Haulers enter booking data once. From that point, Autogate handles the rest — drivers go straight to the gate, the barrier opens automatically in seconds, and lift operators get digital job cards. Gate-out confirms itself. Gate events observed at live deployments that previously took several minutes now complete in seconds. Every step is documented without anyone typing anything twice.
ConPDS is used by container depots, shipping lines, and leasing companies across Europe.
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What Is Automated Container Gate Operations and Documentation?
Automated container gate operations software eliminates the manual steps that slow down every truck visit — from booking to gate-in to yard operations to gate-out. The hauler enters booking data once when making the reservation. That data flows into the depot management system and becomes the single source of truth for everything that follows: gate validation, barrier control, lift operator job cards, and gate-out confirmation. Documentation is the by-product of operations running correctly — not a separate task performed by gate or office staff.
ConPDS Autogate is the physical gate layer of the ConPDS platform — a complete, turnkey installation that replaces a manual gate with a fully automated one. It consists of multiple dedicated cameras for container code and licence plate recognition, a driver-facing kiosk totem running the self-service Autogate app, a QR scanner for instant booking identification, a safety-interlocked barrier with sensors that prevent closing while a vehicle is in the lane, and a video intercom for direct communication with the gate office. Before a truck arrives, the hauler pre-registers each booking online — generating one QR code per booking. At gate-in, the truck passes through the camera zone and stops at the kiosk totem. ConPDS Tracker reads the licence plate and container code(s) from the video stream and pushes the results to the kiosk app — the driver sees their plate and container codes already displayed on screen. The driver then scans their QR code(s) from inside the cabin, triggering DepotMaster validation. On a confirmed match, the barrier opens automatically. On a mismatch, the driver receives clear on-screen instructions and can speak to the gate office via the intercom. Lift operators receive digital job cards. At gate-out, the exit gate scans automatically, the driver confirms on the kiosk, and exits immediately.
Complete turnkey gate installation — cameras, kiosk totem, QR scanner, barrier, safety sensors, video intercom, and network equipment all supplied and configured as one integrated system
Haulers pre-register online before the truck arrives — each booking generates one QR code; a driver with multiple bookings arrives with one QR code per booking
Truck passes through the camera zone — Tracker reads the licence plate and container code(s) and displays the results on the kiosk screen before the driver does anything
Driver scans QR code(s) from inside the cabin — this triggers DepotMaster validation; no need to leave the vehicle on a standard transaction
ISO 6346 check-digit validation catches OCR misreads at capture, before they enter DepotMaster
REST API connection to DepotMaster — reservation matching and barrier control without office staff involvement on standard transactions
Lift operators receive digital job cards — no paper job orders in the yard
EIR-linked evidence — every gate event is timestamped and connected to visual evidence for dispute resolution
On-prem video processing — OCR runs locally for resilience; no internet dependency for gate operation. Images are transmitted securely to DepotMaster's SaaS servers; a local copy is retained on-premise
One Booking. A Cascade of Manual Steps. All of Them Avoidable.
Without automation, a single truck visit creates a cascade of manual steps:
Hauler calls or emails the depot to make a booking
Office staff manually enter truck and container data
A paper or digital work order is created for the lift operator
Driver arrives, leaves the cabin, walks to the office
Office staff manually verify the booking and issue gate access
Truck enters — yard operations proceed from the work order
Driver returns to the office at gate-out for exit paperwork
Every step depends on the previous one being done correctly, by hand, by someone. At a depot processing thousands of gate events per month, manual registration takes several minutes per visit — longer under peak load. Observed at live deployments, the same gate event now completes in seconds.
