Dock appointment scheduling that continues at the gate
Schedule inbound and outbound trucks, carriers, loads and expected arrival times, then carry that appointment through check-in, yard placement and dock assignment. The plan and the reality stay in one record.
From booking to the gate
Dock scheduling decides when trucks arrive and which door they use. Yard management handles what happens once they are on the property. GateTrac keeps the two connected, so a booking becomes a gate check-in and then a yard move without being re-keyed.
That matters when plans change. A late truck, an early truck or a truck with no appointment is visible against the schedule at the moment it reaches the gate. For the full comparison, read yard management vs dock scheduling
What GateTrac schedules and captures
Inbound & outbound appointments
Trucks, carriers, loads, dock appointments and expected arrival times.
Driver pre-registration
Driver, carrier, truck, trailer, container, PO or BOL and shipment details captured before arrival.
GatePass and calendar invites
Email and calendar invites for scheduled appointments, sent automatically to the driver.
Attended or self-service arrival
The appointment is matched by GatePass scan, appointment number, QR code or appointment link.
Dedicated Carrier Self-Scheduling Portal
Free your dispatch and warehouse receiving teams from endless email chains and phone calls. Grant approved carriers secure access to book, reschedule, or cancel time slots within warehouse-defined working hours and door constraints.
- Automated Slot Rules: Set slot duration based on freight type (e.g., floor-loaded vs. palletized, LTL vs. FTL).
- Instant Validation: Require mandatory PO numbers, seal numbers, and equipment IDs before a slot is confirmed.
- Zero Overbooking: Real-time quota management per shift, preventing morning gate bottlenecks.
Eliminate Detention Fees with Schedule-vs-Actual Visibility
Carrier disputes and detention penalties happen when there is no single source of truth. GateTrac timestamps every milestone: scheduled time, gate-in, dock door bump, finish unloader, and gate-out.
- Automated Detention Clock: Live countdown alerts dispatchers before detention penalties kick in.
- Carrier On-Time Performance (OTP) Scorecard: Identify which carriers respect their time windows and which cause congestion.
Numbers convert decision-makers.
Carrier disputes and detention penalties happen when there is no single source of truth. GateTrac timestamps every milestone: scheduled time, gate-in, dock door bump, finish unloader, and gate-out.
- 85% Reduction in scheduling phone calls and administrative emails.
- Zero Gate Backups: Smoothly distributed truck arrivals across all shifts.
- Up to 40% Drop in detention fees and carrier dwell penalties.
- 100% Audit Readiness: Clear historical records for every BOL, trailer seal, and dock timestamp.
What changes at the gate
Align Dock Crew Capacity with Inbound Volume
Never over-promise a dock door when your floor crew is at capacity. GateTrac balances dock door allocation based on labor availability, unloading equipment requirements (e.g., clamp trucks, slip sheets), and temperature-controlled staging needs (reefer vs. dry).
Connect Schedules Directly with Your ERP, WMS, and TMS
Bi-directional synchronization ensures appointment statuses flow directly into your WMS (SAP, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, HighJump/Körber) and TMS to trigger receiving orders and yard staging tasks without manual re-keying.
Appointment lifecycle
Schedule
The warehouse books the appointment with carrier, load and expected time.
Pre-register
Driver and equipment details are captured ahead of arrival.
Confirm
The driver receives the GatePass by email and a calendar invite.
Check in
At the gate, the appointment is pulled up by scan, number, QR code or link.
Complete
Door, location, dwell time and departure are recorded against the same appointment.
Frequently asked questions
What is dock appointment scheduling software?
It is software for booking time slots and dock doors for inbound and outbound trucks, so arrivals are planned instead of surprising the dock team.
Is dock scheduling the same as yard management?
No. Scheduling plans arrivals. Yard management tracks trailers, gates and doors once trucks are on site. GateTrac connects both so the appointment carries through to departure.
What happens when a truck arrives without an appointment?
The gate captures the driver, carrier and load on the spot, either by a guard or by driver self check-in, and the entry appears on the same board as scheduled trucks.
Do drivers get notified?
Yes. GateTrac sends the GatePass by email and a calendar invite for scheduled appointments.
See GateTrac run your gate
Tell us how your gate and yard operate today. We will walk you through a live session built around your flow: appointment sync, attended or self-service check-in, yard placement and dock assignment.