News

Florida railway streamlines flow of equipment with automated gate system, kiosks

Florida East Coast Railway announced the deployment of an automated gate system to streamline the flow of equipment at its Intermodal Container Transfer Facility adjacent to Port Everglades, Florida.

December 17, 2014

Florida East Coast Railway announced the deployment of an automated gate system to streamline the flow of equipment at its Intermodal Container Transfer Facility adjacent to Port Everglades, Florida. 

The system uses optical character recognition technologies to automatically identify trailers, containers, chassis and semi-trucks entering and exiting the terminal.

"FECR's automated gate system uses state-of-the-art technology that results in faster processing times, higher levels of security and no back up at the gate," Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steven Cernak said in a press release. "We take pride in the Port's easy access and quick turnaround, which is why we are happy that FECR made this investment in gate technology."

Cameras snap photos of truck license plates and identify stenciling on trailers, containers and chassis, which is sent to a bank of computers to be processed in real time through optical character-recognition technology. The computers query FECR's operating and billing systems for matching waybills, and send results to drivers for use on self-service kiosk screens positioned at each gate. Drivers can scan their commercial driver's license for identification at the kiosk and receive printed instructions regarding the assigned location to pick up or drop off equipment. The system is designed to reduce delays, increase capacity, provide improved visibility to support yard efficiency at the ICTF and enhance security, according to the announcement. 

"When we made the decision to invest in our state-of-the-art ICTF facility, our primary goal was to increase intermodal capacity while facilitating the efficient flow of both domestic and international goods. The automated gate system is just one aspect of the ICTF design that helps our customers and channel partners streamline their transportation processes," said James R. Hertwig, president and CEO of FECR, in a statement.