The Georgia Ports Authority Garden City Terminal is upgrading from the current Navis SPARCS/Express terminal operating system to the newest Navis N4 system on April 2, 2022.  SPARCS/Express was first introduced to Garden City Terminal in the fall of 2000, and it has served us well through two decades of growth.  It is now time to modernize so that we can continue to expand, innovate, and serve you into the future.

The Navis N4 system is used at 59 terminals in North America and 389 terminals around the world. The GPA first implemented N4 in August 2018 with the opening of the Appalachian Rail Port, and again in February 2021 when the expanded container operation came online at Savannah’s Ocean Terminal.  It is a proven and scalable technology platform.

The upgrade will begin at 1800 on April 1 and complete at 0200 on April 2.  The gate will open as usual at 0600 on April 2.

All terminal operations at Garden City and Ocean Terminal will stop at 1800 on April 1. Vessel, yard, and rail operations will restart at 0200 on April 2 and will be ramped up in a controlled manner over several hours. The Gate will open as usual at 0600 on April 2. Ocean Terminal gate will resume operations as usual at 0700 on Monday, April 4.

Gate hours will be temporarily extended to provide extra opportunities for truckers to access the terminal. Additionally, GPA will be operational on Sunday April 3.

Beyond April 8 the GPA will advise of any additional gate changes should they be needed.

The GPA will provide additional staffing to support the extended gate hours. It is expected that service levels will be high during evening and weekend hours, so please plan accordingly.

Upgrading any mission critical system is a challenge.  We expect there will be a brief period of diminished efficiency as users become accustomed to the new system.  

The GPA has invested in extensive training for our staff and other users of the N4 system. This training is in progress now and will continue through April 1.   

In addition to training, extended gate hours and additional staffing, we are taking several other actions to decrease the impact on our customers.  In coordination with Gateway – our ILA and stevedore partners – over 150 individuals will be dedicated to supporting system users during the transition. In addition, more than 40 external consultants, software engineers and technology managers will be on the ground in Savannah to support the upgrade.  We will have the right resources on site to identify and resolve issues quickly.

There are no changes in vessel, yard, or rail processes outside of the additional gate hours described above. 

However, when the gates close on Friday evening all existing pins will be discarded. Truckers will be required to create new pins in WebAccess, GPA’s customer access portal, when it is up and running at 0200 Saturday morning. Truckers will create PINS in  WebAccess using the same process they currently follow. 

All terminal operations at Garden City and Ocean Terminal will stop at 1800 on April 1. Vessel, yard, and rail operations will restart at 0200 on April 2 and will be ramped up in a controlled manner over several hours. The Garden City Terminal gate will open as usual at 0600 on April 2. Ocean Terminal gate will resume operations as usual at 0700 on Monday, April 4.

Open, transparent communication is important during this transition. The GPA will send daily status updates at 13:00 Eastern US Time on each business day after the go live, and more often if needed.

The GPA Customer Service Center will be available to address inquiries. 

912-963-5526 or [email protected].  You may also use our Chat feature through our website, www.gaports.com.  Our Chat is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

When the gates close on Friday evening all existing pins will be discarded. Truckers will be required to create new pins in WebAccess, GPA’s customer access portal, when it is up and running at 0200 Saturday morning. Truckers will create PINS in WebAccess   using the same process they currently follow.

Yes.  When the gates close on Friday evening all existing pins will be discarded. Truckers will be required to create new pins in WebAccess, GPA’s customer access portal, when it is up and running at 0200 Saturday morning. Truckers will create PINS in WebAccess using the same process they currently follow.

The process for requesting access and resetting passwords through www.gaports.com remains the same.

No.  The physical layout, driver facing systems, tickets and traffic flows in the gate and yard will not change.  There are no process changes for drivers accessing the GPA.

No.  All credentialing and security requirements are the same after the N4 go live.  If your current credentials are valid, there is nothing that you need to do to continue accessing the terminal.

No.  Physical tickets printed at the gate are the same.  Receipts will continue to be available after the fact through WebAccess.

No.  All processes for trucks entering Garden City Terminal are the same after the N4 go live.

Yes.  All terminal operations, including vessel operations, will be stopped from 1800 on April 1 until 0200 on April 2 to accommodate the system upgrade.  Vessel operations will be ramped up in a controlled manner from 0200 to 1300 on April 2.  Full terminal operations will continue from 1300 on April 2 onward.

Yes.  Current users of Express will instead have access to N4.

A training manual and system documentation are available for download at www.gaports.com.

The GPA Customer Service Center is also offering virtual training sessions for customers that are transitioning from Express to N4.  If you would like more information please contact the Customer Service Center at 912-963-5526 or [email protected].

Request access through www.gaports.com.

Yes.  If you receive EDI from the GPA today, then there will be changes after the upgrade to N4.  The GPA EDI Team is in the process of testing EDI changes with designated EDI teams for all impacted customers. EDI changes in N4 are only related to container activity (i.e. not breakbulk).

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the GPA EDI Team at [email protected]

If you have additional questions or would like more information, please contact the Customer Service Center at 912-963-5526 or [email protected].

Revised March 23, 2022