Without Automated Gate Documentation
Drivers must leave their cabin and walk to the office for manual registration — trucks queue up behind them
Gate staff manually read and type container numbers — transcription errors create downstream reservation mismatches
Lift operators work from paper job orders — all container movements require manual tracking with no live yard visibility
No retrievable record of which truck carried which container at what time — EIR disputes cannot be resolved from evidence
After service, drivers must return to the office for a second round of manual paperwork before they can exit
With ConPDS Autogate
Hauler pre-registers each booking online — driver arrives with one QR code per booking (one or more depending on orders) and proceeds directly to the gate
Truck passes cameras — Tracker reads plate and container code(s) and displays results on the kiosk screen; driver scans QR from the cabin to confirm the booking; barrier opens on match without leaving the vehicle
Lift operators receive digital job cards via Tracker — no paper in the yard, container movements coordinated in real time
Exit gate automatically scans the outbound truck; driver confirms on kiosk and exits immediately — no second office visit
Every gate event is timestamped and linked to EIR evidence — disputes resolved from a retrievable record, not verbal recall
✗ Before: Manual Gate Processing
Driver parks, leaves the cabin, walks to the office for registration. Staff manually enter truck and container data — error-prone and slow, several minutes per visit at minimum, longer at peak. Driver collects paper documents, enters the yard, then must return to the office a second time for exit paperwork before the barrier will open.
✓ After: ConPDS Autogate
Truck passes cameras, Tracker reads plate and container codes, driver scans QR from inside the cabin, DepotMaster validates, barrier opens — observed at live deployments, the entire gate-in process completes in seconds. At gate-out, the exit gate scans automatically, driver confirms on the kiosk, and exits immediately. No office visits, no paper, no manual data entry.
How Automated Container Gate Documentation Software Works in Practice
01
Pre-Register
Hauler books online, driver gets QR code(s)
02
Truck Approaches
Passes cameras, stops at kiosk totem
03
Tracker Identifies
OCR reads plate + container code(s), results shown on kiosk
04
Driver Scans QR
QR scan triggers DepotMaster validation
05
Barrier Decision
All data matches → barrier opens · Mismatch → office exception
STEPS 01–02 — PRE-REGISTER & APPROACH
Online Pre-Registration and Truck Approach
The hauler pre-registers each booking online — each booking generates one QR code for the driver. A driver with multiple bookings (e.g. a drop-off and a pick-up) arrives with one QR code per booking. The truck drives through the camera zone and stops at the kiosk totem — no staff involvement required at this stage.
STEPS 03–04 — IDENTIFY & VALIDATE
Tracker Identification, Kiosk Display, and QR Scan
ConPDS Tracker detects the truck from the video stream, reads the licence plate and container code(s), selects the best result, and pushes the data to the kiosk app. The driver sees their plate and container codes displayed on screen, then scans their QR code(s). The QR scan triggers the DepotMaster call — validating the OCR-captured data against the active booking in real time.
STEP 05 — BARRIER DECISION
Automatic Barrier Control or Exception Routing
When all data matches — licence plate, container code(s), and QR booking — DepotMaster confirms and Tracker opens the barrier automatically. The driver proceeds without leaving the cabin. On any mismatch, the kiosk displays a clear message and connects the driver to the gate office via intercom. The office can correct the data and open the barrier manually — every decision is logged in the audit trail.
Container Gate-In and Gate-Out Workflows — All Scenarios
ConPDS Autogate covers the full range of gate operations — standard, multi-container, and shuttle — with EIR-linked evidence at every step.
IDENTIFICATION
Camera-Based Container Identification
Multiple dedicated cameras read container codes and licence plates simultaneously. All captured codes are validated against ISO 6346 standards (owner code, serial number, and check digit) at the moment of capture — before any data reaches DepotMaster.
EVIDENCE
Condition Evidence Capture
Every gate transaction generates a timestamped, container-linked record — validated code, truck plate, camera frame, and gate decision. This evidence is directly linked to the Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR), giving shipping lines and leasing companies retrievable proof at every interchange without manual reconstruction.
CONTROL
Kiosk and Barrier Integration
The kiosk totem guides the driver through every step on screen. The safety-interlocked barrier opens and closes automatically based on DepotMaster confirmation — enabling fully unmanned gate operations on standard transactions, with office override available at all times.
