YARD MANAGEMENT
What is yard management in supply chain?
What is yard management in supply chain?
Yard management in supply chain refers to the process of overseeing and optimizing the movement of trucks, trailers, containers, and equipment as they enter, remain within, and exit a facility’s yard or staging area. It ensures that inbound and outbound shipments flow smoothly between transportation networks and warehouses, preventing delays, bottlenecks, and unnecessary costs.
Yard management is a crucial link between transportation and warehousing. While often overlooked, efficient yard operations help companies meet delivery commitments, maximize asset utilization, and improve customer satisfaction.
How yard management works in the supply chain
- Gate operations: Yard management starts at the entrance, where carriers check in, confirm appointments, and receive dock or parking instructions.
- Yard visibility: Tracking systems, RFID, GPS, and yard management software provide real-time insights into trailer and container locations.
- Trailer and container movement: Yard trucks (also known as spotters or jockeys) reposition trailers to docks, storage areas, or staging lanes.
- Dock scheduling: Appointments are managed to ensure loading and unloading activities stay on schedule, reducing idle time.
- Integration with other systems: Yard management integrates with transportation management systems (TMS) and warehouse management systems (WMS) to ensure seamless flow of goods between transport and storage.
Why it matters
- Reduced congestion: Efficient yard management prevents backups at gates and docks, avoiding costly delays.
- Cost control: Streamlined operations reduce detention and demurrage charges, labor inefficiencies, and unnecessary storage fees.
- Improved visibility: Real-time insights into asset locations and yard capacity provide actionable data for better planning.
- Faster turnaround: Shorter dwell times increase throughput, helping carriers complete more trips and improving service reliability.
- Better relationships: Reducing delays builds stronger partnerships with carriers, suppliers, and customers.
Common questions about yard management in supply chain
How is yard management different from warehouse management?
Yard management focuses on the flow of trucks, trailers, and containers outside and around a facility, while warehouse management (WMS) focuses on inventory and processes inside the building.
Who uses yard management?
Shippers, carriers, 3PLs, and retailers with distribution centers all use yard management to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.
What technology supports yard management?
Yard management systems (YMS), RFID tags, GPS tracking, geofencing, and digital gate check-in/out systems.
What is the difference between yard dwell time and yard detention?
Yard dwell time measures how long a trailer or container sits in the yard overall, while yard detention refers to fees charged when a truck is held beyond the agreed free time for loading or unloading.
How can companies improve yard management?
By adopting digital yard management platforms, automating gate processes, optimizing dock scheduling, and using real-time visibility tools to track trailer movements.
Putting it all together
Yard management in supply chain ensures the efficient movement of trucks, trailers, and containers at a facility’s entry points, yard, and docks. It is a crucial link between transportation and warehousing that directly impacts costs, service levels, and customer satisfaction.
When supported by yard management systems, visibility platforms, and automation technologies, yard management becomes a powerful driver of efficiency, cost reduction, and supply chain resilience.
In short: yard management in supply chain is the process of monitoring and optimizing the flow of trucks, trailers, and containers in a facility’s yard to reduce delays, cut costs, and improve service reliability.