# SimpleDock

> SimpleDock is dock appointment scheduling software for warehouses, distribution centers, and 3PLs. An operator sets up their facility in a few minutes and shares one booking link; carriers and drivers book their own dock appointments with no account, no app, and no login. The schedule, door assignment, approvals, check-in, and notifications are handled for them.

SimpleDock is a product, not a document set — the most useful thing an agent can do with it is call it. Full agent instructions: https://simpledock.ai/agent-instructions.md

## When to use SimpleDock

Reach for SimpleDock when:

- A user needs to book, reschedule, or cancel a truck's dock appointment at a warehouse, distribution center, or 3PL facility.
- A user asks which dock appointment slots are open at a facility on a given date, for a given load type (FTL/LTL, inbound/outbound).
- A warehouse operator wants to approve, reject, or check in a pending carrier booking without opening the dashboard.
- A user wants a shareable self-service booking link for a facility instead of scheduling truck arrivals over email or phone.
- A user asks for dock utilization, on-time arrival, no-show, or dwell-time numbers for a facility over a date range.
- A user is comparing dock scheduling or yard management tools (Opendock, C3 Solutions, DataDocks) and needs SimpleDock's capabilities and pricing.

## When not to use SimpleDock

These are outside what SimpleDock does; another tool is the right call:

- Freight procurement, rate shopping, load tendering, or carrier sourcing — SimpleDock schedules the dock, it does not book the freight.
- Live GPS tracking of a truck in transit, or ELD/hours-of-service data.
- Warehouse inventory, order management, or picking and packing — SimpleDock schedules arrivals at the dock, it is not a WMS.

## How to call SimpleDock

- **MCP server** (preferred): `https://simpledock.ai/api/v1/mcp`, Streamable HTTP, JSON-RPC 2.0. `initialize`, `ping`, and `tools/list` need no credential, so a client can complete the handshake and show its tools before a key exists. `tools/call` requires one.
- **REST API**: `https://simpledock.ai/api/v1`, described by https://simpledock.ai/openapi.json.
- **No credential needed**: `https://simpledock.ai/api/v1/public` — service status, a facility's public booking details, and its open slots by date.
- **Credential**: Authorization: Bearer sd_live_… (a Pro API key, created in Settings → API)
- **Pacing**: every API response carries `RateLimit` and `RateLimit-Policy`; a 429 adds `Retry-After`. Read them and self-throttle.
- **Stability**: 180 days' notice before a version is retired, signalled by `Deprecation` and `Sunset` headers. Policy: https://simpledock.ai/developers/versioning
- **Pricing**: Free for one location. Paid plans add unlimited locations, the authenticated REST API, the MCP server, webhooks, and integrations. The unauthenticated read-only endpoints under /api/v1/public are open on every plan.

## Start here

- [SimpleDock overview](https://simpledock.ai/): SimpleDock is dock appointment scheduling software for warehouses, distribution centers, and 3PLs. An operator sets up their facility in a few minutes and shares one booking link; carriers and drivers book their own dock appointments with no account, no app, and no login. The schedule, door assignment, approvals, check-in, and notifications are handled for them.
- [About](https://simpledock.ai/about): Who builds SimpleDock, who it is for, and the product principles.
- [Contact](https://simpledock.ai/contact): Reach a human at support@simpledock.ai.
- [Pricing](https://simpledock.ai/#pricing): Free for one location. Paid plans add unlimited locations, the authenticated REST API, the MCP server, webhooks, and integrations. The unauthenticated read-only endpoints under /api/v1/public are open on every plan.
- [llms-full.txt](https://simpledock.ai/llms-full.txt): The full text of every public page, in one file.
- [Agent instructions](https://simpledock.ai/agent-instructions.md): When to use SimpleDock, when not to, and exactly how to call it.

## API and agent interfaces

- [Developer docs](https://simpledock.ai/developers): REST API, MCP server, webhooks, and the OpenAPI spec.
- [OpenAPI 3.1 spec](https://simpledock.ai/openapi.json): Machine-readable API surface; every operation has a unique operationId, typed parameters, and response schemas. YAML at /api/openapi.yaml.
- [MCP manifest](https://simpledock.ai/.well-known/mcp.json): Server card for MCP clients that auto-configure from a domain.
- [MCP server guide](https://simpledock.ai/developers/mcp): Streamable HTTP at /api/v1/mcp; every REST endpoint exposed as a scoped tool.
- [REST API guide](https://simpledock.ai/developers/api): Authentication, endpoints, conventions, and the JSON error envelope.
- [Interactive API reference](https://simpledock.ai/developers/reference): Every endpoint with schemas and an in-browser console.
- [Public status endpoint](https://simpledock.ai/api/v1/public/status): Unauthenticated JSON: service status and links to every machine-readable surface.
- [Versioning and deprecation policy](https://simpledock.ai/developers/versioning): URL-path versioning; 180 days' notice via Deprecation and Sunset headers before a version is retired.
- [Webhook events](https://simpledock.ai/help/webhook-events): All event types, when they fire, and the exact JSON payloads.

