Is there a container number OCR app for gate check-in?
Reviewed October 2026 · features checked against the current app, prices against /pricing
Short answer: yes, in two forms. Ports and large terminals use fixed OCR gate portals: cameras mounted over the lanes, tied into the terminal system, priced by quote. Smaller warehouses and yards can use a phone app: the gate clerk photographs the container or trailer number, the app reads it, and the clerk confirms it before the Gate IN is saved. Vantage YMS is the phone kind, and its Free plan reads numbers on the iPhone itself with no card.
Fixed OCR gate or phone app
| Option | Good for | Where it breaks | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed OCR gate portal | Ports and terminals with many trucks per lane per hour | Needs installation, lanes and integration work | Quote |
| Typing numbers by hand | A handful of trucks a day | Every 11-character number typed; misreads are not caught | Free |
| Phone app (Vantage) | Warehouses and yards where one clerk works the gate | A person still takes the photo; photo reads are on iPhone | Free plan, paid from $149/mo |
How a gate check-in works in the Vantage iPhone app
- Start a Gate IN when the truck arrives.
- Photograph the container or trailer number. The number is read and shown to you.
- Confirm or fix the read, or type it if the photo is unreadable. Nothing is saved until a person confirms it.
- Save. The unit is on the yard list with a timestamp, and a photo whenever the camera is used. At Gate OUT, the same unit is checked out.
On the Free plan the number is read on the iPhone itself. Lite and up add cloud AI number reading (Lite up to 1,000 a month). No gate cameras, RFID or sensors are installed.
How to check an OCR read
Sea container numbers follow ISO 6346: a 3-letter owner code plus U, J or Z, six serial digits, and a check digit. The check digit is calculated from the first ten characters, so most single-character misreads (O for 0, B for 8) fail the check. Paste any number into our free container number checker to see whether it passes. A valid check digit only means the number is consistent, not that the container is the one you expected, so match it against your appointment or paperwork too.
What it costs
The Free plan is $0 with no card and does not expire: up to 3 users, 1 yard, 100 gate transactions a month and 30 days of history. A Gate IN and a Gate OUT each count as a transaction. Paid plans start at $149 a month (full pricing).
What it does not do
Photo reads are on iPhone. The Android app is on Google Play (an update fixing Google sign-in is on its way) and does Gate IN/OUT; in the web dashboard numbers are typed. Seals are typed, never scanned. No fixed OCR lanes: if you need every truck read with no one holding a phone, you need a gate portal, not this app.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a container number OCR app for gate check-in?
Yes. Options range from fixed OCR gate portals at ports and terminals (cameras, lanes and integration with a terminal system) to phone apps where a gate clerk photographs the number. Vantage YMS is a phone app: at Gate IN the clerk photographs the container or trailer number in the iPhone app, the number is read and shown, and the clerk confirms or corrects it before the record is saved.
Does it work on the free plan?
Yes. On the Free plan the number is read on the iPhone itself. Lite and up add cloud AI reading (Lite up to 1,000 a month). Free is $0 with no card and never expires: up to 3 users, 1 yard, 100 gate transactions a month, 30 days of history. Paid plans start at $149 a month.
Does it work on Android?
The Android app is live on Google Play (an update fixing Google sign-in is on its way) and does Gate IN/OUT. Photo number reading is in the iPhone app. In the web dashboard numbers are typed.
How do I know an OCR read is right?
For sea containers, check the ISO 6346 check digit: the 11th character is calculated from the first ten, so a misread letter or digit usually fails the check. Our free container number checker does this in the browser, and a person should still confirm the read before it is saved.
Can it read seal numbers?
No. Seal numbers are typed in at the gate, never scanned.
Related: container number checker · gate log app · what gate in and gate out mean · yard check app for iPhone · mobile yard management with no hardware
Read your next container number at the gate
Free plan, no card, never expires. Up to 3 users and 1 yard.