Yard management
What is yard management?
Yard management is the coordination of trucks, trailers and containers within warehouse yards. It bridges the gap between transportation management systems (TMS) and warehouse management systems (WMS).
Effective warehouse yard management prevents congestion, reduces truck wait times and ensures dock doors receive the right trailers at the right times.
How yard management systems work
A yard management system (YMS) tracks, directs and optimizes activities across the yard.
When a truck arrives, the gate check-in captures arrival information including:
Carrier details
Appointment time
Shipment contents
Trailer numbers
The YMS assigns a parking area or dock door, along with an exit point. Dock doors are assigned based on factors such as shipment type, product category, dock door capabilities and congestion avoidance.
Real-time trailer tracking provides visibility into every trailer's location, status and contents. As trailers are moved between parking areas and dock doors, the system logs their changing position.
The benefits of yard management systems
Reduced dwell time
Yard management software schedules inbound and outbound trailer movements to reduce dwell time. Inbound trailers are ready at docks when operators become available, while outbound trailers are ready when carriers arrive.
Improved driver productivity
YMS-enabled trailer visibility means drivers can drop trailers and hook pre-loaded ones without waiting for support from warehouse operators. This improves driver productivity and reduces detention charges.
Integrated operations
WMS integration enables yard management systems to coordinate trailer movements with warehouse operations. For example, the WMS communicates loading completion to the YMS, which then notifies carriers.