## Help center

- [Set up booking questions](https://simpledock.ai/help/booking-questions): Collect PO numbers, BOLs, or any custom field from carriers at booking time.
- [Your booking page shows no times](https://simpledock.ai/help/no-available-times): The six settings that hide slots — operating hours, notice, buffers, capacity.
- [Appointment types & scheduling rules](https://simpledock.ai/help/appointment-types): Duration, load type, direction, minimum notice, and buffers.
- [Doors, capacity & slots per hour](https://simpledock.ai/help/doors-and-capacity): How door count, door capacity, and slots per hour combine into open slots.
- [Approving booking requests](https://simpledock.ai/help/approvals): Turn on approval, then approve, reschedule, or reject a pending request.
- [Sharing your booking link](https://simpledock.ai/help/booking-link): Where to find the link, who can use it, and what carriers see.
- [Connect Zapier](https://simpledock.ai/help/zapier): Trigger Zaps from appointment events without writing code.
- [Post to Slack](https://simpledock.ai/help/slack): Send booking, approval, and check-in activity to a Slack channel.
- [Sync Google Calendar](https://simpledock.ai/help/google-calendar): Mirror a location's schedule onto a Google Calendar.
- [Build a custom webhook](https://simpledock.ai/help/custom-webhooks): Receive signed HTTPS events and verify the signature before trusting them.
- [Webhook events & payloads](https://simpledock.ai/help/webhook-events): All nine event types, when they fire, and the exact JSON shape.

## Concepts

- [Dock scheduling](https://simpledock.ai/glossary/dock-scheduling): Dock scheduling is the practice of giving every inbound or outbound truck a specific arrival window at a warehouse or distribution center, so doors aren't double-booked, drivers don't queue, and warehouse teams can plan labor around predictable arrivals.
- [Dock appointment](https://simpledock.ai/glossary/dock-appointment): A dock appointment is a confirmed time window during which a specific truck is allowed to use a specific dock door at a warehouse or distribution center. It usually includes the load type, expected duration, and contact info for the carrier and driver.
- [Detention and demurrage](https://simpledock.ai/glossary/detention-and-demurrage): Detention is a per-hour charge a carrier bills the shipper or receiver when a truck is delayed at a dock beyond a free time window — usually two hours. Demurrage is the same idea but for ocean containers held at a port or rail terminal beyond their free time. Both are signals of operational friction, and both shrink fast with disciplined dock scheduling.
- [Yard management system (YMS)](https://simpledock.ai/glossary/yard-management-system): A yard management system (YMS) is software that tracks every trailer inside a warehouse yard — where it is, what's on it, and who's moving it. A YMS handles in-yard moves, gate check-in, and trailer pool management. Dock scheduling, by contrast, focuses on booking the dock-door appointment.
- [Dwell time](https://simpledock.ai/glossary/dwell-time): Dwell time is the elapsed time a truck spends at a warehouse or terminal from gate-in to gate-out. High dwell time compounds into late deliveries, driver hours-of-service violations, and detention exposure. Disciplined dock scheduling is the highest-leverage way to bring dwell time down.
- [Live load vs drop trailer](https://simpledock.ai/glossary/live-load-vs-drop-trailer): On a live load, the driver stays with the truck while the trailer is loaded or unloaded — typically 30 to 90 minutes. On a drop-and-hook (drop trailer), the driver drops a pre-loaded trailer and picks up another, taking 15 minutes or less. The choice affects dwell time, dock-door utilization, detention exposure, and how you should configure dock-scheduling appointment types.
- [Carrier check-in](https://simpledock.ai/glossary/carrier-check-in): Carrier check-in is the act of confirming a driver has arrived at a warehouse for a scheduled dock appointment. Modern check-in flows combine SMS-based pre-arrival confirmation, on-site QR-code or kiosk check-in, and a real-time signal back to the dock team.
- [Appointment SLA](https://simpledock.ai/glossary/appointment-sla): An appointment SLA is a service-level agreement between a warehouse and its carriers (or vendors) covering how dock appointments are booked, attended, and completed — minimum notice, on-time arrival window, accepted reschedule lead time, and dock-turn time. Dock-scheduling tools enforce SLAs by encoding them as configuration: minimum-notice rules, slot durations, buffer times, and approval gates.

