Quick answer: A yard management system (YMS) tracks trucks, trailers and containers between the gate and the dock door, and tells yard staff what to move and where. As of October 2026, dedicated YMS options include Kaleris YMS (formerly PINC), Exotrac YardTrac Pro, Yard Commander, C3 Solutions’ C3 Yard, FourKites Dynamic Yard (which absorbed TrackX’s yard products), Manhattan Active Yard Management, and Depot Systems for container depots. Several tools on our 2020 list were fleet tracking, routing or transport management systems rather than yard software; they are listed separately below.
Yards at distribution centres, factories, ports and rail terminals are where freight waits between road, rail and sea transport and the warehouse. When nobody knows exactly which trailer is in which slot, drivers wait at the gate, dock doors sit idle and carriers charge detention fees. Yard management software replaces whiteboards and radio calls with a live map of the yard and a list of tasks.
What yard management software does
- Gate check-in and check-out: recording each truck, trailer or container as it arrives and leaves, increasingly with kiosks or cameras.
- Yard visibility: a live view of where every trailer is and what it contains.
- Dock scheduling and door assignment: booking appointments and deciding which trailer goes to which door next.
- Yard moves: sending tasks to yard truck (spotter) drivers.
- Reporting: dwell time, detention and door utilisation.
How to choose a YMS
- Size and number of sites: a single warehouse yard needs something simpler than a network of distribution centres.
- Warehouse and transport systems: a YMS from your warehouse management system (WMS) vendor may integrate more easily. Check connections to your WMS and transport management system (TMS) either way.
- Location technology: manual updates on handheld devices are cheapest; RFID, GPS trailer tags and gate cameras give more accurate positions but cost more.
- Type of yard: container depots and terminals need features such as container inspections, repair estimates and EDI messages with shipping lines, which ordinary warehouse YMS tools may lack.
- Cold chain: if you handle refrigerated trailers, look for reefer temperature monitoring.
Yard management systems compared
| Product | Best for | Pricing model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaleris YMS | Large shippers and distribution networks | Check vendor | Formerly PINC |
| Exotrac YardTrac Pro | Distributors, manufacturers and 3PLs | Check vendor; free trial offered | Also sells a Lite version |
| Yard Commander | Single sites wanting an affordable YMS | Check vendor | A YMX Logistics company |
| C3 Yard (C3 Solutions) | Distribution centres that also need dock scheduling | Check vendor | Dock scheduling sold alongside |
| FourKites Dynamic Yard | Shippers already using FourKites visibility | Check vendor | Includes former TrackX yard products |
| Manhattan Active Yard Management | Manhattan WMS or TMS users | Check vendor | Built on Manhattan’s cloud platform |
| Depot Systems | Container depots and terminals | Check vendor; trial offered | Part of WiseTech Global group |
The 7 yard management systems in detail
1. Kaleris YMS (formerly PINC)
PINC merged with ShipXpress and RailcarRx under the Kaleris brand in March 2021, and pinc.com now leads to a Kaleris-branded page. Kaleris lists Yard Management Solutions alongside terminal operating, transport management and rail visibility software, and describes automated tasking and real-time location systems for yard operations. Its ColdLink product links yard and transport operations for cold chain compliance. It is aimed at single-site and multi-site operations; ask Kaleris for references in your industry.
2. Exotrac YardTrac Pro
Exotrac still sells YardTrac Pro for distributors, manufacturers, third-party logistics (3PL) companies and trucking firms, along with YardTrac Lite and Lite Dispatch for simpler needs. Its product range also includes Exo-Locate, Exo-Dock, Exo-Kiosk and a newer product called ExoVision. Exotrac offers a free trial. The original article said YardTrac Pro works on Android and iOS; confirm current device support with Exotrac.
3. Yard Commander
Yard Commander, now part of YMX Logistics, describes itself as a simple, clean and intuitive enterprise yard management system that fits a smaller budget. It covers real-time yard visibility, data-driven decisions and workflow optimisation. The original article quoted monthly prices per facility; those figures are no longer shown on Yard Commander’s site, so we have removed them. Ask the vendor for a quote. An earlier version of this article also said Yard Commander was part of Sentier Systems; its site now names YMX Logistics.
