How AI is being used to boost efficiency and security at truck terminal gates

Geek Wire

a day ago

A new automated gate platform from Outpost is designed to capture more reliable data as trucks enter and exit terminals and shipping sites. (Outpost Photo)
Outpost, the Austin-based operator of truck terminals across the U.S., announced Thursday that it's rolling out a gate automation platform developed by the company's engineering team located in Seattle.
The platform uses computer vision and artificial intelligence in a bid to cut costs, improve security, eliminate entry and exit delays, and automatically capture more reliable data.
Outpost trained and tested the platform across more than 1 million gate events at the more than 20 properties that it owns, and is making the technology available to shippers, enterprise fleets, and other terminal operators.
Human gate operators have long been considered a necessary cost of doing business across the trucking industry. According to Outpost, staffing a single gate 24/7 typically costs $25,000 per month. But manual checks can miss critical issues like trailer mismatches, equipment condition, and unauthorized access.
The gate automation platform is built to understand every vehicle, driver, document, and anomaly, and continuously learn and improve with each gate event. Key capabilities — which enable drivers to enter and exit a yard without stopping — include:
Multi-part vehicle identification : Detecting vehicle type, make, model, color, trailer class, and fuel type.
: Detecting vehicle type, make, model, color, trailer class, and fuel type. ID and compliance recognition : Reading USDOT and MC numbers, license plates, trailer and container IDs, chassis markings, hazmat placards, red tags, and company logos.
: Reading USDOT and MC numbers, license plates, trailer and container IDs, chassis markings, hazmat placards, red tags, and company logos. Damage and safety inspection : Detecting dents, rust, scratches, broken lights, missing mud flaps, tire tread and sidewall issues, improper driver safety gear, and dashboard obstructions.
: Detecting dents, rust, scratches, broken lights, missing mud flaps, tire tread and sidewall issues, improper driver safety gear, and dashboard obstructions. Security verification : Identifying seal presence, confirming driver identity through face-to-ID matching, validating license authenticity, and flagging tractor-trailer mis-dispatches.
: Identifying seal presence, confirming driver identity through face-to-ID matching, validating license authenticity, and flagging tractor-trailer mis-dispatches. Situational awareness : Tracking equipment movement, speed, full stops, tailgates, and gate malfunctions.
: Tracking equipment movement, speed, full stops, tailgates, and gate malfunctions. Document and cargo intelligence: Extracting data from bills of lading and similar paperwork; detecting trailer and container cargo.
The platform also features the use of AI voice agents at the gate (see video above), which are capable of greeting each driver, administering standard operating procedures, answering questions, and issuing site-specific instructions.
Outpost CTO Greg Akselrod said the company's mission is to 'build the backbone of freight' and extend its technology footprint beyond its own properties.
'By linking carrier terminals and drop yards into a single operational network, we're enabling a new level of visibility and coordination across the freight ecosystem, turning the gate from a cost center into a strategic control point,' Akselrod said in a statement.
Omaha, Neb.-based transportation and logistics company Werner Enterprises is an early user of the new platform.
'Outpost is taking the pain out of gate operations,' said Ryan Gass, VP of Safety, Terminal Management, Security and Facilities Maintenance at Werner. 'Our drivers get through faster, our teams have better visibility, and our equipment is more secure.'
Founded in 2022, Outpost raised a $12.5 million Series A investment round in April 2024. The company's engineering and marketing center is located in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, with about a dozen employees based in the city and another 10 who report in remotely.
Related: Full list of engineering centers in the Seattle region