US trucking and freight / Managed BPO
Dock appointment scheduling for US freight facilities
Actigy BPO requests pickup and delivery appointments, records facility confirmations and sends the references and check-in instructions to dispatch. When a truck misses a slot, we request a new window and update everyone affected. The facility decides which appointments it can accept.
Agree the scope, access and reviewer before a paid pilot.
- Original appointment
- 07:00 Central
- Revised arrival estimate
- 08:10, carrier-reported
- Scheduling action
- Request an acceptable new window
- Confirmation
- Update the carrier and appointment board
A worked example of the record and decision flow. Not a client case or promised result.
The work. The handoff. Your decision.
A defined workflow in your systems
US shipper transportation teams, distribution centers, warehouse operators and 3PLs managing live loads, live unloads or drop trailers across one or more facilities.
You provide
Load reference, facility rules, equipment and carrier ETA.
Actigy BPO prepares
Appointment request, confirmation record and revised-slot updates.
You retain
Dock admission, operational changes and detention approval.
Decision owner: Facility or client operations owner. Confirm this role and the escalation contact in the written scope.
Service detail / 01
What does the scheduling desk need before requesting a slot?
The desk identifies the facility, shipment or purchase order, load type, trailer and local time zone. It checks the site's scheduling instructions and records missing data before requesting a slot through the approved portal, email or phone number.
- Confirm inbound or outbound, live load or drop trailer, and whether a booked appointment or first-come window applies.
- Check pickup or delivery numbers, trailer details, pallet count and any documents that facility requires.
- Return the confirmation number, local appointment time, check-in instructions and open exceptions to the dispatcher and dock lead. A requested slot stays pending until the facility confirms it.
Worked example
What happens when a truck misses its loading window?
A truck due at 7 a.m. Central now expects to arrive at 8:10. The coordinator records the revised ETA and its source, alerts the dock lead and requests the next acceptable window under the site's rules. Once confirmed, the desk updates the carrier, appointment board and downstream delivery contact. It records the time spent waiting separately from any approved detention charge.
Service detail / 03
What does dispatch send the driver?
The confirmed record gives dispatch the site address, entrance, check-in instructions, local date and time, appointment reference and late-arrival contact. If a slot changes, keep the previous confirmation and note who received the update. The dock office decides whether to admit a late truck.
Service detail / 04
How can we pilot one facility?
Pick one site, one shift and a sample week that includes live loads, drops and reschedules. Supply the appointment rules, authorized calendar, escalation contacts and cutoffs for each local time zone.
- Measure confirmed appointments before cutoff, requests still awaiting a slot, reschedule age and missing references.
- Separate facility capacity issues from scheduling errors so the warehouse knows which process to change.
- Record actual effort per appointment and rebooking before choosing reserved hours or a workload-based price.
Before the first live queue
Bring the inputs that shape your scope
The proposal should identify what can be assigned, who can decide, and how you will accept the work. Start with one representative queue; agree any expansion after reviewing the pilot.
Define the workload
Facilities, local time zones, appointment systems and cutoff rules.
Agree the controls
Approved scheduling permissions and late-arrival escalation contact.
Review the right measures
Confirmed bookings, rejected requests and time waiting for facility response.
Before you decide
Buyer questions
Clarify the work, access and approval boundaries before assigning a team.
How does appointment scheduling differ from loading coordination?
Scheduling secures the approved time and gives the driver the references and arrival instructions. Loading coordination follows readiness, on-site handoffs and completion after the appointment has been arranged.
Can you schedule appointments in our customer’s portal?
Yes, where your customer permits delegated access. We follow the facility's rules and use named, authorized accounts. The appointment record distinguishes a request from a confirmed slot.
What if the site operates first come, first served?
We record the published receiving hours and cutoff, confirm check-in instructions and track actual arrival. On the dispatch board, the load is marked first come, first served.
What do you need to quote scheduling support?
Share approximate appointments per day by site, local hours, average reschedules, portals used, and who can approve an exception. Describe volumes in the form and share actual shipment documents through an approved channel after scoping.
How do you distinguish a requested slot from a confirmed appointment?
Keep the facility time zone, request reference, confirmation version and actual response in the record. A request, a carrier ETA and a first-come receiving window have different statuses. Update the TMS and driver instructions only with the status the facility has actually confirmed.
Get a dock scheduling estimate
Give the facility count, appointment volume, cutoff times, local time zones and scheduling system. Name the role that confirms a changed slot.
Your inquiry
Dock appointment scheduling
Describe the workload and the decision owner. Keep confidential records out of the form; agree a suitable channel for any later sample.
- Review the fitWe review the workflow and the inputs you provide.
- Define the scopeDiscuss access, coverage, review and the proposed fee.
- Agree a paid pilotApprove the written scope before work begins.