistics company (3PL), representing one of the largest retailer in the U.S., wanted to quickly establish an import distribution center at the Port of Charleston’s Leatherman Terminal to receive overseas containers and mitigate congestion issues at west coast ports. The 3PL needed the cross dock building ASAP and there were no viable facilities nearby or ample time for permanent construction. They identified a large land parcel with proximity to the South Carolina port and tapped Dockzilla to build a custom transloading hub to quickly transfer goods from overseas containers to trailers.

Project at a Glance:

36,000 sq. ft. building is all-inclusive of Dockzilla Dock House Exterior Levelers, doors, forklift access ramps, stairs and more.
60-dock solution allows a 3PL to utilize a new port for overseas containers.
15,000 containers move through Dockzilla cross dock yearly
147 MPH wind-rated structure to protect from inclement coastal weather

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The Challenge

BEFORE: A parking lot at the Port of Charleston.

AFTER: A 60-position cross dock installed at port.

Get Cross Docking in Record Time

West coast ports were jammed and the customer needed to quickly establish cross docking operation at an east coast port. After it was determined there was space at the Port of Charleston, the customer needed a cross dock installed at the port. A permanent structure was not a viable option due to both timing and real estate availability. So, when it came to scaling their operations and leveraging a new port, they could not settle for the constraints of permanent construction.

Project Must-Haves:

Engineered for the customer’s specific cross docking needs with application-specific dock equipment
Stand-alone fire suppression system, conduit run electrical and air/ventilation system
A cross docking structure that would stand up to coastal weather–especially wind and rain
Mock-speed installation time to immediately begin cross docking at a new port
A modular cross docking structure that can be relocated in the future

The Solution

In just five months from concept to completion, Dockzilla stood up a 36,000 sq. ft. cross dock membrane-style building with 60 loading dock positions on an asphalt lot. The building was anchored by an elevated steel platform foundation for forklift traffic.

Designed for Cross Docking Efficiency

The modular cross dock building was engineered based on the customer’s application to ensure the ultimate loading efficiency. Dockzilla manages the entire process from engineering to project management to install for a turnkey, yet customized, experience.

Lightening Fast Deployment

Each platform section that makes up the foundation of the cross dock was pre-fabricated off-site for quick assembly. The entire structure can also be relocated thanks to the modular design.

Attached Offices

Temperature-controlled offices were designed for employee comfort and attached to the modular building to create an all-inclusive cross docking distribution center at port in what was formally an asphalt parking lot.

Stand-Alone Fire Suppression

The cross dock is comprised of modular, dock height steel platforms and includes an integrated NFPA compliant, stand-alone fire suppression system. Dockzilla offers customized transloading solutions that are designed and engineered based on the customer’s needs.

Built to Last, Yet Relocatable

These cross docks are a permanent solution with 30-year warranty on NFPA 701 compliant membrane covering and a 5-year structural warranty on all the dock equipment. This allowed the customer to quickly scale port loading capacity without the constraints of permanent construction.

Dock Equipment with Built-In Protection

Cross dock includes application-specific dock equipment, including built-in fall protection as part of Dockzilla’s self-standing Dock House leveler design. The dock levelers live on the the outside of the modular building and are encased in a Dock House structure with a rain diverter to ensure water won’t permeate the structure while trucks are in place.

The Results

First-Mile Game Changer

The Dockzilla cross dock solution is a first-mile game changer for the 3PL, with their large customer aiming to bring 15,000 containers through the site in a year, with the potential to grow to 50,000/yr. They’re now able to quickly scale their operations while leveraging new port options without the constraints of permanent construction, local warehouse availability or retrofitting. Trucks can offload overseas shipping containers to the transloading platform to begin their journey in record time as the space was customized specifically for their needs and inclusive of all dock equipment.

“Target, the nation’s second-biggest importer behind Walmart, has been using a portable cross-dock hub built on a future expansion site at the North Charleston terminal since August. Such set-ups allow a company bring cargo containers in on one side of the building and then load them onto trucks on the other side. The temporary facility was set up by Minnesota-based Dockzilla Co., which builds portable loading systems and warehouses.”

– Charleston Post & Courier (January 29, 2023)

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