Field Notes
Dock dwell minutes that planners will believe
How to measure trailer turnaround so your shipping SLA dashboard matches what the yard supervisor already sees.
Dock dwell is where shipping SLA dashboards often lose the room. If the chart says forty minutes and the supervisor knows the trailer sat for two hours, trust collapses.
Capture both ends
You need a clear gate or dock assignment time and a clear departure or unload-complete time. Missing either end creates fantasy averages. Paper yard sheets can feed a first dashboard while scanner coverage catches up.
Separate planned staging from true dwell
Trailers parked early for a night trunk are not the same problem as trailers blocked at the door. Tag staging intentionally or your dwell spike chart will cry wolf.
Show outliers first
Averages hide the three trailers that ruined a store cut-off. Exception lists sorted by minutes over target keep the shipping SLA conversation honest.