## Optional

- [Dock scheduling for 3pl warehouses](https://simpledock.ai/dock-scheduling/3pl): Run a calmer 3PL dock with one shareable booking link. Cut driver no-shows, eliminate phone-tag, and give every customer a self-serve scheduling experience.
- [Dock scheduling for food & beverage](https://simpledock.ai/dock-scheduling/food-and-beverage): Cold-chain-aware dock scheduling for food and beverage warehouses. Capture lot codes, temperature requirements, and shipper info up front — book trucks into the right window every time.
- [Dock scheduling for cold storage](https://simpledock.ai/dock-scheduling/cold-storage): Refrigerated and frozen warehouse dock scheduling that captures temperature, BOL, and product info before the trailer arrives. One link, no app, no phone tag.
- [Dock scheduling for manufacturing](https://simpledock.ai/dock-scheduling/manufacturing): Inbound raw materials and outbound finished-goods scheduling for manufacturing plants. Keep production lines fed, minimize forklift moves, and stop yard surprises.
- [Dock scheduling for retail distribution](https://simpledock.ai/dock-scheduling/retail-distribution): Vendor inbound, store outbound, and cross-dock scheduling for retail distribution centers. Tighten compliance windows, reduce chargebacks, and run a smoother dock.
- [Dock scheduling for cpg](https://simpledock.ai/dock-scheduling/cpg): Consumer packaged goods dock scheduling that handles co-packer pickups, retailer delivery windows, and seasonal volume spikes. One link per facility.
- [Dock scheduling for building materials](https://simpledock.ai/dock-scheduling/building-materials): Lumber, drywall, roofing, and aggregates yards need scheduling that works for flatbeds, drop trailers, and self-load customers. SimpleDock handles all of it with one link.
- [Dock scheduling for pharma](https://simpledock.ai/dock-scheduling/pharma): GxP-aware dock scheduling for pharmaceutical and medical-device warehouses. Capture lot, license, and seal info before the trailer arrives.
- [The Opendock alternative for dock scheduling](https://simpledock.ai/compare/opendock-alternative): Looking for an alternative to Opendock? SimpleDock is dock scheduling with a shareable link — no carrier accounts, no app, no enterprise rollout.
- [The C3 Solutions alternative for dock scheduling](https://simpledock.ai/compare/c3-solutions-alternative): Looking for an alternative to C3 Solutions? SimpleDock is dock scheduling with a shareable link — no carrier accounts, no app, no enterprise rollout.
- [The DataDocks alternative for dock scheduling](https://simpledock.ai/compare/datadocks-alternative): Looking for an alternative to DataDocks? SimpleDock is dock scheduling with a shareable link — no carrier accounts, no app, no enterprise rollout.
- [The Vector alternative for dock scheduling](https://simpledock.ai/compare/vector-alternative): Looking for an alternative to Vector? SimpleDock is dock scheduling with a shareable link — no carrier accounts, no app, no enterprise rollout.
- [SimpleDock vs Opendock: which dock scheduling tool fits?](https://simpledock.ai/compare/simpledock-vs-opendock): An honest, side-by-side comparison of SimpleDock and Opendock for dock appointment scheduling. Features, pricing, and where each one wins.
- [SimpleDock vs C3 Solutions: which dock scheduling tool fits?](https://simpledock.ai/compare/simpledock-vs-c3-solutions): An honest, side-by-side comparison of SimpleDock and C3 Solutions for dock appointment scheduling. Features, pricing, and where each one wins.
- [SimpleDock vs DataDocks: which dock scheduling tool fits?](https://simpledock.ai/compare/simpledock-vs-datadocks): An honest, side-by-side comparison of SimpleDock and DataDocks for dock appointment scheduling. Features, pricing, and where each one wins.
- [SimpleDock vs Vector: which dock scheduling tool fits?](https://simpledock.ai/compare/simpledock-vs-vector): An honest, side-by-side comparison of SimpleDock and Vector for dock appointment scheduling. Features, pricing, and where each one wins.
- [Privacy policy](https://simpledock.ai/privacy-policy): What data SimpleDock collects and how it is handled.
- [Terms of service](https://simpledock.ai/terms-of-service): The agreement governing use of SimpleDock.