Yard management technology moves out of the shadows as supply chains push for end-to-end visibility

While supply chains have poured investment into transportation and warehouse technology, yard and dock operations remain one of the most manual and least visible parts of the network, a gap that is increasingly difficult to manage as volumes fluctuate and labor tightens.

While the C3 State of Yard and Dock Management 2026 survey is underway, the findings from the 2025 report are likely to be echoed. Heavy reliance on manual processes, limited real-time visibility and congestion that ripples into warehouse and transportation performance. Respondents consistently cited outdated workflows and a lack of system integration as core obstacles to improving throughput and service levels.

Those findings reflect what operators encounter daily in the field, according to Greg Braun, co-founder of dock scheduling and yard management technology provider C3 Solutions. “The yard is where everything meets, but it’s also where visibility often stops,” Braun said. “Companies can have advanced systems across transportation and warehousing, but once freight hits the gate, it frequently goes into a black hole.”

Many organizations still rely on paper logs, phone calls and radio communication to manage yard activity. That approach becomes fragile as networks grow more complex. When inbound schedules shift or outbound priorities change, manual coordination struggles to keep up, leading to congestion even when physical capacity exists.

“A congested yard usually isn’t caused by a lack of space,” Braun said. “It’s a lack of planning and visibility. Business practices upstream show up physically in the yard.”

Yard congestion and labor constraints are persistent pain points. Without clear insight into where trailers are located or what inventory they contain, yard drivers spend time searching instead of executing moves. Gatehouses become choke points as drivers wait for instructions or paperwork, slowing inbound and outbound flow.

Those inefficiencies rarely stay contained. Missed yard moves delay dock turns, outbound shipments slip, and transportation planners make decisions without knowing what equipment is actually available on-site. Several respondents noted that a lack of yard visibility complicates appointment scheduling and exception management, particularly when carriers arrive early or late.

Historically, yard management has lagged behind TMS and WMS adoption for both organizational and technical reasons. The yard sits between functions, and ownership is often unclear. For years, technology options also required heavy infrastructure investments, leading many companies to postpone adoption or wait for a single “silver bullet,” such as RFID, to solve the problem without changing processes.

“The yard has been caught in the middle for decades,” Braun said. “No one really wanted to own it, and the technology just wasn’t there yet.”

That perception is beginning to shift. Real-time visibility has become a priority, along with easier integration into existing systems. Advances in mobile technology, cloud platforms and vision-based tracking have lowered the cost and complexity of yard digitization, making it more accessible to a wider range of facilities.

According to Braun, “Visibility is often where companies see the fastest impact. Once organizations know where trailers are and what inventory is sitting in them, they frequently discover that equipment shortages are utilization issues rather than capacity problems. Some operators begin treating trailers as mobile inventory, effectively extending the warehouse beyond its four walls.”

Gate operations are another area where there is early gains. Digital check-in and automated communication reduce manual coordination and help smooth traffic flow, particularly during peak periods. Labor efficiency follows closely behind. Yard drivers are one of the most visible cost centers in yard operations, and clearer priorities reduce unnecessary moves and idle time.

Braun goes on to say, “The yard is where transportation and warehousing either synchronize or collide. When everyone is working off the same picture, the whole operation runs differently. It’s not the most exciting part of the operation, but it’s where a lot of inefficiency hides and where a lot of value can be unlocked.”

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