Yard capacity planning: why it matters and how to get it right

Every Logistics Manager knows the feeling: trucks queuing at the gate, idle dock doors, and a yard team under pressure. These moments usually trace back to one thing: capacity planning. Without a clear view of how your yard is used today and how it should be used tomorrow, even the most efficient operation can halt. That’s where yard capacity planning comes in.

What is yard capacity planning?

Yard capacity planning ensures your yard has the right space, time slots, and resources to handle the inbound and outbound flows of trucks, trailers, and containers. It’s about balancing supply and demand: aligning the number of vehicles arriving with the capacity of your docks, gates, and yard staff.

When done well, it avoids bottlenecks and ensures smooth operations. When done poorly, it results in congestion, lost time, safety risks, and ultimately higher costs.

In short, yard capacity planning answers three crucial questions:

1. How much traffic can the yard handle today?
2. Where are the bottlenecks likely to appear?
3. How can you make better use of available space and time?

Why is yard capacity planning important?

In the current market, every minute counts, and cost pressures are relentless. So, for experienced Logistics Managers, the yard is a critical node in the supply chain. A poorly planned yard has knock-on effects across the business:

• Safety concerns: Congested yards increase the risk of accidents and near misses.
• Driver waiting times: Long queues lead to demurrage charges, frustrated carriers, and strained relationships.
• Idle assets: Dock doors, forklifts, and staff are underused while trucks wait outside.
• Unreliable service levels: Production and outbound shipments can be delayed when inbound goods don’t flow as planned.

How a YMS improves yard capacity planning

Traditional planning methods, such as spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls, have become insufficient. They lack the real-time visibility and flexibility to match yard capacity with demand. A yard management system (YMS) changes the game.

Here’s how:

• Visibility across the yard: A YMS gives you a live overview of which docks, gates, and parking zones are in use. This real-time insight is the foundation of better planning.
• Slot booking and scheduling: Carriers and suppliers can pre-book slots digitally, ensuring arrivals are spread across the day rather than clustered in peaks.
• Dynamic adjustments: When plans change (and they always do), you can reassign slots or docks with a few clicks, keeping operations flowing.
• Data-driven decisions: A YMS collects and analyses arrivals, dwell times, and capacity usage data. This helps you spot patterns, identify bottlenecks, and plan for future growth.

Why do companies choose Peripass?

Not all YMS tools are created equal. At Peripass, we’ve built a platform designed specifically for complex, high-volume yards. Logistics Managers use Peripass to turn their yard into a controlled, predictable, and safe environment.

With Peripass, you can:

• Automate gate check-ins with digital kiosks or licence plate recognition.
• Balance dock usage with smart scheduling tools.
• Give carriers a simple self-service portal for booking slots.
• Generate reports that highlight exactly where capacity is being under- or overused.

The result? Less congestion, shorter turnaround times, safer yards, and happier drivers. Most importantly, you regain control of a part of the supply chain that has too often been left to chance.

A well-planned yard is a safe yard

Yard capacity planning is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It is a strategic capability that impacts your operation’s efficiency, safety, and cost. For experienced Logistics Managers, the challenge remains to do it better.

With a YMS like Peripass, you can stop putting out the small daily fires and start being proactive. The yard becomes predictable, manageable, and ready to support the demands of modern logistics.