AUSTIN, Texas and SEATTLE, Wash. — Outpost is launching a new gate automation platform, making the technology available to shippers, enterprise fleets and terminal operators across the U.S.
“Outpost’s mission is to build the backbone of freight. Extending our technology footprint from our own properties to our customers’ terminals is the next logical step in achieving that mission,” said Greg Akselrod, Outpost CTO. “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.”
Using AI to Improve Security, Avoid Delays and Defray Costs
“The platform uses computer vision and AI to cut gate operating costs by 70%, improve yard security, eliminate entry and exit delays, and automatically capture 99.9% of gate events with accurate, auditable data,” Outpost said. “As an owner and operator of more than 25 truck terminals and drop yards, Outpost trained and tested the platform across more than 1 million gate events at its own properties before bringing the technology to market.”
For decades, gate operations have been treated as a necessary cost center in the supply chain. Staffing a single gate 24/7 typically costs $25,000 per month, yet most facilities still struggle with accurate visibility into equipment inventory and condition. Manual check-ins often miss critical issues like trailer mismatches and unauthorized access, while guard turnover rates of 100% to 300% continuously disrupt operations. Nationwide, these inefficiencies contribute to more than $6.7 billion in avoidable costs each year, according to an Outpost media release.
In addition, manual gate operations represent a growing security threat, with one-third of cargo thefts occurring at warehouses and distribution centers in 2024 and a growing percentage of incidents involving insider participation. These threats often exploit the same manual gate procedures that drive waste.
Helping Fleets with a Direct Response
“Outpost’s technology is a direct response to these challenges, informed by the company’s unique experience as a terminal owner and operator,” Outpost said. “The platform combines computer vision, AI, and voice agents to significantly reduce costs while improving security. Outpost provides the industry’s only vertically integrated gate automation solution consisting of software, hardware, civil planning, installation, and ongoing remote operations services. Deployments at most terminals are completed in as little as 1 week.”
“Outpost is taking the pain out of gate operations,” said Ryan Gass, vice president of safety, terminal management, security and facilities maintenance at Werner Enterprises. “Our drivers get through faster, our teams have better visibility, and our equipment is more secure. Using the platform at Outpost and our own terminals gives us cleaner data, faster terminal throughput, and a unified view of our fleet across Werner and Outpost sites. They’re setting a new standard for how all modern facilities should run.”
Key Capabilities
“The platform includes the most comprehensive and accurate computer vision in the freight industry, covering 20 points of detection, recognition, and inspection,” Outpost said. “It’s built to understand every vehicle, driver, document and anomaly, and continuously learn and improve with each gate event.”
Key capabilities include:
- Multi-part Vehicle Identification – 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.
- 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.
- Security Verification – Identifying seal presence, confirming driver identity through face-to-ID matching, validating license authenticity, and flagging tractor-trailer misdispatches.
- Situational Awareness – 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.
- Custom Detection – Outpost can train custom models for terminal-specific risks and SOP enforcement.
“These capabilities enable drivers to enter and exit the yard without stopping while terminal operators still capture all data required for operations and security compliance,” Outpost said. “The platform also pioneers the use of AI voice agents at the gate. These agents are capable of greeting each driver, administering standard operating procedures, answering questions, and issuing site-specific instructions. Drivers can interact naturally in their native language without the need for apps or manually entering key codes.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
