Trucks line up in the TruckPass lot as drivers wait for their dock assignment.

Today March 1 is a Red Letter Day for Atlanta, Georgia, air cargo, as Hartsfield Jackson International Airport stands above the crowd and makes sense of trucking operations supporting the South Cargo Area of the big airport.

       
TruckPass Is Revolutionary

      In what’s being hailed as a revolutionary process to reduce roadway congestion and eliminate driver confusion, today, March 1, 2017, Hartsfield-Jackson launches TruckPass, a reservation-based docking credential system.

      “Simply put, it’s dock traffic control,” said Doug Strachan, the Airport’s Innovation and Strategic Business Development Manager. “We’re taking what in some cases is a four-hour ordeal and turning it into a half-hour operation.”

      The goal, of course, is expedited loading and unloading of cargo.
      But with that comes improved customer service.
      Improved customer service could help ATL recapture lost business and attract new business, thereby achieving the Airport’s ultimate objective: growing air cargo.
      In 2016, ATL moved 648,595 metric tons of cargo, a 3.58 percent increase over 2015’s total. Although rankings for 2016 have yet to be released, Hartsfield-Jackson in 2015 was No. 12 in the nation among U.S. airports for cargo volume.

Top Five Is The Goal

      To land a spot in the top five, a key milestone set by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, the Airport will need to triple its cargo volume to about 1.8 million metric tons a year.
      “Indeed, ATL is committed to that goal.
      “The Airport—through its 20-year, $6 billion capital improvement program ATLNext—will add up to 1 million square feet of warehouse space, creating the capacity to accommodate future growth,” HJIA said.

Heading Delays Off At The Pass

       And with TruckPass, ATL adds another unique value proposition.
      “From my perspective, ATL is an important component in the global supply chain,” says Elliott Paige, the Airport’s Director of Air Service Development.
      “With that being the case, we have to make ourselves superefficient.
      “To remain globally competitive, we have to give ourselves an edge.
      “Trucks need to get in and out without delay.”

      ATL’s South Cargo area sees more than 350 trucks during high-demand periods per day. On peak days such as Wednesdays and Sundays, traffic can be immobilized.
      “The trucks are parked double-, triple-, and quadruple-deep,” Mr. Strachan declared. “So we went to the customer and asked, ‘How do we help you grow your business?’”

      In the same way airlines depend on air traffic control towers to safely maneuver aircraft in controlled airspace and airports depend on ramp control towers to maneuver aircrafts on taxiways, TruckPass will help maneuver trucks in the South Cargo facility.
      The system involves three simple steps. First, the truck pulls into the TruckPass lot at 1586 Sullivan Road in College Park.
      At the TruckPass Check-In Station, the driver provides the following: a cellphone number, name of airline, import or export and a reservation number (if applicable). The driver then either goes straight to his assigned dock or waits for a text message while parked in the TruckPass lot, a temporary holding area with controlled entry and exit.
      At the dock, the clock starts.
      “In addition to creating order out of chaos, we will get all kinds of metrics on dock utilization,” Mr. Strachan declared, noting that less time spent at each dock means more dock throughput.
      “In essence, we’re wringing every last drop of efficiency out of these buildings,” he said.

      “The precision-driven process will save fuel and time while increasing operational efficiencies.
      “Those efficiencies, coupled with positive word-of-mouth, could pave the way for 15 percent growth in air cargo,” Mr. Strachan said.

Trucks With Hope

      “The air cargo community looks forward to this opening of the TruckPass lot and the efficiency gains it will create,” said Hope Chavez, President of the Atlanta Air Cargo Association.

      For Elliott Paige, TruckPass is only the beginning of a multipronged approach to growing air cargo.
      In addition to increased capacity as a result of ATLNext, Paige said Hartsfield-Jackson is working on a strategy to improve the standard of service with ground handlers—all part of an effort to make the Airport more customer-centric.
      “We often like to say change is in the air at Hartsfield-Jackson,” Elliott Paige said.
      “But sometimes, change on the ground is just as important.”
Geoffrey

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