4. C3 Yard (C3 Solutions)
C3 Solutions sells dock scheduling software, a yard management system and a supply chain collaboration platform for carriers to pre-check arrivals. C3 says its software is used by more than 100 distribution centres across five industries. As our original article noted, the aim is visibility of trailers, tractors and yard assets, more productive dock workers and drivers, lower detention costs and better use of dock doors.
5. FourKites Dynamic Yard (includes former TrackX yard products)
FourKites bought TrackX’s yard management, dock management and gate control products in March 2020 and combined them with its own platform as Dynamic Yard. Our original list called this product “TrackX Game”, which was a typing error. FourKites now places yard operations within its “Site Intelligence” products, covering yard, dock and gate operations, trailer inventory, dock assignment, spotter tasking, reefer monitoring and computer-vision gate check-in. The old trackx.com address now shows an unrelated “coming soon” page.
6. Manhattan Active Yard Management (new addition)
Manhattan Associates’ yard management system gives a graphical view of dock doors, yard positions, trailers, pending arrivals and trailer contents, and assigns trailers to doors in step with warehouse work. Manhattan says existing Manhattan Warehouse Management users can add Yard Management at no cost, while Transportation Management users can add it for an extra fee. It runs on Manhattan’s cloud-native Active platform.
7. Depot Systems
Depot Systems makes container yard management software for large and small container depots and terminals, covering gate operations, estimating (repair estimates), EDI and CEDEX messages, and reporting. As our original article described, it is a Windows-based package. Depot Systems has joined the WiseTech Global group. The most recent posts we saw on its website were from 2018 and 2019, so confirm current development and support before buying.
Related tools from our earlier list (not yard management systems)
These products are still available, but they handle fleet tracking, routing, transport management or field service. They often work alongside a YMS rather than replacing it:
- Samsara: a connected operations platform with fleet telematics, AI dash cams, trailer tracking, asset tracking and reefer monitoring.
- Verizon Connect Reveal: fleet management with GPS tracking, AI dash cams, asset tracking and compliance tools.
- Spireon FleetLocate: GPS tracking for trailer and asset managers.
- Kuebix TMS: a multi-modal transport management system, now part of FreightWise. An earlier version of this article did not mention the ownership change.
- RouteManager (formerly WorkWave Route Manager): route planning and dispatch software with GPS tracking for delivery and service fleets.
- MobiWork: field service management software for mobile workers, offered with a free trial.
- HighJump TMS: HighJump was part of Körber, as our original article noted, and highjump.com now redirects to Infios, which sells order, warehouse and transport management software.
Removed from our earlier list
- 4Sight Logistics: a yard, dock and gate system linked to ASSA ABLOY’s 4Front Engineered Solutions. Its website did not respond, and the most recent coverage we found was from 2021, so we could not confirm it is still sold.
- Rose Rocket: a transport management system rather than a YMS. Its website blocked our checks in October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a YMS and a WMS?
A warehouse management system (WMS) controls stock and work inside the building. A YMS controls the trucks, trailers and containers outside it, from the gate to the dock door. Some vendors, such as Manhattan, sell both on one platform.
What is detention, and how can a YMS reduce it?
Detention is a charge carriers make when their trailers or drivers are held longer than the agreed free time. A YMS shows how long each trailer has been on site and helps staff prioritise unloading before charges start.
Do small warehouses need yard management software?
If you only receive a few trucks a day, a dock appointment tool or a spreadsheet may be enough. A YMS pays off when trailers queue at the gate, sit in the yard for days, or get lost.
Is fleet tracking the same as yard management?
No. Fleet tracking follows vehicles on the road. Yard management organises what happens once they arrive on site. Trailer GPS tags can feed location data into a YMS, so the two often work together.
For related logistics software, see our guides to trucking accounting software, work order software and workforce management software.
Product details were checked in October 2026 against each vendor’s website, Kaleris’s announcement of its merger with PINC, and published reports of FourKites’ purchase of TrackX’s yard products. Features and ownership change, so confirm details with the vendor before you buy.
