Loading dock scheduling for convention centers and event venues
Convention centers and event venues compress weeks of freight into a few move-in and move-out days. Exhibitor trucks, decorator and production rigs, AV, and caterers all want the same docks at the same hour, and without scheduling the overflow ends up idling on surrounding streets. SimpleDock gives venue teams one booking link per show, with doors, time windows, and closed periods that match the move-in plan.
Free for one location · No contract · No credit card
What's broken today
The dock-scheduling problems your operation actually has.
Everyone arrives at the start of move-in
Without assigned times, exhibitor and production trucks show up at once, and the dock jams before the first booth is set.
Trucks queued on public streets
Overflow trucks waiting outside the venue frustrate neighbors and the city, and burn driver hours before unloading starts.
Move-in plans that live in a spreadsheet
Targeted move-in times sent by email go stale the moment a truck is delayed, and the dock team can't see who is actually coming next.
Try a booking
This is what your exhibitors and vendors see when they click your link.
Pick a slot, fill out the form, and watch a real booking flow. No setup required.
simpledock.ai/book/acme-warehouseHow SimpleDock fits
Tuned for how your dock actually runs.
Appointment types per show phase
Create separate types for move-in, move-out, catering, and production, each with its own duration and the questions you need answered, such as booth number or exhibiting company.
Closed dates and show-day hours
Block the dock while the show floor is open and set operating hours for move-in and move-out days, so nobody can book a slot you can't receive.
Door capacity that matches the dock
Set how many trucks each door or bay can take at once, and add buffers between appointments for unloading and pulling forward.
A live dock board for the floor team
Show the day's arrivals on a TV in the dock office, and mark trucks arrived as they pull in, so the floor team knows who is next.
Frequently asked questions
- How do convention centers schedule exhibitor freight?
- Most shows give exhibitors or their carriers a targeted move-in time, usually coordinated by the show's general service contractor and sometimes routed through an off-site marshaling yard. A dock scheduler turns that plan into bookable slots, so each exhibitor confirms a time and door instead of arriving whenever they can.
- Do exhibitors or their drivers need an account?
- No. Exhibitors, decorators, and their drivers open the booking link, pick a slot, and get a confirmation. There is no account, app, or login.
- Can we run different rules for each event?
- Yes. Use appointment types for each show or phase, set closed dates around event days, and turn on approvals for any type where your team needs to review the booking first.
More for venue and facility teams
Bring SimpleDock to your venue loading dock.
Free for your first location, forever. Set up in minutes — no credit card, no sales call.
Free for one location · No contract · No credit card