Standard Gate-In Operations
Gate-In · Drop-Off
Container Drop-Off: OCR Match and Barrier Control
Truck passes through camera zone — Tracker reads licence plate and container code(s) from the video stream
Results displayed on kiosk screen — driver sees plate and container codes before taking any action
Driver scans QR code(s) from inside the cabin — triggers DepotMaster validation against the active booking
Match confirmed → Tracker executes barrier open; gate event logged with EIR evidence
Lift operator receives digital job card for yard processing — no paper job orders
Mismatch → driver sees on-screen instructions; office resolves via intercom and manual override
Gate-In · Pick-Up
Container Collection: Truck Plate Match and Reservation Confirmation
Truck passes cameras — Tracker reads licence plate and pushes result to kiosk screen
Driver scans QR code — triggers DepotMaster validation; reservation matched by truck plate, not container code
Match confirmed → barrier opens; container pick-up tracked in ConPDS Tracker
Mismatch → driver uses intercom; office can correct reservation or direct to office for resolution
Gate-Out Operations and EIR Evidence Closure
Gate-Out · Drop-Off Verification
Empty Truck Departure: No Unexpected Container Codes
Loaded Departure: Container Condition Acceptance and EIR Closure
Exit gate automatically scans the outbound truck and container code(s) — no driver action required to trigger the scan
DepotMaster checks detected container code against the lift driver's registered code
Driver confirms container condition on the kiosk terminal — accepted from inside the cabin
Confirmation logged → DepotMaster updated, barrier opens, driver exits immediately; full EIR evidence record closed in Tracker
Special Operations
Special · Shuttle / Hired Truck Booking
Multi-Container Shuttle: Single QR Code, Multiple Trucks
Trucking company hired to pick up multiple containers under a single booking (e.g. 30 × 45R1 under one Maersk booking)
Single QR code remains valid until all units in the booking are processed
All registered truck plates under the contracted company are accepted against the booking
DepotMaster tracks remaining units internally — Autogate checks plate registration, not individual truck assignment
Special · ADD OPERATION Multi-Booking
Multi-Booking Visit: Driver with Two or More Orders
Driver arriving with bookings for two different containers or two different shipping lines
Scans first QR code at kiosk → selects "+ ADD OPERATION" → scans second QR code
Both orders appear on operators' tablets simultaneously for yard processing
At gate-out, system confirms each container unit individually in sequence before barrier opens
What Automated Gate Operations Delivers for Depot Teams
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From Minutes to Seconds — Per Gate Event
Manual gate registration takes several minutes per truck — longer under peak load. Observed at live deployments, a standard gate event with ConPDS Autogate completes in seconds: automated OCR capture, QR confirmation, and instant DepotMaster validation with no manual input. At depots processing thousands of events per month, that difference is a material throughput gain.
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ISO 6346 Validation at Capture
Check-digit validation catches OCR misreads and data-entry errors at the moment of capture — before they reach DepotMaster or the EIR record.
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EIR-Linked Evidence at Every Gate Event
Every gate transaction creates a timestamped, container-linked evidence record — giving shipping lines and leasing companies the proof they need to resolve interchange disputes.
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Full Office Control — Without Leaving the Desk
Gate operators see live OCR reads, licence plates, and the camera frame used for each capture. They can mirror the driver's kiosk screen, speak to the driver via intercom, correct any incorrect data, force a barrier open, or remotely reset a kiosk — all from the Tracker interface.
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Exceptions Handled Indoors
Mismatch events are routed to the office via kiosk intercom — removing outdoor staff exposure from exception handling while keeping the gate team in full operational control.
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Trusted Vehicle Bypass
Whitelisted licence plates — depot vehicles, regular service trucks, or known internal traffic — can be configured to pass through automatically without triggering a full gate-in or gate-out flow.
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Full Audit Trail — Every Decision Logged
Matches, mismatches, manual overrides, and driver acceptances are all captured and recorded by ConPDS Tracker — every gate decision is timestamped and retrievable at any point.
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Configurable Yard Capacity Limit
When the yard reaches its configured truck limit, the kiosk tells the driver to wait — barrier stays closed. The moment capacity clears, the barrier opens automatically and the driver is notified on screen to proceed.
