FIELD

The present disclosure relates to controlling movable barrier operators, and more particularly, to controlling access to a facility having a movable barrier and a plurality of loading docks.

BACKGROUND

Movable barrier operators of various kinds are used to control the opening and closing of gates, doors, and other barriers that permit access to secured premises and/or enclosed spaces. Example movable barrier operators include gate operators, rolling shutter operators, garage door operators, and the like.

Commercial and industrial facilities may have a fence or wall around the facility and one or more gates or other barriers for controlling access to the facility. Examples of such facilities include warehouses, factories, logistic centers, and assembly plants. Typically, when a vehicle such as a semi-trailer truck arrives at such a facility, the vehicle operator must “check in” at a gate before the vehicle is permitted to enter the facility. If the vehicle is authorized, an employee at the gate will open the gate. This check-in process may be time consuming, resulting in increased vehicle idle time at the perimeter of the facility. Increased idle time reduces the efficiency of both the vehicle operator and the facility.

Upon check-in, a vehicle may be directed by the employee at the gate to a loading dock to load or unload freight. In some instances, the loading or unloading of freight may be delayed upon arrival of the vehicle at the loading dock. Such a delay may occur, for example, when facility personnel are not available at the loading dock at the time the vehicle arrives at the loading dock. Thus, conventional approaches for logistics at a facility may result in idle time of vehicles at the gate of the facility as well as detention time and/or dwell time within the facility. As can be appreciated, facility inefficiencies such as the foregoing-mentioned idle time, detention time and dwell time may result in lost time to carriers (or vehicle drivers/operators) and additional cost to shippers or receivers.

Another problem with conventional approaches is that there is often no way for a trucking company to independently confirm the time a truck has arrived or departed from a facility. The employee of the facility such as a spotter or a guard at the entry/exit gate may keep a paper record of the trucks entering and exiting the facility, but the paper record may be lost or tampered with. A related problem encountered by trucking companies is that the contents of trailers are often tracked using paper bills of lading, which create delays and difficulties in reconciliation including freight tracking and billing.

