The volume of air & ocean container traffic has been on the rise over the past ten years and this has resulted in increased competition among shippers resulting in declining profits.
The biggest problem for most logistics providers has to do with the congestion between the container terminal yard or the airline and the gate.
Some of the reasons for the congestion between the yard and the gate include changes in work rules, failure of IT systems or logistics equipment, an increase in container volume, an increase in container ship size and uncertainty in truck arrivals.
While you could always mitigate truck congestion between the yard and the gate by expanding gate spaces and yard spaces, this can cost a lot of time and money. Moreover, airports and container ports have very small spaces that could not be expanded even if the money was available.
The best solution to the problem of congestion is the truck slot booking system.
The Truck Slot Booking System
A popular solution to congestion at yards is to distribute arrivals evenly in a given day using a truck slot booking system. Under this system, trucking companies will need to book time slots in advance for the collection or delivery of containers at terminals.
Most if not all truck slot booking systems will have binding time slots and if a truck does not comply, it will usually not be allowed to load or unload cargo.
Defining the Truck Slot Booking System
The truck slot booking system is a web-based tool that comes with customizable functionalities that allow cargo yards and ports to match customer preferences with operational requirements. The system allows for the finding, tracking, and managing of containers in a timely and efficient manner.
The truck slot booking system allows truckers to:
- Manage customer orders easier and faster
- Set a time for delivery
- Use high-end management tools for operational planning
- Gain access to comprehensive management systems for conducting reviews of upcoming and current truck appointments and traffic events
- Track delivery processes in real-time
- Compare booking information with data captured at the gate operating system at the terminal
- Confirm and check customer details following a booking
- Arrange for terminal visits and grant access to and from the terminal or port
- Find an available time slot and enter details such as container numbers, vehicle and driver details in an easy to use interface
- Simplify bookings, and make the work of transport coordinators easier
Benefits of the Truck Slot Booking System
The most critical purpose of the truck slot booking system is to facilitate the process of tracking booking and managing the delivery. To attain such a goal, the system comes with features that include:
Improved Safety in the Yard
The terminal will usually be responsible for determining the number of appointment slots available. This will make it possible to control the number of trucks which can be serviced within each yard block and on each time slot.
Better Yard Planning
Most terminals will plan gate and yard activities to accommodate the activities expected in the different time slots. This can involve planning and making sure that the equipment and all other logistical support needed are available and located where it would be needed when trucks arrive at the terminal.
A More Efficient and Safer Trucker Experience
Less congestion and better traffic flow at the terminals usually make for a better trucker experience overall and less congestion on the terminal yard.
Reduction in Troublesome Tickets
According to the data available, up to 65% of the hundreds of tickets that have caused delays at a terminal can be eliminated by using the truck slot booking system. With the system in place, ticketing errors can be reduced at the gate. The reason for this is that there will be a direct link between the terminal operating system and the truck appointment system. Appointment requests are impossible to create if there is something wrong with the booking or container. This usually reduces the many inefficiencies that come from sending drivers to the terminal only for them to learn that they cannot drop off or pick up a container.
Improved Customer Service
The truck slot booking system comes with a chat system that allows the trucking community to interact directly with customer service. With such direct communication, clients can get their issues resolved and their questions answered on time.
Improved Communication
Inland customers will benefit from improved communication. The trucking community will typically be able to view the number of appointments, time-slots, and transaction types. They can then use the valuable information to inform their customers of the right time to drop off or pick up their cargo.
Reduction in Troublesome Tickets
According to the data available, up to 65% of the hundreds of tickets that have caused delays at a terminal can be eliminated by using the truck slot booking system. With the system in place, ticketing errors can be reduced at the gate. The reason for this is that there will be a direct link between the terminal operating system and the truck appointment system. Appointment requests are impossible to create if there is something wrong with the booking or container. This usually reduces the many inefficiencies that come from sending drivers to the terminal only for them to learn that they cannot drop off or pick up a container.
Improved Customer Service
The truck slot booking system comes with a chat system that allows the trucking community to interact directly with customer service. With such direct communication, clients can get their issues resolved and their questions answered on time.
Improved Communication
Inland customers will benefit from improved communication. The trucking community will typically be able to view the number of appointments, time-slots, and transaction types. They can then use the valuable information to inform their customers of the right time to drop off or pick up their cargo.
Status Updates on Appointments
The truck appointment system offers immediate feedback on appointments status. It also offers immediate feedback upon the creation of requests and status updates when drivers finally arrive at the yard. The status updates also provide more information to customers and trucking companies.
Real-Time Tracking of Import Availability
Most truck slot booking systems use a watchlist that is built into the system. This makes it possible to track imports in advance. The system usually sends users an email informing them when an import is available so that they can make an appointment.
Reduced Emissions
By making terminals more efficient, and the service faster and easier, truck emissions will significantly go down. This will emphasize our commitment to enhancing sustainability in trucking systems.
View Historical Data
Using advanced search features users can retrieve, download and display truck appointment data going back for several months.
Conclusion
With congestion and inefficiencies plaguing terminals and yards all over the globe, it is critical to adopt advanced technologies to improve systems. One of the most effective ways of enhancing the effectiveness of trucking is through the truck slot booking system.
By using such a system you get to reduce congestion and inefficiencies through better slotting of appointments to make much better use of equipment, personal and other resources at the terminal.
