Keeping up with the latest yard and warehouse management trends is a challenge. You must manage and track different processes and systems to maintain an efficient supply chain operation.
Maintaining new regulations, customer demands, and technological advances can be overwhelming.
Without the right yard management system in place, you will face costly errors due to miscommunication and delays in delivery.
Stop the chaos, and let us provide you with the ten best yard management software solutions to help your business achieve better performance and cost-effectiveness for managing multiple sites more efficiently.
This blog post will discuss what a yard management system is and its challenges and introduce you to some top-rated yard management software solutions.
In addition, we’ll provide an overview of their features. With this information, you can make an educated decision regarding which YMS is best suited for your requirements.
What is yard management?
Yard management is a process that involves the coordination and tracking of the movement and storage of trailers, containers, and other assets within a physical yard or facility.
That includes the scheduling and sequencing of inbound and outbound trailers and other assets, managing their parking locations, monitoring their status, and optimizing their movement within the yard.
Yard management is often used in transportation, logistics, and manufacturing industries. For example, efficiently handling and storing trailers and other assets is critical to maintaining supply chain operations.
What is a yard management system?
Yard management systems (YMS) are software platforms that can automate and optimize the yard management process, providing real-time visibility into inventory status, enabling better planning of loading/unloading activities, and reducing the risk of errors, delays, and congestion.
Yard management challenges
- Lack of shipment visibility: If yard members have improper shipment visibility when trucks come for loading and unloading, it leads to inefficient use of the yard and its resources.
- Lack of trailer visibility: It is difficult to have enough visibility into trailer assets, which leads to inefficient use of trailers. It increases cost and reduces jockey efficiency.
- Process misalignment: The yard process should be updated dynamically and maintained automatically. Otherwise, stakeholders cannot have real-time visibility into the process, which leads to inefficient use of warehouse dock doors, labor, and equipment. That results in process misalignment and customer relationships.
- Yard jockey inefficiency: Improper insight into yard operations leads to inefficient use of jockey, increased violation, and wastage of jockey labor time.
To overcome these challenges, businesses use yard management software.
Common features of YMS
The common features of yard management software include
Real-time visibility
Yard management software provides real-time visibility into inventory status, asset location, and overall yard operations. That helps the organization to keep tabs on the movements of goods and trucks, increase logistical efficiency, and reduce errors or delays.
Yard planning and scheduling
Yard management software helps to allocate space and manage the storage and movement of assets by employing scheduling and planning capabilities. This feature optimizes asset placement and space utilization, streamlines loading and unloading processes, and ensures smooth yard operations.
Reporting and analytics
This feature helps to generate detailed reports on assets, inventory, and yard utilization metrics. Reporting and analytical capabilities enhance inventory management, providing insights and intelligence to make informed decisions.
Integration and data exchange
Yard management software is designed to support integration with other systems, such as Transportation Management Systems (TMS), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), to expand visibility and improve collaboration across departments.
Mobile application
Enables yard managers, drivers, and other operational teams to view inventory in real-time, manage pickup schedules, and streamline the loading and unloading process.
Let us look into the Software list.
1. DataDocks
DataDocs software is a dock-scheduling solution with many features to enhance communication, efficiency, and performance of the organization’s supply chain. It offers cloud deployment, and you can schedule from anywhere, any time, with editing capabilities.
Features
- Appointment dates tracking
- Customer support
- Web and mobile access
- Multiple location views
- Logistics team performance tracking
- Recurring appointment creation
- Email notifications
- Demmurage costs tracking
- PO tracking
Likes
- It offers customer-friendly logistics solutions.
- It saves costs and workforce wastage.
- It provides good customer service.
Dislikes
- You cannot use previous versions.
User opinion
It is easy-to-use software with any-time, anywhere accessibility with live editing capabilities.
You can work with the updated version. It provides a different level of access for each user. One of the most helpful things that help customers is customers can book their own appointments.
2. Transloads.co
It is an all-in-one solution for small and medium-sized reload yards. It provides a mobile interface also for field workers. In addition, it handles verities of commodities such as dimensional and bulls commodities.
Features
- Inbound shipments
- Outbound shipments
- Account management
- Inventory tracking
- Demurrage management
- Invoicing
- Reporting and analytics
Screenshot of Transloads.co
Pricing
Offers two pricing plans
- Pay-per-payload – Charges $29.95/payload per month, $898.5/payload per year.
- Pay-per-month – Charges $799.95 per month.
Likes
- It provides good customer service and product support.
- It offers a good desktop and mobile management system.
- The user interface is good.
Dislikes
- The system is difficult for inexperienced employees.