ConPDS Platform: Three Layers, One Connected Record
ConPDS Autogate
The Capture Layer
A complete, turnkey gate installation — dedicated cameras for container OCR and licence plate recognition, a driver-facing kiosk totem with QR scanner, a safety-interlocked barrier with lane sensors, a video intercom to the gate office, and all network equipment. Delivered and configured as one integrated system.
The kiosk totem runs the self-service Autogate app — the driver-facing output of ConPDS Tracker. It guides the driver through gate-in or gate-out step by step, displaying exactly what Tracker has processed and what DepotMaster has confirmed, in plain language the driver can act on immediately.
Autogate is the complete physical gate — cameras, kiosk, barrier, sensors, intercom, all in one installation. Tracker is the intelligence that processes it — and the control room through which gate operators manage every transaction in real time. The kiosk app guides each driver through their specific process, step by step. Checker captures the inspection evidence that completes the record.
Compliance, Security, and Data Handling
On-Premise Video Processing
ISO 6346 Container Number Validation
Full Gate Event Audit Trail
Local Image Copy Retained On-Premise
Secure Transmission to DepotMaster
Configurable Yard Capacity Control
Video processing and OCR run locally on-premise — the gate operates without an internet dependency, and raw camera footage is analysed on-site before any data is transmitted.
Captured images and booking data are transmitted securely to DepotMaster's SaaS servers via REST API. A copy of all captured images is also retained on-premise. Data does leave the site, but only to DepotMaster's secured servers.
Data security, access control, and GDPR compliance for stored data are governed by DepotMaster's infrastructure and data processing agreements — not by ConPDS Autogate directly. Depots should confirm data handling obligations with their DepotMaster agreement.
Every gate event — match, mismatch, manual override, and driver acceptance — is logged in a continuous, timestamped audit trail, accessible via DepotMaster and retrievable on demand for operational review or dispute resolution.
The system supports a configurable maximum number of trucks permitted inside the yard simultaneously — when the limit is reached, the kiosk displays a clear message to the driver and the barrier stays closed. Once a truck exits and capacity clears, the barrier opens automatically and the driver is notified on the kiosk to proceed.
System Integrations and Deployment Model
DepotMaster · REST API
MQTT output
JSON output
ConPDS Autogate currently integrates with DepotMaster via REST API — reservation lookup, match/mismatch response, and barrier trigger all run through this connection. Captured images and booking data are transmitted securely to DepotMaster's SaaS servers; a local copy of images is retained on-premise. ConPDS Tracker — the GPU-powered intelligence layer — processes all video streams, OCR, and licence plate data on-premise and coordinates the full gate transaction in real time. Gate event data is also available via MQTT and JSON outputs. Deployment model: all video processing runs locally at the gate for resilience, with no internet dependency for gate operation itself. Integration configuration is handled by the ConPDS team during site commissioning — no development work required from the depot.
Frequently Asked Questions About ConPDS Autogate
What is ConPDS Autogate and what does it do? ▼
ConPDS Autogate is a complete, turnkey automated gate system for container depots — cameras, kiosk totem, QR scanner, safety-interlocked barrier, and video intercom, all delivered and configured as one integrated installation. Haulers pre-register bookings online, drivers arrive and scan from inside the cabin, and the barrier opens automatically on a confirmed DepotMaster match — without the driver leaving the vehicle or office staff intervening.
Does ConPDS Autogate replace our existing depot management system? ▼
No. ConPDS Autogate integrates with DepotMaster via REST API. It adds automated OCR capture and barrier control to the gate workflow — your DMS remains the system of record for reservations. Autogate submits OCR-captured data to DepotMaster and acts on the match or mismatch result returned. Integration with additional depot management systems is on the roadmap.
What happens when OCR data does not match the booking reservation? ▼
When a mismatch is detected, the driver receives an on-screen message on the kiosk terminal touch screen directing them to use the intercom. Office staff are then able to correct the reservation data in DepotMaster and trigger the barrier manually, or direct the driver to the office for resolution. Every mismatch event and the subsequent office decision are logged in the audit trail — the exception handling itself is part of the retrievable record.
