Industry · Transport & logistics

Custom yard dock management system.

We build custom yard and dock management software for distribution centres, multimodal terminals and production sites. Slot booking, gate check-in, dock allocation and yard tracking in one environment, with integrations to your existing WMS, TMS and ERP.

SectorDistribution centres
SectorMultimodal terminals
SectorCold chain & pharma
SectorRecycling & building materials
Arrange an introductory call See our logistics work

Dutch yard and dock operations in numbers.

~1.700
Distribution centres in the Netherlands
36 million
Lorry movements per year
~9,7%
Logistics share of GDP
EU 561
Driving and rest times when waiting

Source: CBS Logistics Monitor, Topsector Logistiek, EU Regulation 561/2006.

What a YMS does, and why your WMS and TMS weren't built for it.

A Yard Management System focuses on the zone your other systems overlook: the yard itself. TMS manages what is on the road, WMS manages what happens inside the warehouse. In between lies the yard, with drivers waiting, dock assignments kept on paper or in spreadsheets, and trailers that cannot be located on a live map. That is precisely where dwell time, demurrage and CO₂ emissions arise, and where your planning falls apart once volumes arrive in peak hours.

A YMS links slot booking to gate check-in to dock allocation to yard tracking. A carrier books a time window in advance, the driver checks in via number plate recognition or a driver app, the system assigns the right dock based on product, priority and temperature control, and the WMS automatically receives a receiving trigger as soon as the lorry docks. At the same time, an audit log runs alongside each truck event, so that afterwards you can account, by order or supplier, for where the time went.

We build this as a standalone component that complements your stack, not as a rip-and-replace. In most cases your WMS, TMS and ERP stay in place. The YMS layer takes over the yard flow and feeds events back to the systems already running. For multi-site operations we deliver a central dashboard in which dock occupancy and dwell KPIs are visible in real time. Site managers see a heatmap of occupied versus free docks per location, and head office sees the benchmark between distribution centres so it can steer targeted improvements.

For most clients, the greatest value comes not from a single module but from the combination: a slot portal that removes 80% of no-shows from the schedule is twice as valuable once ANPR check-in and automatic dock allocation are tied to it. That is why we almost always recommend starting small with one pilot dock and running a complete end-to-end flow there, rather than rolling out all modules across all docks at once.

Modules per dock and yard flow.

A yard management system consists of separate modules that each deliver value on their own. We build what you need and integrate it in phases with your existing stack.

Slot booking and gate check-in

The start and end point of the yard flow. Carriers and forwarders book a time window in advance via a white-label portal or API; the driver checks in at the gate using ANPR number-plate recognition or via a driver app on their phone. The system matches incoming number plates to slots and immediately knows what is being unloaded or loaded.

Our module set includes a multilingual slot portal, a mobile-first gate app or self-service kiosk, ANPR camera integration with the common manufacturers (Genetec, Milestone, Nedap), and advanced escalation rules for no-shows or late arrivals. For multi-site operations everything runs on a single central tenancy with location-specific business rules, so a carrier visiting several distribution centres always works with the same portal.

The slot portal is the one component your carriers interact with most. We pay extra attention to it: a minimal, self-explanatory flow with sensible time window suggestions, automatic checks on driving and rest times, and immediate feedback when a window is fully booked. The less support your planning team has to provide, the lower the threshold for making the portal mandatory.

If customs freight is handled on your site, there is also a paper side to arrival. For how to record that at the gate and at the loading bay, see the app for paper documents on a customs shipment.

  • White-label slot portalCarriers book their own slots: multilingual, with an API for TMS integration.
  • ANPR number plate recognitionGenetec, Milestone or Nedap cameras, matched to a slot in under 2 seconds.
  • Driver app or self-service kioskCheck-in, document scanning, instructions in the driver's own language.
  • No-show and late arrival rulesConfigurable per carrier and per slot type.

Built within the regulatory framework for logistics and compliance.

A YMS touches working time rules, privacy and sector-specific safety standards all at once. From the first sprint we work within those frameworks, so that audit and certification are not an afterthought.

EU Regulation 561/2006

Driving and rest times when waiting

Waiting time in your yard counts towards the driver's rest-time records. Our module logs arrival and departure times per number plate, with export to tachograph reporting.

GDPR Art. 35: DPIA

Privacy in driver tracking

Number plate data, BLE tag locations and driver app events are personal data. With every project we deliver a DPIA, retention settings and data subject rights flows so that your DPO can sign off.

NEN-EN-ISO 22301

Business Continuity Management

For critical DC operations we build the YMS with a failover path: if there is an outage, gate check-in keeps working via a local cache and synchronises later.

ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU

Hazmat zones and dangerous substances

For chemical and fuel DCs we link dock allocation to ATEX zoning and enforce ADR classification of the cargo at slot level.

