Checklist for dock and yard management

Dock and yard delays caused by inefficient manual systems generate unwelcome costs. What’s even more worrying is that many of those costs are invisible at first glance, but still affect the bottom line. With margins shrinking in these uncertain times, a serious competitive advantage is now achievable for businesses who embrace the opportunities of dock and yard management solutions.

Logistic inefficiencies cause idle time and production delays, resulting in personnel and equipment assets being wasted, and high labour and overtime costs. In an internal study done by Transporeon among customers just before they started using the transport management platform, it is clearly demonstrated that unevenly distributed truck arrivals throughout the day cause a serious truck backlog at the warehouse. This results in significant labour costs due to warehouse staff having to work overtime to process the truck backlog accrued throughout the day.

Labour-intensive logistics

These types of labour costs, including hefty overtime packages, are always a critical factor in efficiency calculations because they invariably represent a significant outlay. Manual dock scheduling is no exception. A person is required to create and type spreadsheets or paper-based daily schedules, to call or email carriers to schedule time slots, and to communicate and manage rescheduling, ensuring that all parties are notified correctly and promptly. The risks of communication blips and breakdowns add to these costs.

Download the ‘Checklist for dock and yard management’

In collaboration with Supply Chain Movement, Transporeon – a Trimble Company and a logistics software vendor – has created a practical checklist for dock and yard management. By answering the 10 questions in this checklist, you can find your improvement potential.

Find more checklists of Supply Chain Movement here >>