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Industrial Engineering Intern — Trailer Yard Capacity, Staging & Hostler Staffing

Temporary Term: 6/15/2026 – 7/31/2026
Shift: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM; work times may vary during travel
Compensation: $21.15 – $31.73/hr.
Location: Virtual, with travel to field locations as needed

Position Summary

The Industrial Engineering Intern — Trailer Yard Capacity, Staging & Hostler Staffing will support parcel warehouse and hub operations by measuring trailer yard capacity, analyzing trailer flow, collecting yard activity data, and identifying opportunities to improve yard utilization, dock flow, hostler staffing, and staging efficiency.

This role provides hands-on exposure to inbound and outbound trailer movement, yard staging, dock door utilization, hostler activity, trailer dwell time, peak volume planning, and facility support operations. The intern will work closely with Industrial Engineering, Operations, Yard Management, Transportation, and frontline leadership to document current yard processes, identify constraints, and support the development of trailer yard capacity and staffing models.

Key Responsibilities

• Observe and document inbound, outbound, and empty trailer movement throughout the yard.
• Collect data on trailer arrivals, departures, dwell time, dock door utilization, staging locations, yard occupancy, and yard congestion.
• Measure hostler activity, including trailer moves, drop/hook time, dock-to-yard moves, yard-to-dock moves, empty trailer repositioning, and trailer search time.
• Support development of hostler staffing models based on trailer move volume, move time, peak activity windows, shift coverage, and service requirements.
• Analyze required staging spots for inbound trailers, outbound trailers, empty trailers, loaded trailers, overflow trailers, and peak-season volume.
• Support trailer yard capacity studies to determine practical and maximum yard capacity by facility.
• Evaluate how trailer dwell time, dock door constraints, arrival patterns, departure schedules, and trailer mix affect yard space requirements.
• Identify bottlenecks related to staging space, dock doors, hostler availability, yard layout, traffic flow, trailer dwell time, and trailer visibility.
• Analyze inbound and outbound trailer turn times and identify opportunities to reduce congestion and improve yard flow.
• Assist with AutoCAD drawings, yard layout updates, trailer staging maps, traffic flow diagrams, and yard capacity visuals.
• Build Excel summaries, pivot tables, charts, and yard capacity models to communicate findings.
• Support recommendations to improve yard utilization, trailer staging strategy, dock assignment, hostler staffing, trailer visibility, and overall facility throughput.
• Prepare clear summaries of observations, data findings, yard constraints, staffing needs, staging requirements, and improvement opportunities for leadership.

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• Typical Areas Studied

• Inbound Yard Flow: trailer arrivals, unloading queues, dock assignment, staging, and inbound dwell time
• Outbound Yard Flow: loaded trailer staging, empty trailer supply, dispatch timing, departures, and outbound dwell time
• Hostler Operations: trailer moves, move time, drop/hook activity, trailer search time, repositioning, and shift coverage
• Dock & Door Utilization: door occupancy, trailer turn time, dock constraints, yard-to-door moves, and door-to-yard moves
• Trailer Staging: required staging spots by trailer type, peak trailer demand, overflow needs, and space utilization
• Yard Capacity: maximum trailer spaces, practical operating capacity, congestion points, traffic flow, and facility constraints
• Staffing & Labor Planning: hostlers, yard coordinators, dock support, clerks, indirect labor, and peak staffing needs

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• Required Skills & Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an accredited college or university
• Pursuing a degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations Management, Transportation, Business Analytics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum GPA of 3.2 preferred
• Basic Excel skills, including formulas, tables, charts, and pivot tables
• Strong attention to detail and ability to collect accurate operational data
• Basic math and analytical thinking
• Ability to observe yard, dock, and trailer operations objectively and document findings clearly
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced warehouse, dock, and yard environment
• Ability to walk, stand, and observe operations for extended periods
• Willingness to work around trailers, docks, yard tractors, conveyors, and parcel handling equipment
• Willingness to travel to different facilities as needed

• Summary Statement

This role supports the development of trailer yard capacity models, hostler staffing plans, and staging requirements by measuring trailer flow, analyzing yard utilization, identifying bottlenecks, evaluating dock and staging constraints, and determining practical and maximum yard capacity across parcel warehouse and hub operations.

If you are excited to be part of our team and grow with our OnTrac family, we invite you to apply! 

OnTrac is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

OnTrac is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, abilities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or age. Join us in our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you are excited to be part of our team and contribute to our talent acquisition efforts, we invite you to apply.

Lasership, Inc. dba OnTrac Final Mile with its affiliates, including OnTrac Logistics, Inc. (collectively, "OnTrac" or the "Company") is an equal opportunity employer.