Consolidated Fastfrate buildling new intermodal distribution centre

Freight forwarder Consolidated Fastfrate, Inc. will construct an advanced warehouse and crossdock freight distribution centre that the company says will further enhance its partnership with the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The new facility will lie adjacent to the CPR’s three-year-old Calgary Intermodal Facility. Construction will begin after Labour Day, with completion of the first phase in March 2002. The facility will include 10,000 square feet of office space, 60,000 square feet of warehousing with 45,000 square feet dedicated to the unique crossdocking operation with CPR.

A second phase will be constructed in the fall of 2002 and will add 73,000 square feet of warehousing and 26,000 square feet for crossdocking.

A key component of this CPR/CFF strategy to gain more traffic by diverting it from highway to rail is known as crossdocking. By locating its terminals beside or even within five of the CPR’s 22 intermodal terminals, CFF moves its shipments directly from its shipping docks to the CPR loading facilities over privately-built roadways.

“It demonstrates the benefits to shippers from the integrated operation of CFF’s services and the service-sensitive performance we are getting from CPR. This plan has been developed jointly by the two companies and it’s paying off in better service for shippers and increased business for all of us,” said Ron Tepper, president and CEO of CFF.

Sears Canada and Canadian Tire have also both constructed new distribution centres within the CPR intermodal complexes.

“Crossdocking and co-location are examples of what comes out of a close working relationship with your customers. Each contributed to its development and each of us is benefiting from it. Crossdocking makes these valued customers not just our neighbours, but integrated components of our key Canadian intermodal terminals. It gives them instant and assured access to our entire transcontinental and transborder network of fast intermodal trains and services,” said Ed Dodge, Chief Operating Officer, CPR.