Configure the various container number fields in a gate configuration

When adding form fields to a trans type form for a gate configuration, there are three different container number fields available as follows:

These fields are used at different gate stages for different purposes in a gate configuration. The following table illustrates when to use each of these fields and why:

Gate Transaction Type

Ingate Stage

Yard Stage

Outgate Stage

Purpose

Receive container (RE, RI, or RM) and through container (TC)

Container Nbr

Container Nbr

Container Nbr

Use the Container Nbr field to record the actual container received at the gate.

Unknown

Container Nbr (for receivals)

Not applicable

Container Nbr (in rare cases for deliveries)

Use the Container Nbr field to record an actual container received at the gate even if the transaction type is not known.

Deliver container (DI, DE, or DM)

Container Nbr Requested

Container Nbr Requested (view only)

or

Container Nbr provided (view only)

Container Nbr

and

Container Nbr Requested (view only)

or

Container Nbr provided (view only)

Use the Container Nbr Requested field to enter a request for a specific container number at the ingate and to optionally display the requested container number at a yard or outgate stage.

Use the Container Nbr provided field to display the container number provided by N4 at a yard or outgate stage. N4 records the container that the CHE placed on the truck in the Container Nbr provided field.

Use the Container Nbr field at the outgate to record the actual container being delivered out the gate.

Of these fields, only the Container Nbr field records the actual container departing the facility.

For deliveries, there are various ways in which you can verify the container departing the facility at the outgate. How you do this may depend on your operational rules and if you have OCR or RFID technology at the outgate. Regardless of how you do this, the actual container number must be saved in the Container Nbr field for N4 to depart the correct container. Use the following business tasks to configure this:

If you use the AssignScannedContainerNbrsToPickups business task, then the scanned number is in the Container Nbr field.

The following table outlines some common outgate verification scenarios and how these business tasks and form fields are typically configured for each:

Outgate Verification for Deliveries

Business Tasks

Form Fields in Outgate form

Usage

There is no outgate verification and no scanned container data.

(Not Recommended)

CopyContainerAssignedToNbr at the ingate stage

or

CopyContainerProvidedToNbr at the yard stage

Not applicable

N4 copies either the requested container number or container number provided in the yard to the Container Nbr field without verifying the actual container departing.

The container number is scanned at the outgate, but there is no outgate verification.

AssignScannedContainerNbrsToPickups at the outgate stage

Not applicable

N4 copies the scanned container number to the Container Nbr field.

A clerk verifies that the scanned container number matches the actual container departing.

AssignScannedContainerNbrsToPickups at the outgate stage

Container Nbr

N4 copies the scanned container number to the Container Nbr field for the clerk to verify and edit as needed.

N4 verifies that the scanned container number matches the container requested or provided and a clerk only verifies trouble transactions.

AssignScannedContainerNbrsToPickups

and

RejectScannedContainerNbrMismatch

at the outgate stage

Container Nbr

and

Container Nbr Requested (view only)

or

Container Nbr provided (view only)

N4 copies the scanned container number to the Container Nbr field and then verifies that this number matches either the Container Nbr Requested or Container Nbr provided.

 

Verify that the actual container departing matches the container number requested at the ingate.

 

CopyContainerAssignedToNbr at the ingate stage

Container Nbr

N4 copies the container number requested at the ingate to the Container Nbr field for the clerk to verify against the actual container.

RejectContainerSubstitution at the outgate stage

Container Nbr

and

Container Nbr Requested (view only)

The clerk enters the actual container number in the Container Nbr field and N4 verifies that this matches the requested container number.

A clerk verifies that the container number provided in the yard matches the actual container departing.

CopyContainerProvidedToNbr at the yard stage

Container Nbr

N4 copies the container number provided in the yard to the Container Nbr field for the clerk to verify and edit as needed.