Dock scheduling is an important activity in operations management, particularly in warehouses, distribution centres, manufacturing units, and logistics facilities. A dock is the designated area where vehicles such as trucks and trailers are loaded or unloaded. Dock scheduling refers to the systematic planning and allocation of time slots to incoming and outgoing vehicles so that loading and unloading operations can be performed efficiently. Its main purpose is to ensure the smooth movement of materials while reducing waiting time, congestion, labour idleness, and operational costs. In a warehouse, several suppliers and customers may send vehicles to the facility at different times. If vehicles arrive without proper scheduling, many trucks may reach the loading dock simultaneously. This can create congestion, long queues, excessive vehicle waiting time, inefficient use of labour and equipment, and delays in deliveries. Dock scheduling helps overcome these problems by assigning specific dates and time slots to vehicles according to the availability of docks, workers, handling equipment, and storage space. The process of dock scheduling generally begins with