GPA Container locations, digital gate tickets ease on-terminal process
- GPA Trucker App shows on-terminal container locations and drivers' positions, helping navigate terminals and find the nearest gate faster.
- Digital gate tickets push to phones, simplifying the PIN process and eliminating paper handling at terminal gates.
- GPA Trucker App sends alerts for gate hours, weather, and ticket changes, and supports biometric login via facial recognition or fingerprint.
- Facial recognition is rolling out at Garden City Terminal, allowing enrolled drivers to skip showing TWIC cards at equipped lanes.
- Ocean Terminal now relies exclusively on digital tickets; the app is available on Apple and Android devices.
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.
