Prism Logistics, a leading 3PL provider in Northern California, has built a strong reputation over 30+ years of delivering state-of-the-art warehousing and distribution services for food, beverage, and consumer packaged goods. As Prism continues to grow and handle more volume across its seven facility footprint, the team needed a way to scale operations without adding headcount—while maintaining Prism’s position as the region’s premier 3PL partner.

The leadership team saw an opportunity to digitize scheduling and driver check-in processes that were still largely manual. Emails, paper logs, and in-person check-ins made it harder to scale as the business grew.

That’s when Prism brought in Conduit. Conduit’s modular dock and yard management platform offered a path to more streamlined workflows, real-time visibility, and a better experience for customer service representatives (CSRs), drivers, and warehouse teams alike.

“We’re always looking for tools that help us scale better, not just faster,” said Jeremy Van Puffelen, President of Prism Logistics. “Conduit gave us a way to scale daily shipment volume—and without adding people or burning out the great team we have.”

Here’s how they did it—and how other 3PLs can scale by aligning people, process and technology. 

Challenge

As Prism continued to grow, the team needed a way to scale operations across multiple facilities without adding headcount or compromising service quality. Key pain points included:

• Manual, email-driven scheduling process: CSRs spent hours each day exchanging emails with carriers to confirm appointments, correct errors, and track down missing information like PO numbers. Appointments were logged manually at each facility, creating room for conflicts, gaps, and inefficiencies.

• Congested, manual driver check-in process: Drivers lined up at the shipping/receiving window and checked in with warehouse staff. If they were missing required information (like a PO or trailer number), they had to step out of line, contact dispatch, and get back in line—creating delays, frustration, and yard congestion.

• Lack of real-time visibility and documentation across facilities: Centralized CSR teams had no way to view appointment status, delays, or volume trends across sites. With limited information and documentation, it was difficult for CSRs to proactively communicate with customers or dispute detention claims.

As a company that puts its people first, Prism saw these friction points not just as workflow issues, but as pressures that could wear down the team as the business grew.

“We wanted a platform where carriers and drivers could schedule in real time—without all the back-and-forth,” said Art Oliva, Director of Operations. “The goal was to make it more streamlined and easier for everyone, and to minimize the time CSRs were spending managing those interactions.”

Solution

After evaluating several dock and yard management solutions, Prism Logistics selected Conduit for its comprehensive, modular approach—bringing scheduling, driver check-in, yard oversight, documentation, and analytics into one platform across all facility sites.

Dock Scheduling

Conduit replaced Prism’s manual, email-based scheduling process with a self-serve carrier portal, enabling carriers to input their own information and book appointments that comply with Prism’s custom rules (e.g., appointment buffers, PO requirements, volume thresholds).

With Conduit’s portal enforcing complete appointment data, CSRs no longer need to follow up on missing PO numbers or incomplete requests.

This reduced coordination overhead and freed up CSR time—while providing Prism with a centralized, real-time dock schedule that updates automatically.

Driver Check-In & Communication

With Conduit, drivers scan a QR code upon arrival and use their mobile device to complete the check-in process—verifying their identity, uploading documents (like BoLs), and entering required details (trailer numbers, carrier IDs, etc.).

Once checked in, warehouse staff can communicate directly with drivers via Conduit’s two-way texting feature and automatically notify them of door assignments and any special instructions. 

The entire experience happens from the cab, saving everyone time and keeping drivers out of the yard, out of long lines, and out of the faces of warehouse staff.

Analytics & Visibility

By digitizing scheduling and driver check-in workflows with Conduit, Prism can capture the data it needs to track performance, resolve issues faster, and continuously optimize operations.

Appointment records, driver communication logs, and uploaded documents are all centralized in one system—giving CSRs the information they need to respond quickly and confidently to customer inquiries or disputes, including detention claims.

Conduit’s network view provides real-time visibility across all Prism facilities. Supervisors can monitor scheduling, volumes, and driver locations, as well as performance trends, which enable smarter staffing decisions and more proactive customer communication.

Implementation & Rollout

To ensure a smooth transition, Prism executed a phased rollout across its Northern California locations—including Stockton, Lathrop, Hayward, and Sacramento—minimizing disruption to day-to-day operations.

Conduit’s team worked closely with Prism throughout the process, configuring the platform to match each facility’s operational preferences and integrating seamlessly with Prism’s existing warehouse systems. Team members across CSR, warehouse, and supervisory roles received targeted training and support to ensure successful adoption.

The rollout also included a feedback loop: signage wording, communication timing, and check-in logic were adjusted based on real-time input from facility teams—ensuring Conduit not only fit Prism’s processes, but strengthened them.

Results

Since implementing Conduit, Prism has streamlined scheduling and driver check-in across all Northern California facilities—while gaining real-time visibility across its network. The result? Measurable improvements in efficiency, throughput, and operational control that have allowed Prism to move more freight, faster—with fewer manual touchpoints and the same headcount.

Let’s take a look:

• 80% fewer emails. Conduit’s self-serve scheduling portal drastically reduced back-and-forth communication. 

• 2 Hours saved per CSR, per day. Less time spent coordinating with the warehouse, scheduling, resolving errors frees up CSRs to focus on higher-priority tasks for their customers.

• 15 minutes faster check-in. With contactless QR check-in, drivers skip the line at the service window and stay in their cabs. This faster process reduces congestion and improves the overall driver experience. 

• 20% reduction in dwell  times. Streamlined processes “get them in so they can get loaded, unloaded quicker, and get them out,” said Art. 

• Fewer detention claims. Digital records, including time-stamped check-ins and chat logs, allow CSRs to dispute detention claims with proof.

• Network visibility. Conduit provides a live view across facilities, including schedules, volumes, delays, arrivals, and more, enabling proactive facility management.

• Increased operational efficiency. Supervisors use Conduit to monitor arrival patterns, dwell times, and volume trends—supporting smarter staffing and operational decisions.

• Better documentation = better customer service. CSRs can instantly access appointment details, driver communications, uploaded documents, and a live facility view—making it easier to investigate issues and respond quickly to customer questions.

• Boost customer satisfaction and growth. Conduit has become a differentiator in Prism’s conversations with customers and prospects. Art said, “it is a sales point to our customers. Our customers are excited and love to hear that we are using a system like this”. 

Conclusion

Conduit helped Prism solve a critical operational challenge: how to scale volume across facilities without adding headcount or compromising on service. By digitizing scheduling and streamlining driver check-in, Prism reduced manual workload, shortened turnaround times, and gained real-time visibility into operations.

The result is a more efficient, responsive, and scalable network—one where teams can move more freight with the same resources, while continuing to deliver the high level of service customers expect.