We sat down with several team members from a high-volume yard to talk through the real challenges of yard operations—and what it takes to keep things moving efficiently. To protect privacy, names and company details have been anonymized.
This interview includes perspectives from:
- Transportation Manager – oversees overall yard operation
- Logistics Supervisor (SLO) – manages dock and yard flow
- Vehicle Operations Assistant (VOA) – handles trailer movement
- Clerk – manages checkin and dispatch procedures
Q: What are the biggest day-to-day challenges in yard operations?
- Transportation Manager: “Visibility is the biggest one. You have to know what’s in the trailer, where it’s located, how long it’s been there, and where it needs to go next. When you don’t have that, everything slows down. Different products require different handling and dock assignments, which makes visibility even more critical. Big parcels go to one side of the building, small parcels to another. If you don’t know what’s in the trailer, you’re already behind.”
- Logistics Supervisor (SLO): “Getting trailers of mail to and from the dock in FIFO order successfully and efficiently. Having visibility of all mail checked into the facility with accurate timestamps.”
- Vehicle Operations Assistant (VOA): “Maintaining constant control of trailer movement in, out, and within the yard.”
Q: How does a Yard Management System help solve that?
- Transportation Manager: “With the YMS, we can enter the contents of the trailer right away. That tells everyone exactly which dock it needs to go to. There’s no guessing. The YMS gives yard teams real-time access to load status, location, and timing, ensuring that clerks, spotters, supervisors, and managers are aligned and working from the same source of truth.”
- Logistics Supervisor: “YMS gives visibility to all trailer information so that mail can be accurately moved to the docks in the correct order and reduce overall cycle time.”
- Clerk: “I am able to verify inbound trip information as part of the check-in process. Dispatch procedures allow me to communicate with the drivers face to face when dispatching from the yard. I can control where the trailers are assigned in the yard. This aids in keeping accountability of the movement and placement of trailers according to the yard layout.”
Q: What happens in yards that don’t have a YMS?
- Transportation Manager: “I’ve seen it. I worked at a facility that did everything on paper. My head was spinning. Without a YMS, peak season created major challenges. They couldn’t put everything to the dock because there were too many trailers. Once trailers were staged in the yard, it was hard to keep up with what was out there. The result was lost time, delayed processing, and constant catch-up. That experience pushed them to pursue a YMS, because paper processes could no longer support the volume they were handling.”
- Logistics Supervisor: “Yards without YMS are subject to human error. Without accurate information, daily plans and operations are much more likely to fail.”
- Vehicle Operations Assistant: “Operating without a YMS is cumbersome. Trailer movement between dock and yard must be done via the radio. This often leads to incorrect trailers being picked or sent to the wrong dock or yard spot. We call it ‘going blind.’’”
Q: How does YMS help you stay on top of yard activity?
- Transportation Manager: “I get reports every two hours. They go to transportation and the building. I use them every day.
Rather than overwhelming teams with data, the reports are configured to surface only what matters most:
- Trailer number
- Check-in time
- Time on site
- Current location (yard or dock)
- Load status and contents
“I don’t need all the tabs. I just need to see what I’m looking at right away.”
- Logistics Supervisor: “It allows me to get a full scope of the whole operation from one system. I can monitor spotter movement to assure trailer movement to and from the docks is done timely. I can also see all inbound and outbound trips displayed so that I can monitor accurate trip information and ensure trailers are safe to pull from the docks.”
- Vehicle Operations Assistant: “It allows me to move the correct trailers to the correct dock/yard spot. It aids with verification of trip information and contents.”
Q: How does that impact decision-making during the day?
- Transportation Manager: “It lets us explain what’s happening instead of guessing. Even when trailers stay in the yard longer than expected, the system provides context. If something’s been there 12 or 13 hours, we know where it is and why. Maybe it’s at the dock, but the product isn’t scheduled to be processed until later. The system tells us that. This visibility allows teams to prioritize work accurately and avoid unnecessary escalation.”
- Logistics Supervisor: “The YMS tells the story. It gives accurate timestamps when actions on trailers were made. There is no guess work, when trips were attached, when pulls were made, when trailers are departed.”
- Vehicle Operations Assistant: “Certain mail is unloaded and loaded in specific docks. It allows for placement of those trailers based on operational needs.”
Q: What’s the biggest difference between working with and without YMS?
- Transportation Manager: “Control. With real-time visibility, structured reporting, and clear accountability, the yard shifts from reactive to controlled. If you have a yard with a lot of dock doors and a lot of trailers, this system helps you keep up with it. Without it, you’re always behind.”
- Logistics Supervisor: “Reassurance. With information at your fingertips, decision making is done faster, and safety is heightened. And we’re able to retrieve data or information up to 12 months back”
- Vehicle Operations Assistant: “Control”
Final Takeaway
For transportation teams, yard operations don’t have to feel chaotic. With Kaleris YMS, visibility replaces guesswork, reporting replaces manual tracking, and control replaces constant firefighting. It allows you to set up your yard with efficiency, safety, and accountability in mind.
