3PL Central Simplifies Dock Scheduling With New SmartDock Solution

SmartDock drives predictability and efficiency by automating dock, warehouse, and transportation scheduling

3PL Central

3PL Central, the leader in cloud-based Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) built to meet the unique needs of third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses, today announced the release of SmartDock, a new dock scheduling solution integrated with 3PL Warehouse Manager that helps 3PLs boost scheduling efficiencies by more than 90%. SmartDock allows warehouses to add more control to their receiving and shipping processes, eliminating inefficient manual appointment scheduling that often results in overbooking of docks, increased traffic congestion, associated detention fines, and bottlenecks in the loading and unloading processes.

In an environment where overbooking docks can overwhelm warehouse staff, increase time in the unload process, and cause delays leading to long truck lines, 3PLs often face disruption to their daily operations and detention penalties from transportation carriers kept beyond their allotted time. These detention fees can cost warehouses hundreds of dollars per hour. To address these concerns, SmartDock enables 3PLs to automate and take control of the scheduling process, creating their custom dock availability by inputting available receiving times, dock specifications, and work times associated with different types of loads. Carriers can access the cloud-based scheduling tool from any mobile device or web browser to self-schedule appointments and arrival times based on warehouse staffing and dock availability without having to invest in costly IT infrastructure. Carriers can also modify or update their availability based on known delays.   

3PL Central’s SmartDock solution enables 3PLs to:

  • Boost operational efficiencies by reducing time spent on support and carrier management
  • Gain real-time visibility to appointments across the entire supply chain in order to better plan labor and staffing
  • Level loads by spreading shipments across a week to avoid labor shortages and overtime costs
  • Reduce costs from avoiding carrier detention fees and traffic fines
  • Run reports on vendor and carrier performance for on-time, delayed, or canceled deliveries to hold vendors accountable

“With increasing competition and pressure to operate better, faster, and cheaper, many 3PLs suffer from tight margins and limited labor availability. Leveraging SmartDock, 3PLs can better manage their labor and dock availability, reduce coordination time, and gain better visibility into vendor performance,” said David Miller, general manager of platform solutions at 3PL Central. “This enables 3PLs to manage costs and reduce fines all while enhancing their overall warehouse performance.”

Click here for more information about SmartDock.

About 3PL Central

3PL Central is the leader in cloud-based warehouse management system (WMS) solutions built to meet the unique needs of the 3PL warehousing community. Serving as the backbone of our customer's operations, our platform quickly transforms paper-based, error-prone businesses into service leaders who can focus on customer satisfaction, operate more efficiently, and grow faster. Offering a comprehensive warehouse management platform, we make it easy for 3PLs to manage inventory, automate routine tasks, and deliver complete visibility to their customers. As the proven industry leader for over a decade, 3PL Central accurately manages billions of dollars in inventory and processes more than 1 million orders a week from our customers and their customers’ systems. For press inquiries and questions, please contact us.​

​Press Contact:
Rachel Trindade​
310-356-7546
rtrindade@3PLcentral.com

Source: 3PL Central