There’s No ‘If, And’s, or Trucks’ About it
To keep it simple, a yard management system (YMS) is a software application that aids in automating and optimizing the yard management and operations process. Without using an efficient YMS, a lot of issues can happen behind the scenes in yard operations.
It’s critical to not let the following problems leak in-between the cracks:
- Minimal or complete lack of visibility in the yard to track inbound/outbound trailers and shipments/freight.
- No automations for scheduling appointments, including pick-up and drop-off times.
- An absence of communication between yard workers, yard managers, carriers, and drivers when there is a problem.
- Additional expenses that can be easily avoidable (i.e., Detention and Demurrage fees).
- Lack of RDIF tags and an inability to schedule for efficient dock management.
- No clear communication or real-time tracking of yard jockeys across the yard.
A YMS and Yard Equals Harmony
Efficiency at its Finest
Let Our YMS Do All of the Talking
FAQs:
What Is the Purpose of a Yard Management System?
A YMS replaces manual yard tracking. It gives real-time visibility and workflow automation. This covers gate, yard, and dock operations.
It shows which dock doors are busy. Dispatchers can redirect drivers right away. It cuts manual gate check-ins. It cuts dock assignment time from hours to minutes.
You get better throughput. The platform automatically captures operational data for compliance reporting.
How Long Does YMS Implementation Take?
Most YardView implementations take six weeks or less. Your yard stays operational throughout the rollout using a phased approach that eliminates disruption.
Phase 1 mirrors your existing processes in the web-based system while your team learns the interface. Phase 2 adds system integrations. Phase 3 introduces optimization features.
Each phase builds on the last without stopping daily operations.
Do I Need Special Hardware to Run a YMS?
No. A modern YMS runs on your existing PCs, tablets, phones, and in-cab devices — no additional proprietary hardware required. You can also leverage existing GPS in yard trucks for location tracking.
The system connects to what you already have. So setup focuses on workflow improvement rather than hardware setup.
How many gate staff can automation replace?
It depends on how far you take it. Touchless and unmanned entry through QR codes, kiosks, and smart cameras lets drivers check in without a person at the gate. In practice, that turns a full-time gate post into light exception handling and frees administrative hours per week that gate teams spend on manual check-in. Most facilities redeploy rather than cut, moving former gate staff to yard direction, safety, and exception handling instead of eliminating the role outright.
What happens if a guard calls in sick?
In a staffed-gate model, a single absence exposes how fragile coverage is. Check-in slows, driver lines build, and someone has to cover the post or the gate stalls. Touchless entry removes that dependency. With QR check-in, kiosks, and camera-based verification, drivers keep processing and receiving dock assignments even when no one is in the shack, while your team monitors remotely and steps in only for exceptions.
What is best-in-class gate turnaround time?
Well-run gates target a check-in transaction of roughly 5 to 15 minutes per truck, while manual gates often take 30 to 60 minutes when arrivals are unscheduled. This is the gate transaction itself, not the full gate-in-to-gate-out turnaround, which is a larger number. The value of tracking it lies in spotting outliers and shift-over-shift drift, not just hitting an average.
Can digital check-in create ASNs automatically?
YardView works with advance shipping notices as part of its integrations. When your TMS or WMS sends an ASN, YardView reads it to auto-populate the appointment and match the load to the driver at check-in, so the gate already knows what is arriving and when.
What is a good trailer dwell time?
There is no universal benchmark, and it helps to distinguish between driver dwell time at a shipping or receiving stop and other forms of facility or yard delay. For driver dwell time, load and unload waits typically range from two to three and a half hours, and ATRI data shows that roughly one in ten stops exceed two hours. Yard dwell, how long a trailer sits in your yard, should be driven down to hours rather than days, since multi-day dwell is a clear sign of inefficiency. What matters more than any single target is the trend: dwell should be predictable and falling, not spiking with volume.
How many moves per jockey per shift is normal?
As a rough rule of thumb, a yard hostler completes somewhere around 15 to 35 trailer moves per shift, though the real number swings widely with yard size, move distances, dock coordination, and equipment. The point of measuring it is to expose wasted trips and idle time rather than to hit a single figure. When the system directs each driver to the next best move through a simple in-cab accept, start, and finish workflow, drivers stop hunting for trailers and complete more moves per shift without adding headcount.
How Is True Real-Time Visibility Achieved Without Relying Solely on RFID?
Real-time visibility comes from multiple inputs working together.
Gate reads capture arrivals and departures. In-cab driver updates confirm moves and spot changes. Lot check tools let your drivers verify and correct asset positions from their devices. Integration data synchronizes with your WMS and TMS.
The lot check function replaces RFID dependency with software-driven verification. This happens as drivers work.
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