Axxon PSIM–Powered Surveillance Installed at Balticon Transport Terminal in Poland

Client

Balticon S.A. is a Polish transportation company with an extensive network of depots throughout the country. Starting with one depot in 1991, the company has grown into a market leader in rental and resale of containers, with an enormous fleet of trucks. Balticon’s business is thriving on European roads as well as railways. It is the sole depot company to operate at every container terminal in Poland. Such success required commitment to meeting client needs and using the most innovative technologies. So naturally the company was a perfect match for AxxonSoft’s traffic surveillance cameras system.

Challenges

At the heart of every transportation company are its logistics terminals. Products — the company’s lifeblood — all flow through these important facilities. Any delay or hitch can ripple throughout the entire network. Balticon’s facility in Gdynia operates 24 hours a day to accept incoming containers and release outgoing ones making efficient traffic and logistics remote video surveillance essential.

Solution

The traffic video surveillance system was designed to minimize truck idle time during security verification. When a truck arrives, Axxon PSIM checks the license plate number against the list of expected vehicles and determines whether the truck is carrying a container. If both conditions are met, Axxon PSIM reads the container’s ID number and verifies whether the container is expected using a traffic sensor camera. If all these match the database records, the truck is allowed to enter. When there is no container on a truck, entrance is allowed only if it has been scheduled for pickup.

This process does not require involvement by staff: they are alerted only if the container/truck IDs do not match the database. The same verification process occurs upon departure from the depot. As another side benefit, a separate set of cameras examines the state of incoming containers. So in case of a container defect, it is easy to determine whether the damage occurred at the depot using traffic surveillance video analytics.

Implementation

Two gates were built, at the entrance and exit, with three traffic surveillance cameras each. One camera is tasked with recognizing license plates and the other two, mounted to the left and right of the gate, read container codes for identification of every container that comes through. Three separate cameras installed by the gate record container condition. These cameras are activated when a truck passes over an induction loop built into the driveway. To ensure full video capability even in low lighting conditions, four additional illuminators were installed. Communication with drivers is implemented via signal lights placed at every gate.

Benefits and Results

Axxon PSIM-based traffic monitoring cameras system has enabled Balticon to slash truck idle time during container pickup/delivery by over 50%. This enormous improvement far surpassed our client’s expectations. In addition to saving time, the system also automates routine tasks and minimizes the risk of costly human errors. Today Balticon has an advanced facility that is capable of handling new, complicated tasks with unmatched efficiency and reliability, thanks to the traffic surveillance camera system.

Our Partner

Our local partner, Nuuxe Radioton sp. z o.o., is a leader in low current installations. The company’s two-decade history started with communication radios, gradually branching out into design and deployment of CCTV installations, access control, intrusion alarms, and fire detection and suppression. Thanks to this wide-ranging experience in all types of low current systems, Nuuxe Radioton is able to exploit the most advanced features of the Axxon PSIM platform to create deeply integrated traffic monitoring cameras systems.