Yard Management and Appointment Scheduling

Oracle OTM’s Yard Management and Appointment Scheduling features help warehouse teams track containers in the yard and coordinate dock door assignments for loading and unloading.

Yard Management:

A warehouse typically has a Parking Yard and Dock Doors. The yard has Rows and each row has a defined number of slots. A container is first placed in a yard slot. Warehouse staff then pull the container from the yard slot to a dock door for unloading. The carrier is typically responsible for bringing the container from port to yard.

Basic Logistics Terminology

If you are new to logistics or coming from a purely technical background, here are the key terms you will encounter in OTM and day-to-day freight operations.

Parties Involved in Freight:

Carrier: A transportation service company that moves freight from one location to another. Carriers typically own or operate trucks, cargo planes, vessels, or rail cars. Each carrier is identified by a four-letter SCAC code (Standard Carrier Alpha Code) used on all shipping documents.
Supplier / Seller: The party that receives a Purchase Order from your company (the Buyer), manufactures or sources the goods, and ships them to your warehouse.
Consignee: The party receiving the freight at the destination.
3PL (Third Party Logistics): A company to which the Buyer outsources transportation management. The Buyer sends a Purchase Order to the Supplier and a copy to the 3PL. The 3PL coordinates with the Supplier to collect goods, consolidates freight where possible, negotiates rates with carriers, and arranges shipment to the Buyer. After delivery, the 3PL invoices the Buyer for freight costs and pays the carriers.
Freight Forwarder: A specialist that focuses on moving goods internationally — arranging transportation, handling customs clearance, and managing documentation. Unlike a 3PL, a freight forwarder typically does not handle warehousing or order fulfillment.

Shipment Types & Transport Modes: