Yard management systems and methods are described. A yard management system comprises a database holding load information, a mobile application associated with a user account and executable on a mobile device. The mobile application when executed acquires the identifications of the load, queries the database for the load information, and generates a machine-readable representation corresponding to the identifications of the load, an autonomous yard vehicle configured to mechanically couple with a cargo trailer. The system further comprises a computing system programmed to, in response to detecting the mobile device at the transfer location, navigate to the cargo trailer and guide the coupling between the autonomous yard vehicle and the cargo trailer.