Freight railroad network operator BNSF in the US has installed an Automated Gate System (AGS) at its San Bernardino, California intermodal facility to reduce driver transaction time and record images of the equipment.
AGS features optical character recognition (OCR), biometric driver identification and high-definition video imagery to improve safety, security and efficiency at gate entry, as well as storing photos to assist with damage prevention.
AGS records images of the equipment, as a tractor-trailer passes through a video portal and an OCR device reads the container and chassis unit numbers automatically.
Drivers will then complete the gate transaction at entry kiosks and receive a printed receipt.
The company used a design/build method to install the system, which helped it to implement the technology within four months and complete the project 10% under budget.
An earlier installation at the Chicago-area Logistics Park and Corwith intermodal terminals, and Alliance, Texas terminal, reduced Class I driver transaction time by more than 50% and operational costs by 60%.
