Container locations, digital gate tickets ease on-terminal process

SAVANNAH, Ga., June 4, 2026 – More people are downloading the GPA Trucker mobile app. Since its roll-out in October 2025, enrollment has grown from fewer than 900 to more than 4,000 users, according to the Georgia Ports Authority.

“We’re happy to see the trucking community using the app to streamline the driver experience. Truckers are our front-line customers. Faster turn times for them make our entire port operation more productive,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch. “Our goal is to make it easier for drivers to use our ports.”

The GPA Trucker App provides on-terminal container locations and sends push notifications when digital gate transaction tickets are issued, reducing the need for paper documents at terminal gates. The mobile app is aimed at expediting truck moves at one of the nation’s busiest container ports.

Pinpointing Container Locations

The app now allows drivers to see their own location on the terminal relative to pinned container positions, helping them navigate port facilities more efficiently. It also identifies the terminal gate closest to the container, cutting down on driving inside the port.

Savannah’s terminals handle more than 14,000 truck gate moves on an average weekday between 4 a.m. and 6 p.m., according to the authority. Truck turn times average 32 minutes for a single transaction and 50 minutes for dual moves involving both export drop-offs and import pickups.

Lynch said those quick turn times allow many drivers serving local warehouses to complete six to eight trips a day while maintaining predictable schedules.

Improved PIN Process

The app also simplifies the use of personal identification numbers, or PINs, which Georgia Ports uses to track container transactions. Historically, drivers have provided the PIN to receive a paper ticket at the gate showing where a container could be picked up or dropped off. PINs are valid for 72 hours.

On the app, digital tickets are automatically pushed to drivers’ phones. Those tickets can be stored on the device or forwarded to a trucking company, eliminating paper handling.

The app can also send alerts directly to drivers, including changes to gate hours and weather-related updates. For ease of use, it supports biometric login through facial recognition or fingerprint authentication.

Port officials said the additional visibility can help drivers avoid unnecessary trips — for example, if a PIN has expired or an export container has been reassigned to a different vessel. While use of the app remains optional at Garden City Terminal, Savannah’s largest facility, truck gates at the smaller Ocean Terminal now rely exclusively on digital tickets.

The GPA Trucker app is available on Apple and Android platforms.

Facial Recognition Speeds Truck Gate Access

For a faster gate process for truckers, GPA is also rolling out facial recognition at its Garden City Terminal gates.

Port officials said a successful trial has been completed, and now facial recognition is available at all inbound lanes at Gate 3. This is the first phase of a gradual rollout of facial recognition technology at all gates at Garden City Terminal. 

Port officials said drivers must still keep their TWIC cards in their immediate possession while on terminal, but drivers who have enrolled in the system no longer need to present the cards at lanes equipped with facial recognition.

Drivers who wish to enroll in facial recognition may do so from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at GPA Public Safety, 102 Main St., in Garden City. A TWIC card is required. Facial recognition enrollment is separate from GPA Trucker App enrollment.

ABOUT GEORGIA PORTS

Georgia’s Ports in Savannah and Brunswick are strategic gateways, creating the most competitive supply chains in the nation with their level of operations, connectivity and supply chain ecosystem. These attributes combined with Georgia’s ranking as the top state to do business for 12 consecutive years create a strong business model for growth. The Port of Savannah is one of the best-connected ports in the U.S. to world markets with 40 ship calls a week, 42 doublestack trains per week and 14,000 truck gate moves daily. The Port of Brunswick is the number 1 ranked U.S. RoRo port by annual volumes for autos and has an increasing amount of machinery cargoes with its expanded high and heavy cargo operating space.  GPA has a self-financed investment plan of nearly $5 billion for the next ten years which will see five new big ship container berths added in Savannah (the most new berths of any U.S. container port) and a fourth RoRo berth in Brunswick to meet future growth. In the past decade, GPA has invested $3.2 billion in infrastructure improvements. As part of GPA’s community engagement efforts, $6 million is being donated to port communities to support a multi-year, local workforce housing initiative, helping 178 families repair, buy or build a home in the Savannah area since its start in September 2023. For further information, visit gaports.com or contact Edward Fulford, Manager of Media Relations at [email protected]  912-964-3806.