3D twinPlant gate, truck yard and docks
A live 3D model of your gate, holding bays, weighbridges and docks, fed by the FASTag reads, gate passes and dock records you already keep. It shows where each truck is waiting, why, and who should move it next.
01Live 3D twin
Step through ten views from the approach road to the loading checklist, then trace one truck from indent to gate-out. Click any bay or dock for its record.
Operational AIFictional FMCG distribution plant with sample data — your twin is drawn from your own site and systems.
02Definition
Each area is drawn to scale and tied to the system that records it, so every number has a source and a time.
A yard management digital twin is a live 3D model of a site's gate, truck yard, weighbridges and docks that updates from gate, weighbridge, dock and loading records as trucks move. It times each stage of a truck's visit, from arrival outside to gate-out, shows where queues form and why, and sends each delay to the person who can clear it before free time turns into detention.
03Measures
The numbers the twin keeps for every shift, each computed from stamps rather than typed in, so security, warehouse and transport see the same figure.
| Measure | What it tells you | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Truck turnaround time (TAT) | Gate-out time minus arrival time outside the gate, per truck. Starting at arrival, not gate-in, keeps the outside wait in the number. | Arrival stamp or GPS geofence, gate-out read |
| Outside wait | Gate-in time minus arrival time; the queue on the road, often the largest single block. | Holding-bay or geofence arrival, FASTag or ANPR gate-in |
| Inside wait for a dock | Dock start time minus bay entry time; shows whether docks, not the gate, are holding the yard up. | Bay assignment, dock schedule |
| Dock utilisation | Minutes a dock is loading or unloading divided by minutes it is open in the shift. | Dock start and end stamps |
| Loading rate | Cartons or tonnes loaded per minute at each dock, against the standard for that dock type. | Loading camera count, WMS |
| Slot adherence | Share of trucks arriving within the agreed window of their slot, by transporter. | Slot list, arrival stamp |
| Checklist closure | Share of loading checklists closed from evidence without a manual re-check. | Dock cameras, handheld photos |
| Weight deviation | Net weight minus invoice weight, as a percentage, against the site tolerance. | Weighbridge, invoice |
| Detention hours | Truck hours spent inside the site beyond the agreed free time, and the ₹ they cost. | Stage stamps, transporter contract terms |
04Problems it removes
Most plants know their yard is slow. What they lack is where the time goes and who owns it.
The twin starts the clock when a truck arrives outside, not at gate-in, and stamps every stage after it. The gap between the register and reality becomes a number with an owner.
Bay waits and dock allocation share one screen, so a dock about to free is matched to the next waiting truck. The driver gets the dock number on WhatsApp.
The loading camera counts every carton against the invoice and photographs the stack and any damage before the seal. Disputes are settled with that evidence.
The twin knows each lane's no-entry hours and plans city loads to finish close to the window. Morning docks go to upcountry lanes that can leave at once.
05A shift on the twin
Illustrative events in the sample plant, showing who saw what and who acted.
D-09 was due to free at 14:50 with nothing slotted until 15:20. The twin proposed the truck waiting in bay P-15; the dock planner accepted, and the driver got his dock number on WhatsApp.
D-03 paused when a forklift battery dropped to 8%, and the truck for it had waited 52 minutes in P-01. The twin warned the warehouse shift lead eight minutes before free time ended, and an idle forklift moved across from D-07.
The loading camera counted 334 cartons on a truck with an invoice for 340. Loading stopped before sealing; the dispatch in-charge had the last pallets recounted on camera and the gap closed before gate-out.
06How it is built
Five steps, starting with your site plan and gate data, adding readers or cameras only where a stage cannot be timed.
We trace the gate, roads, bays, weighbridges and docks from a drawing or satellite view, then confirm on site.
Gate passes, FASTag or ANPR reads, weighbridge readings, dock schedule and loading records are joined on the truck and the trip.
Free time, dock standards, slot windows, weight tolerance and no-entry hours are agreed with your logistics and security teams.
Every exception goes to its owner on WhatsApp with the next step: gate desk, dock planner, warehouse shift lead or transporter.
