How Glüpker Blechtechnologie GmbH reorganized its yard management with CargoCall
Up to 100 trucks per day. Processing between 5:30 AM and 6:00 PM. What sounds like logistical routine was, for a long time at Glüpker, primarily one thing: improvisation.
Today, the lean CargoCall Yard Management System controls the entire flow – including truck registration via smartphone, license plate recognition, barrier control, and seamless documentation. The difference is clearly noticeable.
80-100 trucks a day – but no regulated process
At its Neuenhaus site, Glüpker Blechtechnologie GmbH manages a significant volume of goods movements daily. Up to 100 arriving and departing vehicles roll across the factory premises – they deliver raw materials, pick up finished products, and thus keep supply chains moving.
An organized loading and unloading process is part of the core business. However, for a long time, a structured truck coordination system was missing to manage the inbound flow at the factory gate in a predictable and transparent manner.
“All the lorries just drove straight onto the site,” recall Marcel Schrader and Frank Evers, who oversaw the Yard Management project on the client’s side. “We had no coordination, no order, no system.”
The consequences were typical for organically grown structures: constant maneuvering, occasional damage to vehicles and goods, blocked entrances. Drivers would gather in the office, understandably wanting to be processed immediately. If vehicles with fixed loading times could not be processed according to the planned sequence, the entire yard had to be reorganized.
“On stressful days, it was just chaos,” says Schrader. “And eventually, everyone was annoyed – employees, drivers, customers.”
At that point, it was clear: yard management needed a reliable structure.
Why traditional solutions didn’t convince – and CargoCall did
The impulse for change came from within the company. The need was felt, and a central question arose: How do we organize our inbound and outbound goods so that traffic on the factory premises becomes predictable – with a solution that can be implemented easily, remains understandable in everyday use, and is accepted by all involved parties?
The initial research led to traditional solutions such as pager systems or self-service terminals. However, many seemed either technically outdated, too expensive, or impractical for daily use.
In contrast, CargoCall’s concept quickly convinced: a browser-based, user-friendly Yard Management System that allows truck drivers to conveniently register directly from their vehicle cabin upon arrival – without an app, without installation. A digital truck flow control that structures processes instead of creating new hurdles. And a model without long-term contracts or high initial costs.
Another advantage was that Glüpker joined in an early development phase of the company. Functions were further developed collaboratively, and practical requirements were directly incorporated into the system.
“Lean, automated, low risk – we could just start. And we could help shape it,” Schrader summarizes.
Implementation: technology was not the challenge
The introduction of CargoCall was deliberately gradual. Initially without a barrier or additional hardware, later supplemented by intelligent barrier control, a camera system for license plate recognition, and clearly defined waiting zones. In parallel, parking areas, a waiting room with sanitary facilities, and clear signage were created.
Surprisingly, the implementation of the technology was not the most complex part – but rather the surrounding aspects.
“We realized that the challenge wasn’t the system, but our own organization,” Schrader recalls. Where do drivers wait? How do they register? What information goes to suppliers? And what happens if a driver doesn’t have a smartphone or internet connection?
The solution was pragmatic: a large red check-in sign with registration instructions, a dedicated truck parking lot, and a terminal with SMS notification. This ensures that drivers without a smartphone or mobile data are also seamlessly integrated.
The collaboration with CargoCall was straightforward from the start, says Schrader: “Concerns, needs, inquiries – they always respond quickly. CargoCall is always open to practical requirements.”
Digital gatekeeper in everyday life: Register, release, enter
Today, the process is clearly structured: A truck registers upon arrival using its own smartphone in its language. The logistics office is informed in real-time and sees in the dashboard which vehicles are in the parking lot and which orders they are associated with. Vehicles are digitally dispatched, and inbound and outbound goods can be precisely controlled.
If everything is in order, release is granted, and the barrier opens via license plate recognition. Entries and exits are automatically documented. The system acts as a digital gatekeeper – without additional personnel.
“The evaluations are particularly valuable,” says Schrader. Timestamps document to the minute when a vehicle arrived, was released, and processed. If a customer claims their driver waited forever, this can now be proven – or disproven. The actual processing time has become more transparent. And it is precisely this transparency that brings calm to the process.
Parcel delivery services have special clearances. Employees and management can enter at any time thanks to rule-based license plate recognition. The system is flexible and grows with requirements – many functions are available that Glüpker will utilize even more in the future.
More comfort for drivers – more peace for the team
And acceptance among truck drivers is also high.
Many appreciate the practical side: In rain or snow, no one has to get out and walk to the office anymore. Release is granted directly to the smartphone. No app, no download – simply register, be informed about release and access route, and enter. Those without a smartphone or data plan use the on-site terminal and are notified via SMS. No one is excluded.
Internally, the change is even more noticeable: less hectic running around, less maneuvering stress, less damage. “It’s simply become calmer,” says Evers. “And there’s less clanging.”
Structured yard, predictable processes – with an eye on the next stage
Although measured results and classic KPIs were not collected at Glüpker, the outcome is clearly tangible and visible. Traffic flow is structured, truck coordination runs predictably, and the premises are safer. Processes interlock.
And development continues: The goal is an average processing time of vehicles within 60 minutes. In the future, time slot bookings will be used so that suppliers can reserve fixed slots in advance. This will make inbound control even more precise.
“We are jointly developing this further with CargoCall,” says Evers. “This will make us continuously more efficient.”
Conclusion: Yard Management without entry barriers
“In retrospect, the initial skepticism was unfounded,” says Schrader. “Starting didn’t require a large investment. The software doesn’t demand complicated contract commitments or extensive IT projects. You can simply start and see for yourself that it works.”
The obvious concern that drivers might occupy slots without being on site is also technically resolved: The time between release and entry can be limited. The system thinks ahead.
At Glüpker, the implementation ran alongside daily business – without feeling like a project. What remains is structured processing, calmer operations, and a system that has grown with the company.
“I’m a fan of CargoCall,” says Marcel Schrader (pictured right). “It’s exactly right for us.”