Opendock's Gate Management module lets each warehouse offer Carrier Self Check-in — a way for drivers to check themselves in at the facility without staff intervention. This article covers how Self Check-in works today, what's changing with the new load type–specific check-in and redesigned check-in experience, and how to request the feature for your warehouse.

What Carrier Self Check-in does

With Self Check-in enabled, a warehouse can:

• Timestamp driver arrivals automatically — the appointment's status updates to Carrier Arrived the moment check-in completes, cutting out manual status updates and reducing face-to-face contact.
• Collect custom information at check-in — build your own check-in form, including document uploads, so drivers hand over exactly the details your team needs.
• See all check-in data on the appointment — everything a driver submits during check-in appears directly on the appointment in NOVA, visible to anyone managing appointments.

🆕 Load Type–Specific Check-In & New Check-In Experience

Opendock is rolling out two related updates to Self Check-in:

1. Load type–specific check-in. The check-in flow now adapts to the appointment's load type, so drivers only see the fields and instructions relevant to that type of load (e.g., inbound vs. outbound). This means warehouses can tailor the check-in form more precisely instead of using one generic form for every appointment.

2. A redesigned check-in experience. Drivers scanning the QR code will see an updated, streamlined check-in flow 

Rollout timeline:

Since this is a staged rollout, your warehouse may see the new experience before or after others on your team — if you haven't seen it yet, check back as the rollout progresses rather than assuming it's missing from your account.

Settings

Find your Gate Management settings under Warehouse Settings > Gate Management. From there you can access your facility's QR code and check-in template sign.

Post Check-in Instructions

Warehouses can customize a message shown to drivers once check-in is complete. This is a fully open text field — commonly used to direct drivers to a waiting or parking area, explain what happens next, or give a phone number to contact the warehouse.

Opt-in Geofencing

Warehouses can require drivers to be within a 1-mile radius of the facility to self check-in. Opendock uses the warehouse's address coordinates as the center point; when enabled, drivers are asked to share their location when scanning the QR code, and check-in is blocked if they're outside the radius.

Note: We recommend leaving Geofencing off when you first turn on Self Check-in. If you're not seeing drivers try to check in before they've actually arrived, you likely don't need it — and it adds friction, since drivers must agree to share their location.

Grid Identification and Notifications

Warehouses with Gate Management enabled see Self Check-in Notifications in the top-right corner of the Grid:

• Every new check-in triggers a notification.
• Clicking the notification box shows a list of all appointments checked in by drivers.
• Clicking the (orange) notification icon marks it as read.
• Users can open an appointment directly from the checked-in list to locate, edit, or update it.
• The list only shows appointments checked in today.
• On the appointment detail, the Arrived Status field flags appointments checked in by a driver.

Driver's Experience

Drivers scan a QR code on arrival and are guided through two steps:

1. Identify the appointment — by entering the Reference Number or Confirmation Number, so Opendock can confirm the appointment is valid.
2. Fill out the check-in form — including any custom fields (and, with this update, fields specific to the appointment's load type) the warehouse has set up.

To see what a driver submitted, open the appointment and look at the Check-in section — every field they filled out will be populated there.

Check-in Rules

• Reference or Confirmation Number: Drivers can use either, unless the warehouse has turned on "Require Reference Number." Each warehouse's QR code and check-in URL live under Warehouse Settings > Gate Management.
• Appointment validation: Check-in only works for appointments in Scheduled status. Appointments that are Cancelled, No-show, Arrived, In Progress, Completed, or still Requested are not eligible.
• Geofencing (if enabled): Check-in is only allowed within a 1-mile radius of the facility.
• Early/late threshold: By default, check-in is allowed within 24 hours (1,440 minutes) before or after the appointment's scheduled start time.
• Reference Number required/validated: Warehouses can require a Reference Number (field can't be left blank) or require it to be validated (must match an existing appointment — no unplanned arrivals allowed).
• Load type–specific fields (new): As load type–specific check-in rolls out, the fields and instructions a driver sees during check-in may differ depending on the load type assigned to the appointment.

How to Request Carrier Self Check-in

Go to Warehouse Settings and request the feature — the Opendock team will follow up to enable it on NOVA for your warehouse(s).

Note: Opendock now supports six languages (and counting), so teams across North America and beyond can use Opendock in the language they're most comfortable with.

FAQ

Q: Will every warehouse get the new check-in experience at the same time?
No — it's rolling out in stages: beta this week, expanding to about half of warehouses next week, and full availability in about two weeks.

Q: What happens to my existing check-in form when load type–specific check-in rolls out?
Existing custom fields should carry over; load type–specific fields are expected to layer on top rather than replace your current form.

Q: Can drivers still check in with just a Confirmation Number?
Yes, as long as "Require Reference Number" is turned off for your warehouse.

Q: Does Geofencing apply during the new check-in experience?
Yes — Geofencing rules are unchanged by this update and apply the same 1-mile radius logic.

Q: My warehouse hasn't seen the new experience yet — is something broken?
Not necessarily. Because this is a staged rollout, it may simply not have reached your warehouse yet.