7 Game-Changing Strategies to Reduce Dwell Time

What is Dwell Time?

Simply put, dwell time is the amount of time a trailer remains idle in a facility. To those outside the industry, the amount of time trailers spend on yards may seem like a small concern, if a concern at all. However, supply chain professionals understand the devastating effects of excessive idle time.

High dwell times can bring shipping processes to a grinding halt, disrupting the flow of goods and increasing operating costs. Moreover, they can erode trust in customer relationships as delays lead to missed delivery windows and frustration on the receiving end. Long trailer dwell times can also result in high detention and demurrage fees that burn a hole in your company's wallet.

Idle time is more than a number on a report; it's a roadblock to efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. Reducing warehouse dwell time is top priority for good reason, and it has never been easier with Yard Management Solutions.

What Are The Leading Causes Of High Dwell Times?

Reducing idle time may seem simple on the surface, but underneath the issue is multi-dimensional. Many factors can influence the amount of time that trailers spend on your yard that may be slipping under your radar:

• Inefficient Dock Assignments
• Manual Check In / Check Out Processes
• Lack of Real Time Visibility
• Poor Communication
• Lack of Data Driven Insights
• Poorly Maintained Trailers
• Inefficient Labor Allocation

How to Reduce Your Dwell Time with YMS

Yard Management Solutions shares your disdain for excessive dwell time, which is why we've taken the initiative to address its root causes on your behalf.

1. Inefficient Dock Assignment

Inefficient dock assignments can result in idle workforce, underutilized dock doors, and a congested yard. This leads to delays in processing shipments and increased dwell times for trailers waiting to be loaded or unloaded.

We offer a remedy for these unwanted bottlenecks: Dock Door Scheduling and automation. By intelligently allocating trailers to the most suitable dock doors, YMS optimizes operations, reduces bottlenecks, and minimizes trailer dwell times. Our system operates in real-time, swiftly identifying available docks and automatically dispatching move requests to yard drivers. Managing priorities, scheduling, and resource allocation becomes effortlessly efficient. What once caused bottlenecks and costly delays is now executed with precision and efficiency.

2. Manual Check In / Check Out Processes

Manual check-in and check-out processes involving paperwork and manual data entry can be time-consuming and error prone. This inefficiency can lead to delays in accurately recording trailer movements and cause congestion in the yard. Congestion and bottlenecks are threatening foes of yard professionals. When trailers become entangled in a web of congestion, valuable time is lost, and dwell times increase. These issues can significantly impede overall productivity, a critical factor in logistics where time is of the essence. Every moment a trailer remains idle in your yard represents a potential bottleneck that can disrupt your entire operation.

To address these challenges, streamline your check-in/check-out processes with the YMS Automatic Gate. Preloaded information from the appointment schedule is readily available at the gate, reducing the time required for check-in. This automated feature substantially reduces paperwork, minimizes the risk of human errors, expedites the check-in/check-out process, and contributes to shorter dwell times. This holistic approach enhances overall yard efficiency and enhances the driver's experience.

3. Lack of Visibility

Without clear yard visibility, your yard staff face a myriad of issues. Lost trailers, time-consuming searches, inefficient asset use, and the perpetual risk of bottlenecks become the unwelcome norm. Productivity dips, operating costs soar, and valuable time slips through the cracks.

Our state-of-the-art technology revolutionizes yard management by providing real-time visibility into every corner of your yard. With YMS, you attain a comprehensive view of your assets, instantly obtaining information on the location and current status of each trailer. This real-time visibility facilitates more informed decision-making, reduces search times, and minimizes yard congestion.

4. Poor Communication

Supply chains rely on top-notch communication both on and off the yard. A smooth sailing supply chain hinges on simple communication between stakeholders. Unfortunately, this is an area where many businesses encounter challenges. Manual processes, infrequent communication, and low data quality contribute to confusion and bottlenecks within the yard.

Our yard management software offers a solution to reduce dwell time by optimizing communication. Through YMS, your team can benefit from automated communication, ensuring timely alerts and updates. This guarantees that all relevant parties are promptly informed about critical events, facilitating rapid responses, efficient decision-making, and reducing the time trailers spend waiting in the yard.

