DAKOSY with ‘ImpalaID’ for Authentication at Logistics Nodes

The Hamburg-based software company DAKOSY has developed a universally applicable authentication app called ImpalaID for logistics. The system is open to all companies and institutions and allows participants to authenticate themselves barrier-free and securely via a protected QR code.

(Hamburg) The pilot operation is now starting at the Port of Hamburg. The first participants are the empty container depot Hamburger Container Service (HCS) and the Veterinary and Import Office. “The new app ImpalaID fills a significant gap in secure and uniform authentication at various logistics nodes, such as barrier or gate systems in the port area,” explains Nicolai Port, Head of Transport Modes at DAKOSY. For example, freight carriers will eventually have the option to register with various stakeholders such as terminals, depots, or for slot booking procedures using just one app.

Technically, ImpalaID is a central Identity Provider System (IDP system) for logistics. This means that the user (for example, a driver) can create a central ID on the IDP system, which allows them to log in and authenticate with various IDP services (terminals, apps, web applications). The initial registration takes place online. Depending on the requirements, different authentication levels can be set (e.g., type and number of identification documents to be verified), which are re-verified at regular intervals.

After successful authentication, participants receive a secured QR code in the ImpalaID app, which they can use to communicate their user information across various applications. “A key focus during the software programming was on data security. We ensure this through a secure authentication process designed to verify identity at regular intervals. Additionally, the app and thus the electronic ID are linked to mobile devices (potentially secured biometrically). This prevents easy sharing of data with third parties,” Port explains.

Pilot Users Benefit from Barrier-Free Access for All User Groups

The first two pilot users, the empty container depot HCS and the Veterinary and Import Office, have similar goals in using the app. Both aim for every driver to be pre-registered and logged in in the future. This is currently not possible, as not all truck drivers can use the physical identification card (trucker card) commonly used in the Port of Hamburg today.

HCS: 10 Percent Without Truck Pre-Registration

At HCS – with about 200,000 gate movements annually and up to 1,000 truck clearances daily – it is estimated by owner Dr. Roland Karnbach that about 10 percent of drivers arrive without registration and thus without pre-registration. “Some of the truckers who handle empty container transports between the depots and the hinterland do not have a trucker card. Only freight carriers that also serve the Hamburg container terminals can participate in the current procedure,” Karnbach reports.

HCS is currently implementing digital authentication with the ImpalaID app as an alternative to the trucker card. This way, truck drivers can pre-register via the Truckgate web application using ImpalaID and subsequently authenticate themselves with the QR code at the HCS depot for picking up or delivering empty containers. Karnbach is convinced by the simple and quick issuance of identifications combined with high protection against data misuse. “In light of the increasing digitization coupled with high security requirements in the sea freight business, we need a uniform identification throughout the port environment,” Karnbach believes.

Slot Booking for Non-Containerized Cargo

The Veterinary and Import Office wants to test ImpalaID for the truck slot booking procedure, which also runs through the Truckgate web application. Background: Since 2019, truck drivers with containerized cargo can book time slots for inspections at the two control centers in the Port of Hamburg online. A significant subgroup remains unconsidered: non-containerized goods. The head of the Veterinary and Import Office in Hamburg, Dr. Bettina Gerulat, describes the current situation: “Drivers with non-containerized goods arrive at the control centers without prior notice. This leads to additional work and waiting times, especially given the increasing volumes in this segment.”

Time Slots Bookable in Advance

With the new possibility of digital authentication using ImpalaID, a time slot should be bookable in advance for all suppliers. In the Truckgate web application, a second login with ImpalaID will be provided alongside the trucker card. According to Gerulat, the goal is that no unannounced goods arrive at the veterinary offices anymore. Among the expected benefits, she lists the complete availability of the daily inspection capacity through bookable time slots, no resource commitment for unplanned deliveries, and the avoidance of waiting times.

Photo: © DAKOSY