Success Case
Advanced Container Terminal Burgas
Gate Automation
We believe that AI-driven solutions are key to staying competitive in today’s logistics landscape. We selected DSP and AllRead to implement gate automation at our Outgate, optimizing cargo flow and reducing turnaround times. We are confident that this partnership will further elevate our service quality and align us with the highest industry standards
3x
Faster gate exit
0
wrong containers leaving
97%
reading accuracy
About BMF Port Burgas: Bulgaria's Largest Container Terminal Operator
BMF Port Burgas, is Bulgaria’s largest private port operator, holding the consession rights for the Burgas East-2 and Burgas West terminals in Burgas Bay, on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. In addition, its container terminal, ACT Burgas, is one of the country’s major container nodes.
They continuously aim at operating at the standards of the most modern European ports. Growing, through sustained investments in quay, equipment and technology, to expand capacity and improve efficiency.
The Challenge: Manual Container Exit Control Slowing Down the Gate
4000 to 5000 container trucks a month stopped at the exit gate and a clerk visually checked the container number, verified it against the registered order and closed the transaction in the TOS. Each transaction took around a minute before the barrier opened.
The cost of this process was not primarily time; it was human error. Every year, around five containers left the terminal as the wrong container. If lucky they were caught at the main gate, if not, they were discovered by the shipping line, sometimes already at destination, resulting in the container having to be returned and risking an associated charge.
It was needed to remove human error from the process of exit control, without interrupting operations or building a new gate.
The Solution: Container OCR Retrofitted onto Existing Gate Infrastructure
Instead of building a conventional OCR gantry and requiring civil works, AllRead deployed its software on the access ACT Burgas already did. Using standard IP cameras and the structure of the existing exit, instead of needing a custom steel gantry and significant civil works.
The project was a collaboration with DSP, who was in charge of integrating the AllRead OCR with NAVIS N4 and all existing Processes in ACT Burgas. This included configuration, testing, field extensions, optimisation, and go-live support services, including localised training courses so that their management teams are up and running as quickly as possible.
Vehicle presence is detected by computer vision and in a single pass, the system reads the tractor license plate, the container’s BIC/ISO code, its association with the trailer carrying it, and the presence seals. This data is then consolidated in real time with Navis N4 and if the reading matches the registered exit authorization, the barriers open, without the need of human intervention. In case the data does not match, the barrier stays closed and the exception is escalated to a person, preventing the wrong container from leaving the premises.
For every container that leaves the terminal an image is captured, stored and linked to its corresponding TOS transaction. Allowing full traceability of the gate operations and having visual proof in case of insurance claims.
The Results: 3x Faster Gate Exits and Zero Wrong Containers Leaving
Reusing the ports existing infrastructure allowed AllRead to implement OCR for exit-control in the most cost efficient way, without requiring new structures and still providing a reading accuracy of over 97%. The gate-exit process became three times faster, leading to less congestion at the gate. Additionally, and most importantly 0 wrong containers leave the Terminal annually, eliminating the costs that were previously connected to wrong exits.
Thanks to the OCR implementation 99% of transactions are resolved without human intervention, leaving more time for operators to focus on higher-value tasks.
Night-time container OCR reading at the ACT Burgas gate