The History of Yard Managment Systems: How YardView Helped Shape the Industry
Before yard management systems (YMS) existed, yard operations were often managed using handwritten gate logs, whiteboards, spreadsheets, and walkie-talkies. While these tools were once standard, they created inefficiencies, communication breakdowns, and lost trailer visibility, especially as supply chains grew more complex.
That’s when YardView entered the picture.
Founded in the mid-1990s and officially incorporated in 1998, YardView is believed to be the first dedicated yard management software provider, built from the ground up to meet the specific needs of busy logistics yards. With over 25 years of continuous innovation, we’ve helped organizations across every industry simplify and streamline yard operations.
Life Before YMS: What Yard Management Looked Like Pre-Software
Manual yard management relied heavily on paper logs, clipboards, spreadsheets, and two-way radios. Yard check-ins were recorded by hand, trailer locations were updated on whiteboards, and finding equipment often required physically walking the yard. These processes were slow, error-prone, and lacked real-time visibility.
As logistics operations grew more complex and time-sensitive, manual tracking methods struggled to keep up. Yard managers faced trailer misplacements, labor inefficiencies, scheduling conflicts, and costly detention fees. These challenges made it clear that traditional yard operations needed modernization.
This growing demand for efficiency and visibility led to the development of the first yard management systems. The goal was to eliminate guesswork, reduce delays, and give logistics teams the tools they needed to operate smarter and faster.
The Rise of Yard Management Systems
In the late 1990s, a few forward-thinking companies recognized the need for a better way to manage the yard. YardView is believed to be the first to develop a dedicated yard management system that automated trailer tracking, gate operations, and switcher assignments.
Key Innovations YardView Introduced Early On:
- Centralized trailer visibility
- Real-time yard task management
- Configurable dashboards and workflows
- Integration with warehouse management systems (WMS) and transportation management systems (TMS)
While many early platforms were repurposed from WMS or TMS tools, YardView was purpose-built to solve yard-specific challenges and has remained focused on that mission ever since.
A Legacy of Innovation and Customer Success
Today, YardView powers yard operations for hundreds of facilities across North America and beyond. We’ve supported clients in:
- Retail and e-commerce
- Food and beverage
- Automotive manufacturing
- Third-party logistics (3PL)
- Distribution and fulfillment centers
- And many more industries
With a cloud-based platform, intuitive user experience, and industry-leading support, we help logistics teams reduce detention fees, increase throughput, and maximize gate-to-dock efficiency.
Why Customers Choose YardView:
- 25+ years of yard management expertise
- U.S.-based support and implementation teams
- Highly configurable to fit any site’s unique needs
- Scalable to serve one yard or 100+
The Modern Yard: Where Technology Meets Simplicity
As technology has evolved, so has YardView. Our platform now supports:
- Automated gate check-in and check-out
- Drag-and-drop task dispatching
- Real-time trailer and asset tracking
- Dwell-time reporting and detention reduction
- Integrations with RFID, GPS, WMS, and TMS solutions
We continue to evolve with the industry, incorporating emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and machine vision while keeping our platform simple, fast, and user-friendly.
Why YardView’s Experience Matters
While many new YMS solutions have entered the market in recent years, few have our track record. We’ve been helping logistics professionals take control of their yards for over two decades. We know what works, what doesn’t, and how to implement systems that deliver measurable ROI.
Partner with the Yard Management Experts
Yard management is complex, but it doesn’t have to be chaotic. Whether you're managing one yard or a nationwide network, YardView gives you the tools, visibility, and support you need to operate smarter.
Want to see how a proven YMS can transform your yard? Schedule a personalized demo today.