Custom loading bay planning software for a terminal
Appfront builds software for tank, bulk and product terminals that load and unload lorries at fixed loading bays: which product can go to which bay, time-slot bookings that the haulier makes itself, gate check-in with verification of order, driver and documents, the sequence of bays, and the reporting back of what was actually loaded. So that the queue at the gate becomes shorter and no lorry stands at a loading bay that cannot deliver its product.
What is loading bay scheduling software at a terminal?
At a terminal, a loading bay is not a dock door. At a loading rack of a tank terminal, only a limited number of products can be loaded, a lorry for a particular product must go to a particular place, and after one product another cannot be loaded without cleaning. Loading bay scheduling software takes those rules into account: which bays can fulfil this order, which time slot is free, and in what order the lorries already on site will go.
Without such scheduling, hauliers arrive whenever it suits them, there is a queue at the gate in the morning and nobody in the afternoon, and an operator assigns bays from a list he keeps updating in his head. A driver without valid documents or an order not yet released is only discovered at the loading bay. Waiting time costs the haulier money and the terminal its reputation.
We build custom development because the scheduling must fit your site and your systems: which bays can deliver which products, what rules apply to sequencing and cleaning, which terminal or inventory system you use, which loading system measures the quantities, and how hauliers and clients currently make arrangements. A warehouse appointment portal knows doors and times, not products and loading arms.
Loading bays with products
For each loading bay, which products can be loaded or unloaded, the capacity per hour, the sequencing rules and the planned downtime for maintenance or cleaning.
Time slots for hauliers
Hauliers book a time slot themselves for a released order, within the capacity of the bays that can deliver that product. The terminal sees in advance what the day looks like.
From gate to loading bay
Check-in with verification of order, driver and documents, allocation of a loading bay, a call to the driver, and the reporting back of the loaded quantity.
How we build your loading bay scheduling software for a terminal
We start at the gate: how many lorries per day, how long they wait, and how often a lorry was found at the wrong loading bay or with the wrong paperwork.
The loading bays and their products, the rules for sequencing and cleaning, the terminal and loading systems, and how arrangements with hauliers are currently made.
The model of your loading bays in the software, with products, capacity, rules and maintenance, and the orders from the terminal system.
The booking portal for hauliers, gate check-in, the allocation of loading bays and communication with the driver.
The return report from the loading system, the integration with the terminal and inventory system, reporting on waiting times and capacity utilisation, and then ongoing maintenance.
What terminal loading bay planning software actually does
The components below come up on almost every terminal. Which ones you need depends on your products and on how hauliers currently arrive.
Loading bay model
For each loading bay, the products, capacity, sequencing and cleaning rules, and planned downtime, as the basis for every appointment and allocation.
Booking portal
Hauliers book a time slot for a released order, see only what is available for their product, and can reschedule within your rules.
Gate check-in
Registration plate, order and driver checked on arrival, with the documents and inspections required for the product, at a kiosk or with the gatekeeper.
Allocation and call-up
A loading bay assigned based on product, rules and congestion, and the driver called up via their phone or a screen in the waiting area.
Shop floor reporting
The loaded or unloaded quantity returned from the loading system to the order, with start and end times, for the consignment note and stock.
Waiting time and occupancy
Waiting time per haulier and per part of the day, occupancy per loading bay, no-shows and late arrivals, as the basis for capacity and agreements.
For whom we build terminal loading bay planning software
The software is intended for terminals where lorries arrive at fixed loading bays and where planning currently happens at the gate.
Tank terminals
Liquid products at loading racks with loading arms. The product rules per loading bay and the checking of documents are the core.
Dry bulk terminals
Grain, animal feed, minerals or fertiliser from silos and sheds. Capacity per loading point and the return of weights matter most.
Chemical product terminals
Many products, strict rules and cleaning between products. Sequencing and allocation are what is needed.
Storage companies with their own hauliers
Fixed hauliers and fixed routes. The booking portal and the waiting time reporting per haulier are the core.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about loading bay scheduling at a terminal. For appointments at a warehouse's docks, see our page on a slot booking portal; for the yard of a distribution centre, our page on yard and dock management; and for the terminal as a whole, our page on terminal operations software. You can read about how we work on building software.
Why choose Appfront for your terminal loading bay planning software?
A lorry that waits costs everyone money. We build on that: appointments that suit the loading bays, checks before the loading bay, and waiting time that is visible.
A shorter queue at the gate
Hauliers book a time slot within capacity. The morning peak is spread across the day, and waiting time per haulier appears in the reporting.
Checks before loading
Order, driver and documents are checked at the gate. A lorry that is not permitted to load does not reach the loading bay.
The right lorry at the right place
The allocation knows the products and rules for each loading bay. The operator does not need to know them by heart.
Security and privacy in terminal loading bay planning software
The software holds orders, carrier and driver data, and customer product data. Access is set by role: the carrier sees their own appointments, the gatehouse the check-in, the operator the allocation, and the customer their orders. Every change is logged with name and time.
The software runs in a European data centre or in your own environment, with encrypted storage and daily back-ups. The integration with the loading system is kept separate from the internet-facing part, so the portal for hauliers gives no access to process automation.
Frequently asked questions about loading bay scheduling software at a terminal
Questions terminals ask before they get started.
It records the products, capacity and rules for each loading bay, lets carriers book a time slot for a released order, checks the order, driver and documents at the gate, assigns a loading bay, calls the driver forward, and takes back the loaded quantity from the loading system.
A warehouse has docks that can receive almost any load. At a terminal, a loading bay may only handle some of the products, there are rules for sequence and cleaning, and the driver must hold certain documents and inspections. The scheduling takes those rules into account.
Yes, for reporting back quantities and times. The loading system itself continues to control dosing and safety; the scheduling only reads what has been loaded. Which system you have determines what that integration looks like.
You define which documents and inspections are required for each product. At check-in these are verified, either against a register of carriers or by the gatehouse, and a vehicle without the correct paperwork is not assigned a loading bay.
You set the rules: a vehicle without an appointment is fitted in if there is capacity, and a vehicle that is late either queues behind or is given a new time slot. The reporting shows how often this happens for each carrier.
Yes, if you wish. Customers see in a portal which orders have been booked, which have been loaded and in what quantity, without having to phone the terminal.
Check that first. Some terminal systems include an appointments module, and that is enough if you have few products and few loading bays. Custom development makes sense when the rules per loading bay are complex, when carriers need to book for themselves, or when the gate and loading bay are currently coordinated by hand.
A shorter queue at the gate?
Tell us how many loading bays and products you have, how many vehicles arrive each day, and how appointments are currently made. We will show you what the loading bay model, the booking portal and the allocation look like.