With more than 500 trucks per day passing through the gates at APM Terminals Pipavav, even the smallest efficiency improvement quickly adds up to hundreds of hours saved per day. The terminal’s latest digital solution also offers significant environmental benefits, cost savings and improved safety.
APM Terminals Pipavav has developed an online version of Form 13 (gate-in permits issued by terminals) required for each import/export container. Known as e-form 13, it will save close to 3 million km of road trips and their associated carbon emissions each year.
For customers, this translates into time savings and fuel cost savings. With many of these kilometres often covered by couriers on motorbikes, this also means significantly less risk of fatal road traffic accidents. The new paperless system will also save millions of sheets of waste paper per year and speed up the processing, highlighted a release.
Earlier at APM Terminals Pipavav, shipping lines would collect multiple documents to issue completed Form 13 for each import/export container. The truck arrived at the pre-gate waiting area and handed over the documents required to obtain Form 13 to gate in the container. The Customs House Agent then took the documents on a 14 km round trip to the shipping line’s office to submit the documentation and wait for a manual Form 13. Once the trucker had Form 13, the details had to be entered in the Terminal Operating System by a pre-gate clerk. Only then could they enter the terminal.
Interconnected systems
In the new scenario, from the safety of his or her office, the Customs House Agent simply uploads the required documentation digitally onto the e-Form 13 platform. The shipping line verifies the uploaded documents via an approval screen and digitally approves them. This triggers an Approval Transaction Number and the Terminal Operating System is updated with the necessary information. The Customs House Agent sends the Approval Transaction Number to the driver via text message which enables the truck to pass through the gate.
Smooth implementation
The development partner for the new system was carefully selected based on their previous experience developing similar platforms to ensure that the transition went as smoothly as possible. Training sessions were run to ensure that all of those impacted by the change fully understood the process and implications. Through these training sessions, the terminal has also strengthened customer engagement.