Each shift is replayed stage by stage, so the weekly review starts from where time was lost, not from opinions.
07Compared
| Gate register & spreadsheets | Yard management system (YMS) or gate software | Autowhat yard digital twin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it records | In and out times, written by hand | Appointments, gate events and yard locations | Every stage, from arrival outside to gate-out, from the system that saw it |
| Outside wait | Usually missed | Recorded only if trucks check in outside | Counted from geofence or holding-bay arrival |
| View of the site | None | Lists and a 2D yard map | Live 3D model of gate, bays, weighbridges and docks |
| Document checks | Guard reads the papers | Varies by product | FASTag, ANPR, Vahan and Sarathi checked before the boom opens |
| Loading proof | Paper loading sheet | Usually outside scope | Camera count, stack and damage photos filed with the invoice |
| Indian road rules | Known by the dispatcher | Rarely modelled | No-entry hours and e-way bill readiness in the plan |
| Best fit | Under 10 trucks a day | Large yards with parked trailers and yard tractors | Plants where gate, yard and dock delays need one owner each |
MoreProducts behind this twin
FAQQuestions about yard management digital twins
Answers to what plant, logistics and security heads ask us most about gates, yards and docks.
A yard management digital twin is a live 3D model of a site's gate, truck yard, weighbridges and docks that updates from gate, weighbridge, dock and loading records. It times every stage of a truck's visit, shows where queues build up and sends each delay to the person who can clear it.
A yard management system schedules appointments and tracks where trucks or trailers are parked. A yard digital twin draws the whole site in 3D and joins gate, weighbridge, dock and loading records, so each delay shows in place with its cause and owner. A YMS can feed the twin.
Truck turnaround time is gate-out time minus the truck's arrival time outside the gate. Split it into outside wait, gate-in, inside wait, loading and paperwork so each block has an owner. Starting the clock at gate-in, as many registers do, leaves out the wait on the road.
A reader on the gantry picks up the truck's FASTag and cameras read its number plate. The system matches both to the truck's slot, checks RC, fitness, insurance and PUC on Vahan, and opens the boom only when every check passes. The read is logged with photos.
A vehicle gate pass system issues and records a digital pass for each truck entering a plant, with vehicle, driver, purpose, slot and times. In the twin, the pass is the truck's record, and every later stage (weighbridge, bay, dock, checklist, gate-out) is stamped against it.
Yes. It assigns docks by load, truck body type and slot, shows the plan on the dock board and the driver's WhatsApp, and re-plans when a dock stops. If you already run dock scheduling in a WMS or ERP, the twin reads that schedule instead.
Usually not. Most plants start with gate passes, weighbridge readings and dock records they already keep, plus handheld stamps where a stage is not recorded. FASTag readers, ANPR cameras and loading cameras are added later, only where they remove a manual step.
It needs the gate register or gate passes, weighbridge readings, the dock schedule or WMS orders, and the loading sheet. FASTag and ANPR reads, Vahan checks, loading camera counts and GPS arrivals make it more exact.
The twin stores the heavy-vehicle no-entry hours for each destination city and flags loads that will finish long before their truck can enter. Dispatch can then load city trucks later and give morning docks to upcountry lanes that can leave at once.
Plant heads use it for the site view, dispatch heads for turnaround and detention, security heads for gate checks, and warehouse shift leads for docks and forklifts. Transporters and drivers get their slot, dock and alerts on WhatsApp.
It is priced per deployment after a 30-minute working session on your own data; there is no public list price. Cost depends on the number of gates and docks, the systems to connect and whether readers or cameras are needed.
The first gate and dock area typically goes live within weeks: the site is drawn and stage stamps switched on first, then FASTag, weighbridge and dock data are connected, alerts agreed, and loading cameras added on the busiest docks.
The twin runs on managed cloud, in your own VPC on AWS, Azure or GCP, or on-premises with your keys. India data residency is available when required, and the gate, weighbridge and dock data stays yours.
08Briefing
A working session: your gate and docks drawn, a week of trucks timed stage by stage, and the first alerts written with your team.
