Original specialist framework · Terminal operations

Terminal Operating System Capability Taxonomy

TechSelectAI uses a domain-specific TOS requirements model to structure terminal software discovery, evidence research, comparison and buyer requirement capture. The current framework contains 85 specialist operational criteria across nine TOS modules, with 3 mobile-access criteria tracked separately.

Taxonomy depth is not evidence depth. A criterion appearing here means it is relevant to TOS evaluation; it does not mean every product supports it. Product support is established separately from evidence and may remain not yet verified.

TOS vendor landscape TOS RFP checklist TOS category comparison Evaluation methodology

Cross-category selection criteria

Mobile Access

3 buyer-selectable criteria.

Android mobile application

A vendor-supported Android application is available for the software.

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iOS mobile application

A vendor-supported iOS application is available for the software.

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Mobile web access

The software provides vendor-supported mobile web or responsive browser access.

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TOS operational module

Vessel & Berth Planning

11 buyer-selectable criteria.

Vessel & berth planning / execution

Plan and execute vessel calls, berth allocation, stowage or quay work using terminal-operational data.

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Carrier vessel-plan collaboration

Exchange vessel plans, updates, approvals or planning data with shipping lines and external planners.

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Twin / tandem lift planning

Plan or validate twin, tandem or multi-lift quay operations where equipment and stowage rules allow.

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Restow & vessel rehandle planning

Plan and track restows, hatch-related moves and vessel rehandles required by the working sequence.

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Quay crane work queues

Generate, prioritize and execute quay-crane work queues and move instructions.

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Quay crane split planning

Assign vessel work across quay cranes, crane ranges, bays or work areas and manage crane split plans.

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Discharge / load sequencing

Sequence discharge and load work to coordinate quay operations, yard readiness and vessel constraints.

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Stowage & bay planning

Plan container positions, bays, decks, holds and stowage constraints for vessel load and discharge operations.

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BAPLIE import / export

Import, validate, update or export BAPLIE bay-plan messages used for vessel planning and exchange.

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Vessel call lifecycle management

Maintain vessel-call operational data from pre-arrival through working, completion and departure.

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Berth window & berth allocation scheduling

Plan berth windows, berth positions, arrival/departure timing and berth conflicts for vessel calls.

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TOS operational module

Yard Strategy & Inventory

11 buyer-selectable criteria.

Yard planning & container inventory

Plan yard allocation and maintain operational visibility of container locations, stacks, moves and inventory.

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Yard holds & exception management

Apply and manage yard-level holds, exceptions, restrictions and operational release conditions.

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Yard density & capacity visibility

Monitor yard capacity, occupancy, density, block utilization and congestion by operational area.

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Yard inventory reconciliation

Reconcile system inventory with physical yard locations, corrections, scans or operational confirmations.

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Empty container inventory management

Manage empty-container inventory, locations, types, lines, releases and operational movement.

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Rehandle minimization

Optimize stack choices and move sequences to reduce unproductive container rehandles.

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Housekeeping & remarshalling planning

Plan proactive yard housekeeping, remarshalling and reshuffles to prepare future work.

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Import / export / prestack segregation

Separate and plan import, export, transshipment, prestack or service-specific yard inventories.

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Automated decking / grounding decisions

Recommend or automate container grounding and decking positions based on configurable yard logic.

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Block / stack allocation planning

Allocate containers to yard blocks, rows, bays, stacks or zones using operational and cargo constraints.

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Configurable yard strategy rules

Configure yard rules for allocation, segregation, dwell, service priority, equipment type or operational strategy.

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TOS operational module

Gate, Truck & Landside Operations

11 buyer-selectable criteria.

Gate & truck operations

Manage terminal gate transactions, truck processing, interchange and related landside workflows.

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Truck turn-time & queue monitoring

Measure truck cycle time, lane queues, wait times and gate throughput for landside operations.

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Pre-gate & out-gate validation

Validate transaction eligibility before gate entry and before final out-gate completion.

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Gate customs / line / terminal holds

Enforce customs, shipping-line, terminal or regulatory holds during receipt and delivery decisions.

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Weighbridge & VGM workflows

Integrate weighing, gross-mass capture or VGM-related checks into applicable terminal transactions.

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Interchange / EIR processing

Create and manage equipment interchange, EIR or equivalent receipt/delivery transaction records.

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Automated gate lane orchestration

Coordinate lane devices, kiosks, barriers, OCR, scales and transaction steps for automated gate lanes.

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Driver identification & authorization

Identify and authorize drivers using configured identity, credential or access-control methods.

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Gate OCR / ANPR integration

Use or integrate OCR, container recognition and ANPR data for automated or assisted gate processing.

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Truck pre-advice & booking validation

Validate truck pre-advice, booking, release, container, visit and transaction data before gate processing.

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Truck appointment integration

Integrate or coordinate truck appointment and time-slot information with terminal gate execution.

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TOS operational module

Rail & Intermodal Operations

7 buyer-selectable criteria.

Rail / intermodal operations

Plan or execute rail and intermodal container movements within supported terminal operations.

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Rail interchange events

Capture rail interchange, handoff, arrival, departure and related intermodal operational events.

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Rail crane work queues

Generate and execute work queues for rail-mounted or rail-service handling equipment.

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Rail load / discharge planning

Plan rail discharge, loading and transfer sequences using train, yard and equipment constraints.

