Port logistics giant ACFS is introducing two paperless gate entry points at Port Botany this week that are expected to dramatically improve turnaround times.
From Tuesday, January 23, Tyne ACFS ECP Port Botany will operate using optical camera recognition (OCR) and licence plate recognition (LPR), along with a Camco gate entry process for trucks.
The camera technology will scan and read the truck rego on arrival and match it against a valid slot booking, while the Camco screen will confirm the job and issue the driver with a ticket indicating the depot location for drop-off or pick up of containers.
If the rego can’t be matched with a slot booking, the Camco screen will instruct the driver to “call operator” from the Camco Kiosk. Trucks arriving without a valid slot booking will be instructed to leave the depot and return when a slot booking has been made.
From Wednesday, January 24, ACFS will operate the same systems at ACFS eDepot Port Botany.
“This marks a significant stride in the commitment of ACFS to bolster efficiency, optimise traffic flow, and enable seamless, paperless operations,” said peak body Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) in a statement announcing the changes.
“It is expected that the new paperless truck entry system at ACFS eDepot Port Botany will improve truck turnaround times (TTT) and potentially create capacity for more trucks to be processed in any given time zone.”
A previous study conducted in Victoria found that paperless entry systems can improve turnaround times by as much as 30 per cent, or between 5-10 minutes per truck visit.
“CTAA continues to encourage all empty container park operators to transition to paperless truck entry processes and to consider the benefits of the OneStop Modal platform, which is now evolving to be far superior to other depot management technology platforms.”
A OneStop/ACFS eDepot notice to industry with further details about the new truck arrival processes can be downloaded here.