Other details
| Deployment | Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based |
| Supported devices | Desktop – Mac, Desktop – Windows, Desktop – Linux, Desktop – Chromebook |
| Support | Email/Help Desk, Phone Support |
| Training | In-Person, Live Online, Webinars, Documentation |
| Supported languages | English |
| Customer ratings | G2: 4.7 out of 5 (3+ reviews) Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 (4+ reviews) |
User opinion
It is an easy-to-use transload management system with a 30-day free trial. It allows user to view all their shipment remotely through mobile. In addition, it provides a SaaS platform with cloud architecture and Pay-as-you-go pricing options.
3. SAP yard logistics
SAP yard logistics management solution enhances resource use, billing, and support planning. In addition, the software helps to increase yard process visibility.
Features
- Order and appointment planning
- Yard execution and processing
- Integration with supply chain management
- Monitoring of the supply chain
- On-premise deployment
- Real-time visibility into the order status
Some screenshots of SAP yard logistics
Likes
- The reporting feature is good.
- It tracks the materials in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
- The software is easily customizable.
Dislikes
- Its training capability is poor.
- It alerts the mistake but does not suggest how to correct it.
- The user interface is not so good.
- It easily allows the user to make mistakes, and the program is older than others.
User opinion
SAP Yard Logistics is an efficient and profitable supply chain logistics solution. It provides on-premise deployment options. As a result, it reduces processing time with fast activities and increases yard throughput.
4. Opendock
It is a dock scheduling software for warehouses that allows carriers to schedule their own dock appointments. In addition, it provides real-time visibility into the day-to-day schedule of the warehouse.
Features
- One-stop shop for shippers
- Online appointment scheduling
- Third-party integration
- Real-time dock management data
Some screenshots of Opendock
Likes
- Appointment visibility is good.
- It provides good customer service.
- Multiple parties can get information about shipment and pickup.
Dislikes
- Some regular features are unavailable in the Nova version.
- The fall-off appointments option is not there.
- Rescheduling the canceled appointments option is not there.
- The vendors’ and couriers’ details provided by the software could be improved.
- Appointments scheduled by one person are not viewable by others in the same facility.
Other details
| Supported languages | English |
| Customer reviews | G2: 4.5 out of 5 (49+reviews) |
User opinion
Opendock enables users to track in and out timings of trucks or appointments, calculates this information, and shows it in the carrier scorecard. In addition, it allows you to check previous appointments and track yard workflow.
5. GoRamp
GoRamp is a cloud-based logistic management software that allows shippers to source, plan, and monitor transportation.
Features
- Time slot booking for inbound and outbound trucks
- Changes management
- Documentation
- Dock scheduling
- KPI dashboards
Screenshot of GoRamp
Likes
- It provides a clear overview of the docks.
- User interaction is easy and clear.
Dislikes
- The drag-and-drop option is not there to upload files.
- The hanging problem comes very often.
Other details
| Deployment | Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based |
| Supported devices | Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook, On-Premise – Windows, On-Premise – Linux |
| Support | Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live Rep), Chat |
| Training | In-person, Live Online, Webinars, Documentation, Videos |
| Language supported | English, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian |
| Customer ratings | G2: 4.4 out of 5 (17+reviews), Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 (6+reviews) |
User opinion
GoRamp is good software for drivers. Its time slot booking options help drivers to avoid waiting in line. In addition, the software helps to share documents, send notifications, and chat in real-time.
6. YardView
It is a cloud-based yard management software with good functionality and features to manage trailer and container inventory easily. In addition, the system is highly customizable and easy to use.
Features
- Tracking of asset location, trailer contents, and trailer movements
- Third-party integration
- Easy user interface
Likes
- It provides drag-and-drop trailers options.
- The software is easy to understand and use.
Dislikes
- Lack of graphical representation.
Other details
| Deployment | Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based |
| Supported devices | Desktop – Mac, Desktop – Windows, Desktop – Linux, Desktop – Chromebook, Mobile – Android, Mobile – iPhone, Mobile – iPad |
| Support | Email/Help Desk, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live Rep), Chat |
| Training | In-person, Live Online, Webinars, Documentation, Videos |
| Customer reviews | G2: 4.3 out of 5 (2+ reviews) Capterra: 4.9 5 out of 5 (25+ reviews) |
Supported industries
- 3PL
- Automotive
- Cold storage
- Food manufacturing
- Grocery
- Manufacturing
- Paper & packing
- Retail
- Transportation & logistics
User opinion
It is the best-of-breed, fast, easy-to-use, highly customizable yard management software with easy installation. It provides accurate, real-time data at the fingertips and is available 24/7, 365 days.
7. C3 Yard
C3 Yard is a cloud-based efficient, and highly configurable yard management solution. With the help of this software, yard managers can track vehicles, control gate performance, and manage dock doors.
