Effective Yard Management: Partnering with a 3PL for Success

Efficient yard management is crucial for seamless logistics. Without it, inventory and shipments may be delayed, you might incur detention and demurrage fees, service level agreements might not be met and you may have challenges scaling your business. A yard management solution (YMS) can help to address these issues and get your supply chain back in order.

What is a YMS?

A YMS is a software solution that helps monitor and manage inbound and outbound traffic, coordinating the movement of trailers, drivers and inventory, within a yard or terminal facility. Most YMS software includes a digital map of your yard to provide real-time tracking capabilities to help monitor the location of different assets at all times.

Selecting the Right YMS

Every yard is different. To successfully find a yard management solution that fits your organization’s needs, start by assessing how your yard currently operates to understand your requirements and current challenges. It’s especially important to recognize existing pain points and inefficiencies that would benefit from the structure of a yard management system. Consider the following factors:

• Traffic volume: How many trucks and trailers move through your yard daily?
• Space constraints: What is your current yard layout? Are there certain areas that are consistently backlogged or congested?
• Operational processes: What existing processes and workflows do you have in place to manage your yard?
• Technology integration: What existing systems do you have, such as a warehouse management system (WMS) or transportation management system (TMS)? Will they be able to integrate with a new YMS?
• Flexibility: Can a prospective YMS be customized to fit your unique needs?

It will be easier to select and implement a yard management solution by first understanding the bigger picture.

Find a 3PL Who Can Support You With Yard Spotting

Many businesses are turning to third-party logistics providers (3PLs) for help with yard management. 3PLs not only bring in the right YMS to suit your needs, but they also bring vast expertise and yard spotting capabilities to help streamline your logistics operations. When evaluating potential 3PL partners, consider the following:

• Scalability: What other services do they provide beyond yard management? Do they have additional capabilities that you can take advantage of as your business grows and scales?
• Support service: Is their team available 24/7 to help you troubleshoot when needed?
• Implementation process: How quickly can they get you up and running? In the logistics industry, time is literally money.

Another key feature of a good YMS to consider is automated scheduling and task assignment solutions. These tools ensure trailers and goods move efficiently, leading to faster turnaround times and increased productivity. They help cut down on detention times, minimize labor costs through automation and optimized workflows, and reduce transportation expenses with better trailer utilization. Ultimately, these improvements lead to significant cost savings.

In addition to amplifying your supply chain through YMS integration, a 3PL will help you implement other solutions, such as RFID tagging, GPS tracking and automation to help you maximize your yard space. With real-time visibility into your yard activities, you can have accurate insight into inventory levels and trailer movements in almost real-time.

Benefits of Working with Premier for Yard Management

When it comes to yard management, working with Premier offers a multitude of benefits that can transform your operations. Premier’s yard spotting and yard management solutions optimize operations, enhance visibility, and drive significant cost savings. By streamlining processes and providing real-time insights into yard activities, Premier ensures efficient use of resources and space, leading to higher operational efficiency.

• Optimized Operations: Premier’s yard management solutions streamline processes, ensuring efficient utilization of yard space and resources. This optimization translates to reduced congestion, minimized idle time for assets, and ultimately, higher operational efficiency.
• Enhanced Visibility: Premier offers real-time visibility into yard activities, providing clients with accurate and timely information on inventory levels, trailer movements, and yard operations. This increased visibility empowers clients to make informed decisions, improve planning, and respond swiftly to changing conditions.
• Cost Savings: By leveraging Premier’s yard management solutions, clients can achieve significant cost savings. These savings stem from reduced detention times, minimized labor expenses through automation and optimized workflows, and decreased transportation costs due to improved trailer utilization and turnaround times.
• Improved Customer Service: Premier’s solutions contribute to better customer service by ensuring timely deliveries, reducing lead times, and enhancing order accuracy. Clients can meet customer expectations more effectively, leading to higher satisfaction levels and increased loyalty.
• Compliance and Risk Mitigation: Premier helps clients maintain compliance with regulations and safety standards governing yard operations. By adhering to these standards, clients mitigate risks associated with regulatory non-compliance and safety incidents, safeguarding their reputation and minimizing potential liabilities.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Premier’s yard management solutions are designed to scale alongside clients’ evolving needs. Whether it’s expanding operations, accommodating seasonal fluctuations, or integrating new technologies, clients can rely on Premier to provide scalable and flexible solutions that grow with their business.

Whether you’re looking to reduce congestion, minimize idle times, or enhance customer satisfaction, Premier’s yard management solutions are designed to meet and exceed your expectations. Interested in learning more about Premier’s yard spotting and YMS capabilities? Click here.