YMS incorporates automated email notifications sent to carriers when their trailers are ready for pickup or if there are any delays. These automated emails provide carriers with timely updates, eliminating the need for manual phone calls or inquiries. This convenience not only strengthens your relationship with carriers but also enhances efficiency in yard operations, ultimately reducing dwell time and ensuring that trailers are removed in a timely manner, thus effectively removing yard congestion.

YMS includes a dedicated carrier module that enables carriers to securely log in and access their specific information. This self-service portal empowers carriers to view appointment schedules, check load statuses, and access yard instructions. This level of transparency reduces the necessity for manual communication and ensures the prompt dispatch of trailers.

5. Lack of Data Driven Insights

A successful chain relies on carefully analyzed data to thrive. Often overlooked, automated reporting software represents a significant advancement in the world of logistics. The absence of comprehensive data regarding yard operations can leave organizations in the dark, making it challenging for them to pinpoint issues related to dwell time and make informed decisions based on data.

By harnessing the power of data, YMS identifies the challenges and equips you with the tools to proactively address them. YMS automatically generates detailed reports on yard activity, including trailer movement, dwell times, dock utilization, and other relevant metrics. By providing actionable insights, YMS enables data driven decision making, helping organizations identify and address issues that contribute to extended dwell times in the yard. Additionally, schedule regular reviews of these reports to continuously improve yard efficiency.

6. Poorly Maintained Trailers

Inadequate maintenance of trailers within the yard not only occupies valuable space but also plays a part in creating congestion. Additionally, poorly maintained trailers can result in unforeseen breakdowns during transportation.

Yard Management Solutions has maintenance and damage tracking capabilities. The system can send automated alerts when a trailer is damaged and schedule routine maintenance tasks for trailers. This proactive approach ensures that trailers are well-maintained and ready for use, reducing the risk of breakdowns and freeing up the yard space for active operations.

7. Inefficient Workforce Allocation

An improperly allocated workforce can lead to significant delays in yard operations. If the right resources aren't available at the right time, tasks pile up, and the yard becomes a bottleneck, increasing dwell times and reducing overall efficiency.

YMS provides a comprehensive solution for optimizing workforce allocation through advanced tracking and management features. With YMS, you can monitor employee performance in real-time, ensuring that each task is handled by the most suitable personnel. This visibility allows for timely adjustments and reallocations based on current yard conditions and operational demands

YMS offers automated driver move management, reducing the manual effort required to manage your workforce. This proactive approach ensures that all moves are completed promptly and efficiently. By minimizing idle times and optimizing workforce allocation, YMS helps reduce overall dwell times and enhances yard operations.

Dwell No More! Our Customers Share How They Reduced Dwell Time Fast

In the challenging world of supply chain management, extended dwell times have been a constant struggle for professionals. Our customers faced these challenges just like you. Fortunately, Yard Management Solutions emerged as an unexpected savior, bringing relief and swift solutions to the table.

ColdPoint Logistics, a leading logistics and warehousing company, faced significant challenges due to outdated manual yard management processes before embracing YMS. With YMS, yard drivers could quickly locate trailers, reducing the time spent searching for misplaced trailers. The accuracy of the system minimized the need for yard drivers to move trailers unnecessarily, saving on fuel, doubling driver moves and reducing dwell times.

“Efficiency has gone through the roof!”

Elijah Robinson
ColdPoint Logistics
Transportation Coordinator

Embrace the Future of Logistics Efficiency

The pursuit of efficiency is a never-ending journey and the key to staying ahead in the competitive logistics world. Armed with this vital information, we invite you to take the helm of your operations and steer toward an efficient future.

The journey toward reduced dwell time is not one you must embark on alone. Yard Management Solutions is ready to partner with you, offering innovative solutions designed to turn idle moments into opportunities for growth. To experience these strategies in action, we invite you to schedule a free live demo with our experts.

In this live demonstration, you will witness firsthand the power of real-time visibility and data analytics. Let us show you how we can transform your operations from the ground up.

So, are you ready to embrace the future of efficiency? Schedule your free demo today and join us in the pursuit of a streamlined supply chain. Together, we'll navigate the path to reduce your dwell time and embark on a journey toward excellence.