In cross-docking goods take their identity from the label. On a GS1 logistic label that identity is the SSCC in the GS1-128 barcode, and it matches the record in the despatch advice. The label is usually printed by the shipper, so the goods carry their destination before they leave, whereas a label printed at the facility is an extra source of error.
On a pallet the barcode sits between 400 and 800 mm above the pallet base and at least 50 mm from any vertical edge. Two labels carrying the same data go on two sides, so that one is visible whichever edge faces out. A label under stretch film or a wrinkled one does not scan. Because freezing can degrade print quality, print the barcode with a wide module.
When a barcode will not scan, the fallback has to be written down: which fields are entered by hand and who approves. For each unreadable or mismatched code record the scan time, raw value, correction and approval. Track the number of pallets loaded onto the wrong vehicle weekly; that number shows most directly how well the label scheme works.
