The Vegas Access Window Reality Check (and how to not get burned)

Vegas doesn’t care about your beautiful production timeline.

Access windows shift. Docks get congested. Check-in rules change based on who’s working the door. And the penalty for getting it wrong isn’t theoretical—it’s overtime, delays, and a client standing there asking why the thing isn’t here.

Here’s the reality check

• Your “arrival time” is not the same as your “ready-to-unload time.”
• If you don’t have a backup plan, you don’t have a plan.
• The fastest way to lose a window is to show up unprepared and hope for mercy.

How to build a plan that survives reality

• Define the critical items. What absolutely has to land on time?
• Build a run plan, not a wish. Who’s receiving, where, and what happens if access changes?
• Create a contact chain. One person owns decisions; everyone else gets updates.
• Add buffer where it matters. Buffer the high-risk pieces, not the easy ones.
• Use a local operator when you can’t be there. Especially when teams are lean and travel is delayed.

Field Notes rule

If missing a window would trigger an escalation, treat that run like it’s mission-critical—because it is.

Want a second set of eyes before you’re on the floor? Request a Vegas Readiness & Risk Check.