Source: Adapted from Dr. Paul Kent, Monument Economics Group.
Soft forms of terminal automation involve gate management and appointment systems. Since many container terminals are located in high-density areas, their vicinity and approaches can be subject to congestion. Further, large container ships tend to increase the number of containers handled per port call and the number of related trucks passing through the terminal gate within a given period. Truck appointment systems (also known as vehicle booking systems) have been deployed to mitigate gate and corridor congestion by managing capacity and synchronizing gate and truck flows. They can be categorized into four major categories, with increasing levels of sophistication and dynamic adjustments.
- Terminal specific. The first generation of truck appointment systems offers a predefined number of appointments that are booked on an online platform (or an app) by approved terminal users. Drivers are usually provided with an appointment time and a 15- to 30-minute window to meet it. They tend to be terminal-specific and cannot be modified if a reserved slot does not get used, leading to relatively high levels of “no shows”. The container and its related appointment are cross-verified at the gate using the container ID (OCR) or RFID. The ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach (PierPASS, TERMPoint, etc.), Valencia (TERMPoint), and Busan (Vehicle Booking System) have implemented such systems.
- Smart gate. The appointment system is typically deployed across several terminals within a port (or a single terminal if there are no others) and is usually linked to the port community system and terminal operating system(s). This implies that appointment slot adjustments can be made, not in real time, but for the next appointment cycle. Jeddah Islamic Port (Fasah Platform), Singapore (OptETruck), and Antwerp (Advanced Port Information and Control System) have implemented such systems.
- Digital pre-notification. The appointment system allows dynamic rescheduling when there is a lack of capacity at the terminal, gate congestion, or the truck is unable to fulfill its scheduled appointment. By using an API for real-time data exchange, slots can be assigned or rebooked dynamically, with driver notification. Gate and yard flows are therefore coordinated at the terminal and port community system level, though not in real-time throttling. These systems can be found in Rotterdam (Port Base), Hamburg (Dakosky), and Tanjung Pelepas (Terminal Truck Optimization, TT-O).
- Centralized gate. Involve using an off-terminal gate as a point of entry, which can be a physical facility (e.g., a waiting area) or a virtual mechanism (e.g., a geofence). This implies two crucial processes for dynamic flow adjustment. First, like the digital pre-notification system, appointments can be dynamically adjusted based on real-time terminal gate and yard conditions. Second, since the gate is located in a selected area around the port perimeter (or at multiple locations, depending on the complexity), gate routing can be dynamically adjusted based on live traffic conditions. This involves complex information technology coordination with information generated and updated from multiple sources. The port of Abaqa represents, so far, a unique case of dual flow management. However, ports with existing appointment systems, such as Antwerp, are heading in this direction.