HACCP and cold chain

Temperature monitoring for food and pharma

At cold-chain DCs we link trailer temperature via tag or refrigeration API to the dock record, so that deviations are flagged immediately on receipt.

EU AI Act

Responsible AI in dock allocation

When we deploy AI-driven slot or dock allocation, we map the risk classification, document the governance and always keep human override available.

Seamlessly connected to your existing logistics stack.

We don't replace enterprise YMS platforms. We integrate with what you run and build only the modules your stack lacks. That way your investment in WMS, TMS and ERP stays intact.

SAP EWM
Warehouse integration
Manhattan
WMS and TMS
Blue Yonder
Supply chain platform
Transwide
TMS and carrier portal
Genetec / Milestone
ANPR and CCTV
Nedap
RFID and access
FourKites
Visibility and ETA
In-house ERP
Custom integration

Integrate rather than replace.

The large YMS vendors (C3 Solutions, PINC, Manhattan Yard, Blue Yonder, Centric) suit global retailers with hundreds of DCs. For mid-market operations, that is over-engineered and expensive. We also see that enterprise packages, in sectors with distinctive rules (cold chain, hazmat, recycling, building materials), do not quite fit the real flow. Those packages often lack exactly the modules your sector considers important, such as ADR classification at slot level for hazmat, or weighbridge integration for waste processors.

Our approach: we build the YMS layer to measure, using the same modules the large packages offer, but focused on your site-specific flow and your existing systems landscape. For deep combinations of custom WMS, transport software and YMS, we often deliver a single integration layer in which all three work together. This stops data being translated three times between systems, which in practice accounts for most of the integration maintenance time.

Important: we first ask whether a custom YMS makes sense for your situation at all. If you run a single-site DC with a fixed number of contracted carriers and seven docks, and a standard SaaS tool would serve you perfectly well, we will say so. Our value lies in the combination of scope, integration depth and sector-specific rules, not in the fact that we build it ourselves.

From first workshop to live in the yard, in clear steps.

A YMS implementation has its own rhythm. Five phases we work through for every project, with operational continuity as a hard requirement.

01 · Audit

Yard walkthrough

A day on your site with the site manager, a dock supervisor and a driver. Outcome: current flow mapped, dwell-time bottlenecks highlighted.

02 · Design

Module scope

Which modules come first (often slot and gate), which integrations take priority, and what the cutover looks like dock block by dock block.

03 · Build

Sprints with dock tests

Iteration in short sprints, with direct testing on one pilot dock. Operations gets a working flow to practise with every sprint.

04 · Cutover

Phased rollout

First one dock block, then site-wide, then multi-site if needed. Each rollout includes training, a runbook and a parallel-run period.

05 · Maintenance

Ongoing

Monitoring on dwell-time KPI, ANPR uptime and integration status. We provide first-line support; your operations team manages the business rules.

Work for distribution and logistics operations.

Retail DC · Brabant

Slot booking and gate check-in

White-label slot portal for 180 contracted carriers, ANPR check-in and automatic SAP EWM receiving trigger.

−42%
average dwell time
8 docks
centrally managed
Cold chain · Rotterdam

Dock allocation with temperature check

Reefer temperature live-linked to the dock record, HACCP event log per receipt, alerts on deviation.

100%
temperature log per truck
3 sites
one dashboard
Recycling hub · East Netherlands

Yard tracking with BLE tags

Real-time yard map with trailer location, demurrage flag when overstayed, integration with weighbridge data.

−31%
demurrage claims
multimodal
truck + rail siding

Recognised across logistics and supply chain.

Top Sector Logistics Innovation Programme 2024

"Yard management remains the weak link between TMS and WMS, and mid-market operations in particular are looking for affordable, sector-specific solutions rather than enterprise packages."

Logistiek Magazine, June 2024

"ANPR check-in and automatic dock assignment are the modules where Dutch DCs currently win back the most time, regardless of which vendor is behind them."

Customer survey, Brabant retail DC

"Dwell time was measurably lower within a few sprints. The carriers in particular are enthusiastic: they now plan around our window instead of guessing arrival times."

Answers for site managers who want to digitise the yard.

The questions we hear most often from operations directors and logistics managers.

