A soft landing control system (10) for a screeding device (12) is operable to automatically lower a vibrating member (24) of a screed head assembly (14) into engagement with a concrete surface at a time and place where the vibrating member is not positioned over an overlap area of already screeded concrete. The vibrating member is automatically lowered onto newly placed concrete at or near the junction or cold-joint between the already screeded concrete and the area of newly placed concrete, so as to avoid depressions in the already placed concrete. Optionally, the soft landing control system may include a timing device and may lower the vibrating member after a period of time following an activating event. Optionally, the control system may detect when the vibrating device is positioned at or near the newly placed concrete and may lower the vibrating member in response to such detection.