How is data handled and transmitted — does it leave the site? ▼
Video processing and OCR run locally on-premise — the gate operates without an internet dependency. Captured images and booking data are transmitted securely to DepotMaster's SaaS servers via REST API; a local copy of all images is also retained on-premise. Data does leave the site, but only to DepotMaster's secured servers. Data security, access control, and GDPR compliance for stored data are governed by DepotMaster's infrastructure and data processing agreements — depots should confirm their obligations under their DepotMaster agreement.
How does ConPDS Autogate support EIR documentation and dispute resolution? ▼
Every gate event is automatically linked to timestamped evidence — validated container code, truck plate, camera frame, and gate decision — creating an EIR-linked record at the point of transaction. When a shipping line or leasing company raises a dispute, the evidence is retrievable immediately without manual reconstruction of what happened at the gate.
How accurate is container number recognition, and how are OCR errors handled? ▼
All captured container codes are validated against ISO 6346 check-digit logic at the moment of capture — catching common OCR misreads such as character substitutions in dirty or damaged container numbering before the data reaches DepotMaster. When validation fails, the event is treated as a mismatch and routed through the standard exception flow: on-screen kiosk message, intercom, and office resolution with the decision logged in the audit trail.
How does ConPDS Autogate connect to ConPDS Tracker? ▼
ConPDS Tracker is the intelligence layer that powers Autogate — GPU-powered hardware that processes live video streams, performs container OCR and licence plate recognition, and executes the barrier decision the moment DepotMaster confirms a match. Gate operators manage every transaction from the Tracker interface: live OCR reads with camera frame preview, mirrored kiosk screen, intercom, data correction, forced barrier open, and remote kiosk reset — all without leaving the office.
Related Resources
ConPDS Autogate is the hardware layer at the gate. ConPDS Tracker is the intelligence layer that processes video streams, correlates OCR and licence plate data, and coordinates the gate transaction in real time. ConPDS Checker adds field inspection photo documentation — linked to the same container reference used at the gate.
If your depot is still processing gate events manually, the cost compounds with every truck. These are the operational consequences that ConPDS Autogate eliminates:
✗ Manual Gate Operations
✗
Minutes per truck at gate registrationEvery gate-in requires a gate officer to manually identify the driver, read the container code, and log the visit — repeated for every truck, every visit.
✗
Transcription errors create downstream mismatchesManual container number entry introduces transposed digits that create reservation mismatches — often not caught until a dispute is raised.
✗
Drivers leave their cabin and queue at the officeEvery truck requires the driver to physically enter the gate office — slowing throughput for every vehicle behind them.
✗
Paper job orders for lift operatorsLift operators work from printed or verbal instructions — no live coordination, no digital record of what was actioned and when.
✗
No EIR-linked evidence for interchange disputesWhen shipping lines or leasing companies raise a dispute, there is no retrievable camera evidence linked to the EIR record.
✗
Second office visit required at gate-outDrivers must return to the office before leaving — unnecessary friction added to the end of every gate transaction.
✓ With ConPDS Autogate
✓
Gate events processed in secondsCamera OCR reads the container code automatically on arrival — DepotMaster is updated and the barrier opens without staff intervention.
✓
OCR-validated codes — no manual entryISO 6346 container codes read directly from the container by camera — up to 99% accuracy, zero transcription, zero downstream mismatch.
✓
Drivers stay in their cabin throughoutThe kiosk handles driver interaction from inside the cab — job confirmation, instructions, and barrier release without leaving the vehicle.
✓
Digital job orders sent to lift operators instantlyDepotMaster job data pushed to lift operators in real time — live coordination, full digital record of every instruction actioned.
✓
Every gate event camera-evidenced and EIR-linkedGate-in and gate-out photos automatically attached to the EIR in DepotMaster — retrievable evidence for every interchange transaction.
✓
Full gate-out without returning to the officeGate-out handled at the kiosk — barrier opens, DepotMaster updated, driver clears the site in a single pass.
