In brief
VDI 4404 distinguishes four supply forms: direct delivery without an intermediate stage, cross-docking with transfer while load units stay intact, transhipment with a change of transport mode and newly composed load units, and the logistics centre, which combines both and adds a storage function and administration.
The sequence is the actual statement
VDI 4404 "Supply strategies in logistics" organises the field around the supply relationship between one supply point and one reception point. What matters is how the guideline separates the elements: the demand elements come from consumer, product and manufacturer — the result consists of supply form, transport and information.
The supply form is therefore derived from the requirements, not the other way round. Starting from the form because a provider offers it reverses the chain.
The four forms compared
| Feature | Direct | Cross-docking | Transhipment | Logistics centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate stage | none | transfer point | transfer point | centre with storage |
| Storage | no | no | no | yes |
| Load unit | stays | stays | newly composed | depends on order |
| Transport mode | continuous | may change | changes | changes |
| Administration | low | medium | medium to high | high |
| Suits | large, steady volumes | consolidation without repacking | many sources, many sinks | fluctuating demand, value-added services |
Cross-docking versus transhipment
This is the distinction most often blurred in tenders, and VDI 4404 is unambiguous: in contrast to cross-docking, transhipment involves a change of transport mode and a change in the composition of the load units.
In practice: cross-docking assigns an arriving load unit to a departing vehicle. Transhipment breaks it up and forms it anew. The second case requires floor space, staff, scanning and an error concept — effort that simply does not arise in the first. Tendering both terms as synonyms produces quotations that cannot be compared.
When the logistics centre carries
The logistics centre combines both forms and adds a storage function and administration. Under the guideline it links logistical services in a time- and cost-optimal way through cooperation, cross-system transport, storage and handling technology and information and communication technology.
It is therefore the only one of the four forms that can absorb time. That is precisely why it answers fluctuating demand — and why it is the wrong answer to steady, plannable volumes.
Five questions for the direction
- How steady is the reception point's demand over time?
- Does the load unit stay the same all the way — or must it be re-formed?
- How many sources supply how many sinks?
- Where should inventory sit, and who owns it there?
- Which information has to travel with it for the form to work at all?
Basis
VDI 4404 "Supply strategies in logistics", 2007-06, VDI Handbook Material Flow and Materials Handling Volume 8; edition confirmed on 5 September 2026.