What exactly is a Yard Management System?
A YMS manages everything that happens on your yard: trucks arriving, dock assignment, waiting-time monitoring and departure. It sits between your TMS (what is on the road) and your WMS (what happens inside the warehouse). The core: slot booking in advance, gate check-in on arrival, dock allocation while the vehicle is on site, and yard tracking to know where every trailer is. A good YMS also reports on dwell time, demurrage risk and CO₂ from idling.
What is the difference between YMS, WMS and TMS?
A TMS plans and tracks transport on the road: routes, ETAs and vehicle costs. A WMS manages stock and order picking inside the warehouse. A YMS bridges the two: from the moment a truck arrives until it drives off again, the yard is the YMS's domain. In practice the YMS is often the weak link. Many DCs run expensive WMS and TMS packages but still allocate docks via Excel or WhatsApp, and that is where most of the dwell-time gains are to be found. You can also read how we build custom transport software.
Do you replace enterprise packages such as C3 Solutions or PINC?
No, that is not what we do. If you run C3, PINC, Manhattan Yard, Blue Yonder Yard or Centric and it works, then keep it. We build when you are a mid-market business and those packages are too expensive or too heavy, when you operate in a sector with unusual rules (cold chain, hazmat, recycling, building materials), or when you need such deep integration between WMS, TMS, YMS and ERP that a standard package cannot keep up. We also see situations where enterprise vendors have a long roadmap for specific features you need now, in which case a bespoke module that plugs into the vendor's platform can make more sense than waiting for a release cycle. We are upfront about these distinctions in the first workshop.
Do you work with ANPR number plate recognition at the gate?
Yes, it is one of the modules we deliver most often. We integrate with Genetec, Milestone, Nedap and other common ANPR systems. The flow: a camera reads the number plate, the system matches it to a booked slot, and the barrier opens or the driver is directed to a self-service kiosk for additional steps. For locations without fixed cameras, we also offer a mobile variant via the driver app, where the driver confirms their number plate or scans a QR code. For unmanned night or weekend checks, we combine ANPR with biometrics or a second-factor SMS to the driver. We comply with GDPR requirements for driver data and provide a DPIA with the project. Camera footage and number plate events are stored separately, so retention settings can be tailored to each category.
Can we deliver a slot booking portal for our carriers?
Yes, that is often the first thing a DC wants. We build a white-label slot portal in your corporate identity, with multilingual support (Dutch, English, German and Polish as standard), API integration with your carriers' TMS, and escalation rules for no-shows or late arrivals. The portal works on desktop and mobile, and can also be used via a carrier account with API access so that large carriers can book from their own systems. For less experienced carriers, a simple web flow with a few clicks works well; for your top carriers, API booking is more realistic because they use their own planning systems. We can run both flows side by side so that you don't exclude any carriers on technical grounds.
How do you integrate with our WMS and TMS?
Where possible, we choose a standard API. SAP EWM, Manhattan, Blue Yonder and Transwide all have documentation for receiving and dispatch events. For less common or legacy packages, we build a middleware layer with a message bus (often Azure Service Bus, RabbitMQ or a simple REST poll). The YMS triggers receiving in your WMS as soon as a truck arrives at the dock, and the WMS confirms unloading completion so the YMS knows when the dock is free again. For more detail on deeper integration questions, see our integration page. In the first sprints, we always bring one pilot integration to a state where it can go live in production before starting the second system integration. That way, you don't have to wait for all integrations to be ready at the same time before going live.
Does the YMS also work for multimodal terminals with rail or sea?
Yes. For terminals handling truck plus rail or barge, the yard flow becomes more complex, because a rail set arrives differently from a truck, and the ETA update from the rail operator often uses a different format. We integrate in the same way: an API or EDI feed to the terminal operating system, with truck and rail as separate arrival types. For sea container terminals, we work with partners who run TOS integrations and connect the yard layer to them cleanly, rather than building the entire terminal system ourselves.
How long does a typical YMS project take?
That depends on scope and the number of locations. A project covering a single site with the core modules (slot, gate and dock allocation) takes considerably less time than a multi-site rollout with yard tracking and cold-chain integrations. From the first sprint we deliver operational value: after a few sprints a pilot flow is usually running at one dock, long before the system is rolled out site-wide. During the planning phase we provide a reasoned timeline with clear phase boundaries, so you can adjust course along the way or postpone a phase.
What does a custom YMS project cost?
This depends heavily on scope: a single DC with slot and gate is a different project from a multi-site operation with dock allocation, BLE yard tracking and cold chain integration. We work to fixed sprint budgets and, after the first workshop, provide a substantiated estimate for the full build. We never charge hourly after the fact, and subscriptions for ANPR cameras or BLE tags are billed directly by your supplier. For a comparable scoping process, you may also want to look at our page on custom order management. Regardless of scope, we deliver as standard a DPIA, a runbook for your operations team, and monitoring of the critical integrations for the first months after going live.
How do you handle GDPR when tracking drivers?
Licence plates, BLE tag locations and driver app logins are all personal data. For every project we deliver a DPIA with a data flow mapping, retention settings per category, and data subject rights flows for drivers who want to view or delete their data. For international carriers we work by default with multilingual privacy statements in the driver app. AI-driven dock allocation is classified and documented under the EU AI Act. See also how we apply AI responsibly in transport.

Talk to us about your yard and dock challenges.

A thirty-minute introductory conversation with your site manager or operations director. We listen, ask about your current flow, and suggest an initial direction for a project. No obligation.

Schedule an introductory callEmail fabian.vandijk@appfront.nl

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