10 TIPS
Transportation and warehouse activities may be well tracked, but once a trailer enters the yard, visibility breaks down. Improving visibility is not a data problem but an operating model problem, requiring a system governing how work is planned, executed, measured, and improved—making visibility actionable rather than merely descriptive. Improving Yard Visibility
1 TREAT THE YARD AS PART OF THE END-TO-END SUPPLY CHAIN Visibility should not stop at arrival. Without insight into trailer status, dwell, and priority, planning assumptions unravel. When yard data feeds execution decisions, teams can reprioritize work in real time and prevent bottlenecks before they cascade into service failures.
6 STRENGTHEN TEMP- CONTROLLED VISIBILITY Cold chain yards require tighter control. Visibility must include temperature set points, fuel levels, and alarms. Early insight into reefer health prevents last- minute recovery actions that disrupt flow and put product at risk. 7 ALIGN LABOR WITH EQUIPMENT Equipment alone does not create capacity. Without visibility into staffing levels, shift transitions, and breaks, dwell increases even when tractors are available. Aligning labor and asset visibility improves productivity and smooths transitions. 8 PRACTICE PREDICTABLE COMMUNICATION Minor issues escalate quickly when communication is inconsistent. Clear status updates, exception alerts, and escalation paths surface problems earlier. For
example, notifying carriers of dock delays allows them to adjust arrival timing and avoid unnecessary waiting, resulting in shorter carrier turn times and stronger carrier relationships. 9 USE EXCEPTIONS TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENT Late arrivals, damaged trailers, missing documentation, and inventory discrepancies are signals of visibility. When tracked consistently, they reveal upstream process gaps. A governed yard operating system uses these exceptions to drive root-cause analysis rather than one-off fixes, creating fewer recurring disruptions and more predictable daily performance.
2 STANDARDIZE YARD PROCESSES Multi-site networks often run each yard differently, creating fragmented data and unpredictable outcomes. Standardizing check-in, move requests, dispatch rules, and communication workflows reduces variability and delivers more consistent service across sites. 3 MAINTAIN REAL-TIME TRAILER INVENTORY Inaccurate trailer inventories drive wasted moves and dock congestion. A continuously updated inventory enables smarter sequencing, so priority loads move directly to the dock, improving dock turns and reducing rehandles. 4 CONNECT UPDATES TO YARD EXECUTION Carrier ETAs, appointment changes, and detention risk often arrive too late to influence yard decisions. Integrating transportation
signals into yard execution allows teams to resequence work, stage trailers appropriately, and reduce congestion and detention exposure. 5 USE DWELL TIME AS A PROACTIVE SIGNAL Dwell is often reviewed after problems occur. When analyzed by dock, carrier, product type, and shift, it becomes a leading indicator of friction—highlighting dock imbalances, staging constraints, or labor mismatches before performance degrades.
10 TIE VISIBILITY DIRECTLY TO SERVICE OUTCOMES
Visibility only matters if it improves execution. Focus on the signals that influence OTIF drivers, dock utilization, safety performance, and production uptime. Avoid overwhelming teams with data that does not change decisions or behavior, resulting in better service reliability without added operational complexity.
SOURCE: RAFAEL GRANATO, VP OF MARKETING, YMX LOGISTICS
18 Inbound Logistics • January 2026
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