Features
- Real-time visibility on yard assets
- Business rule engine
- Gate control
- Inbound planning tools
- Dock management
- Mobile view
- Exception alerts
- Trailer workshop management
- Seal management
Some screenshots of C3 Yard
Likes
- It increases gate throughput
- It decreases dock congestion
- It enhances door utilization
- It reduces detention costs
Other details
| Deployment | Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based |
| Supported devices | Mobile – Android, Mobile – iPhone, Mobile – iPad |
| Support | 24/7 (Live Rep) |
| Training | In-person, Live Online, Documentation |
| Customer reviews | Capterra: 4.3 out of 5 (3+ reviews) |
User opinion
The software is useful for the yard management team by its comprehensive features. It provides visibility on both yard assets and shipments. It helps to enhance the productivity of drivers and dock workers.
8. Alpega TMS
It is a cloud-based platform for end-to-end transport management. Aipega TMS allows users to streamline transportation operations, such as sourcing, planning, execution, settlement, and analytics.
Features
- Sourcing and procurement
- Real-time visibility
- Transport planning
- Transport order management
- Transport cost management
- Reporting and Analytics
Likes
- It provides well-organized shipping order details.
- It offers good customer support.
- System updates will take place on weekends.
Dislikes
- It offers a SaaS platform with minimum customization options.
- It needs to provide updated user interface displays from a design standpoint.
User opinion
The software has been experienced in the logistics industry for over 30 years. The system enhances your logistics operations efficiently and cost-effectively. However, some of its user interface displays are outdated, but still, it helps increase visibility across supply chain networks.
9. Digital Yard by Kaleris
Digital Yard is a truck and trailer yard management software provided by Kaleris that provides a real-time location system and automates tasks.
Features
- Comprehensive network visibility
- Real-time yard capacity and availability data
- Yard network performance metrics
- Accessorial charge prevention
- Good customer service
- Carrier contract management
Likes
- It helps to enhance the yard system and track and trace trailers.
- It shows the history of the trailer and the timeline for the ward.
Dislikes
- Poor compatibility with other software.
- It will not show inbound and outbound trailers.
Supported industries
- Automotive
- Consumer goods
- Energy, chemicals mining
- Food and beverages
- Manufacturing
- Retail
Other details
| Deployment | Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based |
| Supported | Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live Rep), Chat Mobile – iPhone, Mobile – iPad |
| Training | In-Person, Live Online, Webinars, Documentation, Videos |
| Customer reviews | Capterra: 4.8 out of 5 (16 reviews) |
User opinion
Digital Yard is a good solution for automating yard management. It helps yard managers to control inventory movements such as inbound, outbound, and on-site.
10. Roserocket
Rose Rocket is a transportation management software for carriers and brokers. It is a fully automated software with customer portals, EDIs, and APIs that makes order entry easy.
Features
- Real-time tracking and tracing of drivers
- Enhanced connectivity
- Customer portal
- Driver mobile app
- Driver scheduling
- Invoicing and billing
- Partner logins
Screenshot of Rose Rocket
Likes
- The software is easy to set up.
- Order management and drivers app is comprehensive.
Dislikes
- Customer support is poor.
- Tracking both chassis and container numbers within a shipment is not possible.
- Advanced features like carrier rate database are unavailable.
User opinion
The software helps to automate the transport process. It offers many features to control material movements and schedule drivers. One more useful feature of the software is Brokers can dispatch to a carrier, or carriers can dispatch to drivers.
FAQs
What is yard management in SAP?
Yard management in SAP is an extended feature of warehouse management that enables the manager to manage and control inbound and outbound shipments.
It integrates with logistics execution (LE) via an interface (LEINT), transportation(LE-TRA), and shipping(LE-SHP).
What are the advantages of a yard management system?
Improved efficiency: YMS helps track parked assets faster and more accurately. It allows better utilization of yard space and more efficient movement of trailers within the yard.
Reduced cost: YMS helps to reduce yard congestion and delays associated with manual yard operations. That helps to reduce operational costs.
Greater visibility: YMS provides real-time visibility into inventory levels and asset location, enabling better planning and management of yard operations and improving communication between yard teams.
Increased accuracy: YMS automates the yard process by eliminating manual tracking and paperwork, which helps to reduce errors and mistakes and leads to more accurate inventory and asset tracking.
Enhanced customer service: YMS allows customers to receive faster and more accurate deliveries by providing accurate location information of assets and inventory.
Conclusion
Yard management software has become essential for logistics or manufacturing operations companies.
It allows for real-time visibility into inventory, efficient handling of trailers, containers, and other assets in a yard, improved asset utilization, and better management of loading and unloading processes.
YMS software provides valuable reporting and analytical capabilities and can be integrated with other systems to enhance visibility and collaboration across departments.
By investing in a YMS, companies can optimize yard operations, increase productivity, reduce costs, and ultimately improve their bottom line.