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Rail-yard inventory visibility

Track rail containers, wagons and rail-area inventory with operational location visibility.

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Wagon / consist planning

Plan wagon consists, slots, railcars and container assignments for rail loading and discharge.

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Train schedule & service management

Maintain train services, schedules, cutoffs, arrivals, departures and operational rail windows.

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TOS operational module

Equipment Dispatch & Automation

10 buyer-selectable criteria.

Terminal automation / ECS integration

Integrate terminal plans and work instructions with automated or semi-automated equipment control and execution systems.

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Equipment dispatch & control

Assign, dispatch, monitor or optimize work for terminal tractors, straddle carriers, quay cranes, RTGs, RMGs or other handling equipment.

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Job pooling & dispatch optimization

Pool, prioritize and optimize equipment jobs to reduce travel, delay and unproductive moves.

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Equipment status & downtime awareness

Use equipment availability, status, downtime or maintenance-state information in operational execution.

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Equipment position tracking

Use equipment-position or location data to support dispatch, execution, confirmation or optimization.

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VMT mobile work instructions

Deliver work instructions, confirmations and exceptions to vehicle-mounted or operator mobile terminals.

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AGV / ASC automated-equipment integration

Coordinate jobs and status with automated guided vehicles, automated stacking cranes or comparable automated equipment.

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Terminal tractor / straddle dispatch

Dispatch terminal tractors, straddle carriers or horizontal transport to operational jobs.

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RTG / RMG dispatch & work queues

Dispatch and sequence RTG/RMG work using yard priorities, equipment availability and move demand.

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Quay crane job execution

Dispatch and execute quay-crane jobs and related move instructions from vessel plans.

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TOS operational module

Reefer, DG & Special Cargo

7 buyer-selectable criteria.

Reefer, dangerous goods & special cargo controls

Support terminal handling workflows for reefers, dangerous goods, out-of-gauge or other specialized container/cargo requirements where explicitly documented.

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Container weight / VGM control

Store, validate or use container gross weight and VGM data in operational planning and shipment handling.

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Damage & inspection workflow

Record inspections, damage condition, exceptions, photos or related operational cargo/equipment findings.

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OOG & special-equipment handling

Manage out-of-gauge, special-equipment or exceptional-dimension cargo requirements in terminal workflows.

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Dangerous-goods segregation controls

Apply dangerous-goods class, segregation, location or handling restrictions in terminal planning and execution.

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Reefer temperature & alarm integration

Receive, display or act on reefer temperature, sensor or alarm information from supported systems.

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Reefer plug / unplug workflow

Track reefer plug, unplug, connection location, service status or related terminal reefer actions.

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TOS operational module

Integration, Data & Ecosystem

11 buyer-selectable criteria.

EDI, APIs & external-system integration

Exchange operational data with carriers, port authorities, customs, gate systems, financial systems or other applications through EDI, APIs or other interfaces.

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ERP / finance integration

Exchange customers, services, billable events, invoices or accounting data with ERP and finance systems.

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Reefer monitoring system integration

Integrate external reefer-monitoring platforms, sensors or alarm systems with terminal operational records.

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Gate / OCR subsystem integration

Integrate external gate automation, OCR, ANPR, kiosk or access-control subsystems with TOS transactions.

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Carrier booking & release integration

Integrate carrier bookings, releases, vessel data, container status or related shipping-line messages.

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PCS / customs / authority integration

Integrate terminal transactions with port community systems, customs, port authorities or government platforms.

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Event / webhook / streaming integration

Publish or consume operational events through webhooks, messaging, event streams or comparable integration patterns.

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REST / web-service API integration

Expose or consume documented APIs or web services for supported terminal business and operational integrations.

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MOVINS / BAPLIE vessel messaging

Exchange MOVINS work instructions and BAPLIE vessel-plan messages in supported carrier workflows.

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COPARN / COPRAR EDI messaging

Exchange COPARN booking/order and COPRAR load/discharge instruction messages or equivalent carrier EDI.

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CODECO / COARRI EDI messaging

Exchange CODECO gate and COARRI vessel-operation messages or equivalent standardized carrier EDI.

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TOS operational module

Billing, Analytics & Operational Control

9 buyer-selectable criteria.

Billing / tariff / financial integration

Capture billable terminal events, calculate tariffs/invoices, or integrate operational events with finance and billing systems.

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Operational visibility, analytics & KPIs

Provide real-time operational visibility, dashboards, simulation, productivity metrics, KPIs or decision-support analytics.

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Operational audit history

Preserve traceable history of operational transactions, changes, user actions and execution events.

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Volume / workload forecasting

Forecast container volume, workload, resource demand, congestion or operational pressure from available planning data.

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Simulation / what-if analysis

Model operational scenarios or test planning alternatives before execution.

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Productivity & equipment KPIs

Measure vessel, crane, yard, gate, rail, equipment and labor productivity using terminal-operational data.

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Shift / control-room dashboard

Provide real-time operational dashboards for shift managers, planners or control-room teams.

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Customer self-service portal

Provide customers with approved self-service access to status, bookings, orders, documents, invoices or service requests.

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Storage, tariff & service billing

Calculate or support storage, handling, service, tariff and event-based terminal charges.

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TOS operational module

Platform Architecture, Resilience & Security

8 buyer-selectable criteria.