Are Gate Staff and Yard Drivers the Real Issue on Your Yard? How You Can Take Back Control and Gain Efficiencies
Potential Negative Impacts
We’ve all been there from miscommunication interactions, where one little detail falls through the cracks and puts a ding into an entire operation. From those interactions, that one little mistake could result into longer turn times, missed or poorly relayed information, extended carrier congestion at the dock, longer gate wait times, and a poor business reputation.
Even worse, if the first error was never resolved, then a complicated web is weaved, causing a crazy domino effect. And suddenly, it feels impossible to untangle the mess that was caused. The more complex an issue becomes, the more tension it causes between gate staff and yard drivers, yard managers and yard staff, anyone and everyone who is involved in the logistical process. Causing the yard to be labeled negatively by carriers can take a long time to reverse, therefore it’s critical to ensure smooth interactions from beginning to end.
Methods to Improve Gate Staff & Yard Driver Interactions
A yard management system doesn’t just streamline processes, but also improves cross-functional communication between gate staff and yard drivers. Let them remove some of the controlled concerns at hand by serving as the middle-ground liaison. For example, a YMS can:
• Offer and allow for flexible appointment scheduling for all check-ins, drop-offs, and pick-ups.
• Provide an expansive parking selection for increased accessibility.
• Enhanced navigation for easy transport across the yard.
• Real-time visibility for a more organized and efficient process.
That way, each step of the logistics process will be much easier for carriers, gate staff, and yard spotters’ alike. It’s simple - being proactive and efficient is much easier than being known for having a poor yard-team communication or morale. No one wants inefficient yard operations. A properly implemented yard management solution provides full-scale metrics, analytics, and KPIs so you stay ahead of the game for improving your yard operations. If there are any chances for a concern, your YMS will notify you, so your operations processes don’t fall behind.