The new facility modernises and enhances the port's truck-bound efficiency, according to N C State Ports Authority COO Doug Vogt.

"All improvements to the container gate complex enables N C Ports to not only meet the demand of increased container volume at the Port of Wilmington but continue to improve on the best trucker turn-times on the East Coast," Mr Vogt wrote in an email. "In addition, these improvements enhance the level of service we provide to our trucking community and local port-user community."

For a single container, the port's truck turnaround time as of December was about 20 minutes, according to port documents. Congestion at the gate was identified as a key constraint to the port's growth in its strategic master plan in 2016, which prompted the planning and construction of the new facility.

The new operating system will help "expedite the movement of goods" and allow the port to support larger ships while increasing productivity, according to Mr Vogt. A new gate operating system by smart-Tecs integrates weigh-in-motion scales, radio frequency identification, optical character recognition and kiosks to work within the new operating system software, he added.

Also part of the first phase, a community access portal gave truckers access to the new operating system, allowing them to track the status and availability of shipments, Mr Vogt said. The portal includes a TSA-like ability that gives trucking companies information and direction to help accelerate their time through the gate and "validate that there are no issues prior to the trucker's arrival."

The second phase includes the opening of an optical character recognition (OCR) barn. Trucks drive through this area upon entering the gate, and it scans relevant markings and weighs the vehicles in motion. "At no point in the OCR Barn does a truck stop, it continues moving through the barn at 15 mph and information is captured while in motion," Mr Vogt said.

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