The yard is the transitional space between transportation and warehouse operations where trailers wait, move, load, and unload. Although the yard touches every part of the supply chain, yard operations are often overlooked. They're rarely measured, managed, or prioritized, creating a blind spot.
The yard is rarely viewed as a strategic focus because the direct costs seem relatively low. Yet many fail to realize the impact that the yard has on trailer flow, building flow, and inventory management. Looking beyond those initial numbers reveals a significant enterprise-wide impact.
Downtime in the yard creates real cost consequences:
- Increased detention time, resulting in costly fees and penalties
- Longer driver wait times due to delays
- Slower warehouse flow and reduced labor productivity caused by yard congestion and poor trailer staging, leading to missed SLAs
- Delays in time-sensitive shipments, which can cause inventory spoilage and lost sales
Why the YMS Falls Short in Enterprise Yard Operations
As yard operations evolve, like in all areas of the supply chain, there’s an opportunity to apply technology. In and around 2010, yard management systems (YMS) became increasingly popular to drive value in the yard. While these tools promise improved visibility and efficiency, they often fail to deliver ROI without the right people, processes, and accountability in place.
Matt Yearling, CEO at YMX Logistics, explains why technology alone can’t solve yard challenges. “There are fringe capabilities in a YMS that may drive value, but when you look at this more holistically – across the four fences and the four walls – you see that technology is just one component of efficiency in yard operations. The technology enablement around asset utilization, labor utilization, sustainability, safety, and all the aspects associated with delivering effective yard operations transcends what you would typically see from a YMS perspective.”
To genuinely transform yard operations, shippers need a comprehensive approach that balances technology, the people who use it, the processes that guide its application, and the physical assets in play.
Bart De Muynck, Industry Analyst and former VP of Research at Gartner, explains in a Food Shippers of America article, “Real yard optimization doesn’t start with software. It begins with a holistic operating model, where people, processes, equipment, safety, sustainability, and technology are integrated to drive outcomes. This is the philosophy behind the yard operating system approach, where technology is embedded within a broader framework, not bolted on as a band-aid.”
What Is a Yard Operating System?
In 2025, the industry is moving toward a more holistic approach that aligns operations and technology to maximize value – known as the yard operating system.
A yard operating system brings together people, processes, assets, and technology into a unified, enterprise-wide operating model.
The key components of a yard operating system include:
- Integrated operating model: A connected framework that integrates workforce labor, fleet assets, workflows/processes, and systems for seamless yard execution.
- Process adherence: Standard operating procedures (SOPs), clearly defined performance metrics, and detailed playbooks that drive consistency and limit variability across sites.
- Performance accountability: A shift from task-based outsourcing to collaborative, outcome-focused partnerships with aligned goals and measurable results.
- Continuous improvement: Ongoing optimization powered by predictive analytics and real-time feedback loops to anticipate bottlenecks and drive operational gains.
Why a Yard Operating System Model Matters
With the yard operating system model, shippers experience a truly strategic model that delivers results, such as:
- Strengthened collaboration with 3PLs, carriers, and supply chain technology providers
- Improved coordination with transportation and warehousing operations
- Enhanced network visibility through standardized orchestration at each site
- Achieving sustainability goals through EV deployment, fuel efficiency measures, and emissions tracking
- Increased safety with prioritized compliance, risk management, and safety protocols to protect people, assets, and operations.
The Time Is Now to Rethink Enterprise Yard Operations
Adopting a yard operating system model is a significant step forward in managing yards efficiently and effectively.
Connected, efficiently managed, and data-driven yard operations can lead to:
- Becoming a “Shipper of Choice”: An efficiently run yard leads to better performance, reduced dwell time, proactive safety practices, and meeting shipment timelines. These are all factors in becoming a shipper of choice.
In a recent webinar covering enterprise yard operations as a strategy, Chris Sultemeier, former EVP of Logistics at Walmart, shares, “Everyone wants to be a shipper of choice because that gives them lower transportation costs. Today, the yard can impact your chances. If you can run an efficient appointment system and stay on schedule, as well as an efficient dock with reduced congestion in the yard, it increases your chances.”
Bart De Muynck agrees and adds, “When carriers look into the shippers they want to work with, they don’t want to work with the ones who have 4-6 hours of detention time in the yard. They want to work with shippers where trucks can go in and out fairly quickly.”
- Meeting OTIF targets: A trailer delayed in the yard can result in a missed dock appointment, a late outbound shipment, or a failed delivery to the customer, significantly impacting OTIF.
- Operational maturity: With a holistic operating model, teams are trained, continuous improvement is embedded in the culture, processes are standardized across sites, equipment is maintained, and technology enables disciplined execution.
- Improved warehouse and transportation operations: Expect fewer dock bottlenecks, more aligned labor scheduling, and increased throughput across the facility.
- Leaps toward sustainability: Sustainability goals become increasingly easier to track and achieve with an EV strategy, better trailer management, and reduced yard truck idling – which directly contributes to fuel waste and emissions.
- Safer and compliant yards: A proactive approach with comprehensive employee training, improved communication, and consistent processes leads to fewer incidents and a safer yard, which is critical in such a high-traffic environment.
- ROI: While the upfront investment may be modest compared to other supply chain systems, ROI comes from network-wide efficiency gains, labor cost savings, and stronger carrier partnerships.
In an industry where every minute and mile matter, ignoring the yard is no longer an option. A connected, well-managed yard isn't just a tactical improvement. It’s a strategic advantage.
By adopting a holistic yard operating system model, shippers can gain greater efficiency, improve carrier relationships, meet sustainability goals, and achieve the operational maturity needed to stand out as shippers of choice. Now is the time to invest in the yard, transform blind spots into strengths, and build a more resilient, high-performing supply chain.
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