Using a YMS to Streamline Yard Operations with Automation
In the world of shipping and logistics, the yard is often the place where visibility disappears. Many managers feel like they are working in the dark once a trailer leaves the highway and enters their facility. If you are still using clipboards, whiteboards, or simple spreadsheets, you know how hard it is to keep track of everything.
To fix this, many companies are moving away from manual work and toward yard automation. By using a yard management system software (YMS), you can turn a chaotic yard into a smooth and fast operation.
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How Real-Time Yard Visibility Improves Dock and Yard Performance
In a manual yard, visibility is only as good as the last radio call or clipboard update. This "lag time" creates a ripple effect: trailers sit idle, dock doors remain empty despite available loads, and labor costs climb.
By implementing a reliable yard management system software, yard operations get a live view of their entire facility. This helps teams:
- Spot Bottlenecks: See exactly which trailers have been sitting too long.
- Help Your Drivers: Use automated tasks to make sure spotter trucks take the shortest paths.
- Speed Up the Gate: Move trucks in and out faster with digital check-ins.
Automation and Integration: Moving Beyond the Clipboard
The transition to yard automation isn't just about replacing paper; it’s about automation and integration. A modern YMS integrates with your existing WMS and TMS.
This integration allows the yard to "talk" to the rest of your supply chain. For example, if a dock door opens up unexpectedly, the system can automatically trigger a move for the next priority trailer. This level of yard dock management is what separates high-performance facilities from those struggling with congestion.
Manual Coordination vs. Automated Yard Management
Many facilities stick with "the way we have always done it" because change seems hard. However, the cost of manual coordination is often hidden in wasted fuel, driver frustration, and unnecessary D&D fees.
Yard Intelligence: Gain Control Over D&D Costs
Demurrage and Detention (D&D) fees are the "silent killers" of logistics profitability. These costs accumulate quickly when trailers sit idle past their allotted time or when carriers are kept waiting at the gate. Often, these fees stem from a simple lack of yard intelligence. If your team doesn't know which trailer is approaching its deadline the oldest or most expensive assets sit untouched.
Data-Driven Detention Prevention
Yard management system software acts like an early warning system. It helps you stay ahead of D&D fees by using:
- Dwell Time Alerts: The software tracks every trailer. It sends an alert when a trailer is getting close to its "free time" limit.
- Priority Move Suggestions: The system automatically tells drivers to move the trailers that are about to cost you money.
- Automated Proof of Records: Yard intelligence provides a digital "paper trail" of gate-in/gate-out times. If you receive an incorrect detention claim, you have precise, indisputable data to contest it.
Yard Automation vs. AI: Proven Results Without the Hype
With so much attention on Artificial Intelligence today, it is easy to get confused about what technology actually improves yard operations right now.
Yard automation is proven and widely used. AI is newer and still emerging. While AI shows promise, it often requires significant human review and oversight to ensure decisions are accurate and safe in a live yard environment.
The difference is straightforward.
- Yard automation follows clear, rule-based workflows that you control. It removes manual work such as tracking trailers, assigning moves, and coordinating gate and dock activity. You stay in control of how the yard operates.
- AI looks for patterns in data to make predictions or recommendations. Because yards are fast-moving and conditions change constantly, AI systems often need people to review, approve, or correct decisions before action is taken.
Here’s a side-by-side view of how yard automation and AI differ:
Automation does not need to learn how your yard works or guess where assets might be. It uses real-time data and direct system integrations to execute tasks consistently and accurately.
For facilities that need to move freight efficiently without errors, yard automation delivers immediate and reliable ROI. Just as important, automation creates clean, structured data that can later support AI-driven optimization as the technology continues to mature.
Real-World Success
Switching to an automated system is faster than you might think. Companies like The Clorox Company, Ryder, and Williams-Sonoma have already made the switch. Transitioning to YardView's YMS resulted in:
- Instantaneous Coordination: Using drag-and-drop tools to divert drivers on the fly.
- Resource Optimization: Better "who, what, and when" metrics to manage labor costs.
- Rapid Deployment: Integration that takes days, not months, to show measurable results.
Is Your Yard Ready for Automation?
For over 25 years, YardView has helped businesses simplify complex yard operations. The platform was built specifically for the yard.
If your yard feels behind the times or is inefficient, moving to a purpose-built yard management system software is the best way to improve your workflow. It stops the guesswork and puts you back in control of your data.
Stop managing your yard in the dark. Contact us today!
