Exchange Lane form

Configuration Gate Exchange Areas Exchange Areas view Exchange Area form Lanes view Exchange Lane form

The Exchange Lane form allows you to add or edit exchange lane details. An exchange lane or xlane is a gate lane that is used for the transfer of equipment to or from a truck.

To add or edit an exchange lane:

  1. In the Lane ID field, enter an ID that uniquely identifies the exchange lane for the selected exchange area.

  1. In the Description field, enter a description of the purpose of the exchange lane.

  2. From the Lane Status drop-down list, select either Open, Closed, Locked, or, Reserved option to display the current status of the exchange lane. By default, N4 displays the lane status as Open.

  3. Specify any optional information, such as the lane pedestal ID, loop detector indication, lane assignment priority and lane clearance delay.

  4. Click Save.

The following table lists the optional fields in the Exchange Lane form:

Field Label

Description

Pedestal ID

Enter the exchange lane pedestal ID. This is the external ID of the pedestal as specified by your pedestal hardware provider. N4 uses the exchange lane pedestal ID to process the truck data collected at the pedestal.

Has Loop Detector

When checked, indicates that the lane has a Loop Detector that will send a truck exit message. If this is checked when the truck is sent to trouble, the lane status will remain as sent to trouble until the lane clearance message is received, otherwise the lane will be cleared automatically.

Assignment Priority

Enter the priority for the selected exchange lane. The lower the number the higher the priority. N4 first assigns trucks to open lanes with the highest priority (lowest number).

N4 selects an available lane to assign to a truck based on the following process:

  • N4 obtains a list of all available lanes that support the TEU capacity of the chassis.

  • The list is in the order of assignment sequence specified for the area.

  • N4 prioritizes the lanes according to the Assignment Priority for the lane giving the highest priority to the lowest number. Within the same Assignment Priority, the sequence is determined by the assignment sequence.

For example, if you have the following lanes with the specified Assignment Priority:

Lane 1 - 1

Lane 2 - 2

Lane 3 - 20

Lane 4 - 15

Lane 5 - 10

Lane 6 - 30

Lane 7 - 25

N4 will select the lanes in the following order:

Lane 1

Lane 2

Lane 5

Lane 4

Lane 3

Lane 7

Lane 6

  • N4 tries to select a lane that has lanes free on both sides.

  • If there is no such lane, N4 selects the first available lane but tries to avoid the lane next to the one that was last assigned.

You must include the AssignExchangeLane (on page 1) or AssignExchangeLaneIfReady (on page 1) business task for N4 to assign lanes and use an assignment priority.

Clearance Delay

Enter the number of seconds after all moves for a truck in the selected exchange lane are complete, ensuring that the lane is available. This determines how long N4 waits to assign another truck to the lane after an existing truck's moves are complete.

You must use the AssignExchangeLane (on page 1) or AssignExchangeLaneIfReady (on page 1) business task for N4 to assign lanes and use a clearance delay.