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Verifying Gate Pass Access with the Activity Log in Shipper TMS

Sam
Updated

Introduction

Super Dispatch allows shippers to lock sensitive pickup documents — like gate passes and vehicle release forms — until a driver is physically near the pickup location. This article explains how to enable that feature in Shipper TMS and how to use the activity log to verify that a driver accessed the document before pickup.

What Is Location Protection?

Location protection is a security feature in Shipper TMS that prevents drivers from opening sensitive attachments until they are near the pickup location. It is designed to reduce the risk of fraudulent pickups, vehicle theft, and misuse of release documents.

When you mark an attachment as location-protected:

  • The driver will see the file in their Driver App with a lock icon.
  • The file cannot be previewed or downloaded until the driver is near the pickup location.
  • Once the driver is close enough, tapping the attachment unlocks it immediately — no action required from you or Super Dispatch.
  • After the document is opened, the load can no longer be canceled by the carrier without contacting you directly.

How to Enable Location Protection in Shipper TMS

Location protection is set at the attachment level when creating or editing an order.

Step 1 — Upload an Attachment

On the order, scroll to the Attachments section and click + Add New to upload your gate pass, release form, or other sensitive document.

Step 2 — Share with Carrier

Check the Carrier box for the attachment. Location protection is only available for documents shared with the carrier.

Step 3 — Toggle On Location Protected

Enable the Location Protected toggle for the attachment. When turned on, the file stays locked and the carrier cannot view it until the driver unlocks it at the pickup location.

Requirements: To enable location protection, a full pickup address (street, city, state, and ZIP) must be on the load and the carrier must be assigned. If the pickup address is incomplete, the toggle cannot be turned on and the system will prompt you to complete it first.

What the Activity Log Records

Every time a driver opens a location-protected file, both the shipper activity log and the carrier activity log are updated with a "Driver Opened Protected File" entry. This entry includes:

  • The date and time the attachment was opened.
  • Confirmation that the document was opened within proximity of the pickup location.
  • The carrier company name.
  • The vehicles on the order, including year, make, model, and VIN.
Note: The activity log entry will appear on both the shipper side in Shipper TMS and the carrier side in Carrier TMS. Either party can independently verify whether the document was accessed.

How to Check the Activity Log

Step 1 — Open the Order

In Shipper TMS, navigate to the order you want to verify and open it.

Step 2 — Go to the Activity Section

Scroll down to the Activity section on the order detail page. This log shows a full timeline of everything that has happened on the order — from when it was created and assigned, to when the driver viewed it, started inspections, and picked up the vehicles.

Step 3 — Look for the "Driver Opened Protected File" Entry

If the driver opened the gate pass or release form, you will see a Driver Opened Protected File entry in the log. Expanding it shows the carrier name, vehicles, and confirmation that the file was opened within proximity of the pickup location.

If this entry does not exist, the driver did not open the attachment through Super Dispatch.

What If There Is No Entry?

A missing "Driver Opened Protected File" entry means the attachment was never opened through Super Dispatch. This does not always mean something went wrong — it depends on whether the pickup location required the driver to present the document.

Common scenario at auctions: If a carrier tells you they had the gate pass but the activity log shows no entry and the document is still locked, the driver likely did not access the attachment through Super Dispatch. This can happen when the auction releases the vehicle without requiring the driver to physically present the release form. In this case, the feature worked as designed — the attachment stayed locked because the driver never attempted to open it. We recommend contacting the pickup location directly to understand their release process.

Next Steps

Learn more about location-protected attachments and how they work across Super Dispatch:

 

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