From paper-based gatehouse process to QR-code check-in in 24 languages. With step-by-step guide, checklist and market overview.
What you’ll learn in this guide
- From paper form at the gate to 90-second QR-code check-in
- Increase safety briefing compliance from 30–50 % to > 95 %
- Three approaches compared: kiosk hardware, app, QR-code + WhatsApp
- 7-step rollout plan — including fallback for drivers without smartphones
What is digital HGV check-in?
Definition · Digital HGV check-in
Check-in in 90 seconds instead of 4–8 minutes at the clipboard
Driver scans QR-code at the plant gate (or already in the slot confirmation), enters registration number + job number, confirms the safety briefing in their language — done. Check-in lands immediately with the plant manager and dispatch.
Traditional: 4–8 minutes per HGV at the gatehouse. Digital: 90 seconds, multilingual, documented legally.
Three concrete benefits — measured at pilot customers
Time saved at the gatehouse
4–8 min per HGV × 50–200 HGVs/day = 3 to 25 hours gatehouse time daily. Conservatively, one full-time equivalent per year.
Clean data
No misread handwritten registration numbers, no missing job numbers, no lost haulier assignment.
Safety briefing documented
The driver has read the briefing in their language and confirmed it — legally documented. In a claims scenario, extremely valuable.
Self-check-in kiosk or QR-code + WhatsApp?
Traditional
Self-check-in kiosk hardware
Terminals at the plant gate: €15k–40k per unit, plus maintenance and replacement due to vandalism. Works without smartphones — but no mobile slot information to the driver en route.
Modern
QR-code + WhatsApp layer
From €350/month. No download, no login, no hardware. Smartphone required (in practice < 1 % exceptions). Slot, check-in, safety briefing in one solution.
| Approach | Investment | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-check-in kiosk hardware | €15k–40k per terminal | Works without smartphones | High hardware costs, maintenance, vandalism |
| App-based check-in | Software licence | Many features | Driver app not enforceable with 60 % subcontractors |
| QR-code + WhatsApp (Heylog) | from €350/month | No download, no login, no hardware | Smartphone required (< 1 % exceptions) |
7 steps to digital HGV check-in
Document gatehouse workflow
What is captured at the gate today? Which fields are mandatory? These 30 minutes save weeks later.
Prepare safety briefing
Short, precise, bullet-point format. The translator will work wonders later if the source text is clear.
Affix QR-code at plant gate
Laminated, highly visible, with brief instructions in 4 languages.
Fallback for drivers without smartphones
Tablet at the gatehouse that the gatehouse staff hand out. In practice < 1 % of cases.
Training for gatehouse and plant management
Typically 30 minutes. No more needed — the dashboard is self-explanatory.
One-week parallel test run with paper
Build confidence, find edge cases, brief hauliers.
Go-live, switch off paper
Anyone reverting to paper won’t leave it. Hard cut after test run.
Increase compliance from 30–50 % to > 95 %
The check-in moment is the natural point to integrate the briefing — as 8–12 short slides instead of a 12-page PDF. Compliance rises from 30–50 % to > 95 %.
- Multilingual — automatically in the driver’s language
- Confirmation click at the end, dated and stored
- Legally documented for claims and audits
- Update managed centrally — no more paper versions
Five categories in the market — and where Heylog stands
Yard and slot solutions in the DACH market divide into five categories. Each solves part of the puzzle — none except Heylog addresses the real bottleneck: direct, multilingual communication with the driver in the cab.
| Category | Strength | Bottleneck |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Enterprise Yard Suite On-premise, heavy industry | Deep functional integration, AI optimisation | Six-figure implementation, 6–18 months, no native driver channel |
| Slot-booking platform Haulier marketplace | Established, many users, straightforward slot booking | Slot confirmation never reaches the driver — stays with dispatcher |
| WMS yard-management module Yard as warehouse add-on | Integration with warehouse operations | Yard function is bonus, not core; driver is never reached |
| Self-check-in kiosk Terminal at plant gate | Works without smartphones | High hardware costs, maintenance, vandalism, no mobile slot info |
| Heylog WhatsApp-first, smartphone-only | Reaches every driver in their language, no app, no hardware. Live in weeks. | Smartphone required (in practice < 1 % exceptions) |