Following a spike in interest in technologies to digitalize and optimize yard operations last year, investments have continued their momentum into 2024. According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, Global Yard Management System (YMS) revenues for in-land facility yards are expected to grow at a CAGR of 31.6% to 2032, reaching US$4.98 billion by 2032.

“While North American companies remain leaders in YMS investment, YMS revenues in Europe will surpass North America by 2028. North American companies have been early adopters, but the complexity and scale of yards in Europe will see a greater spend, both per yard and overall,” explains Ryan Wiggin, Senior Analyst at ABI Research.

Spending on yard technologies also differs by industry. Manufacturers and Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) will remain the highest spenders on YMSs, surpassing US$1 billion in revenues by 2032. Dedicated YMS providers, including Kaleris, Peripass, C3 Solutions, and Yard Management Solutions, continue to innovate their offerings and provide advanced tools to help resolve industry-specific challenges.

Automated yard trucks are now becoming deployable in in-land yard environments following successful pilot projects, with the first commercial deployments happening through 2024. ISEE has claimed to have deployed the world’s first automated yard in 2024 at a site in Texas, with providers like Outrider planning their first commercial deployment in the second half of 2024. ABI Research forecasts that the installed base of autonomous yard trucks will grow at a CAGR of 104.4% to 2032 due to the current nascency and scale of rollouts planned.

“Yards of all sizes are realizing significant improvements from deploying dedicated YMSs, dock scheduling solutions, automated gate entry systems, and asset tracking capabilities. What was often a forgotten part of the supply chain is quickly becoming an integral piece of the operational puzzle to fortify fulfillment in the face of growing complexity,” concludes Wiggin.

These findings are from ABI Research’s Yard Digitalization market data report. This report is part of the company’s Supply Chain Management and Logistics research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights. Market Data spreadsheets comprise deep data, market share analysis, and highly segmented, service-specific forecasts to provide detailed insight into where opportunities lie.