Gate-in and gate-out are the recorded moments a container passes a terminal or depot gate: gate-in when it enters, gate-out when it leaves. They anchor the export and import clocks: gate-in starts export readiness, gate-out ends import dwell and starts the detention clock.
A gate transaction is more than a timestamp: the gate verifies the container and seal, checks the booking or release reference, inspects for damage, and issues an equipment interchange receipt (EIR) that fixes responsibility for the box’s condition at handover. Modern gates automate much of this with cameras and optical character recognition, which is why gate events tend to be the most promptly reported milestones in a container’s timeline.
The pair of events brackets terminal custody, and every charge regime hangs off them: export cargo must gate in before cut-off; import demurrage stops at gate-out; detention runs from gate-out to empty return.
In a tracked timeline, gate events are the punctuation marks between ocean and land: gate-in confirms your export made the terminal, gate-out confirms the import actually moved. TrackingMCP treats them as first-class milestones in tracking, because free time, appointments, and drayage plans all pivot on exactly these two timestamps.
Gate-in and gate-out are the recorded moments a container passes a terminal or depot gate: gate-in when it enters, gate-out when it leaves. They anchor the export and import clocks: gate-in starts export readiness, gate-out ends import dwell and starts the detention clock.
No. Gate-out is departure from the terminal; delivery is arrival at the consignee’s door after the drayage leg. The two can differ by hours or days.
The equipment interchange receipt, produced at the gate, recording the container, seal, and condition at handover between terminal and trucker. It is the evidence base for damage and seal disputes.
Track gate events per container →
Free-time clocks explained →
More in Ports & terminals: Port congestion · Anchorage (anchorage wait) · Dwell time · Terminal operating system (TOS) · Terminal appointment · Empty return · Earliest return date (ERD) · Container yard (CY) · Container freight station (CFS) · Port of loading & discharge (POL/POD) · Browse all 106 terms →