An Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR) is the document — today usually an electronic record with gate photos — created every time a container or chassis passes between two parties: terminal to trucker, trucker to depot, depot back to terminal. It records the equipment’s condition at that exact moment, and it is the primary evidence that decides who pays for damage discovered later.
What an EIR records
A complete EIR captures the container and chassis numbers, seal number, date, time, and location of interchange, the parties involved (with SCAC codes), and the condition of the equipment: dents, cuts, holes, door and floor damage, tire and light condition on the chassis, and reefer functionality where applicable. Modern terminals generate the record automatically with optical character recognition and gate cameras at both ingate and outgate.
Why the EIR matters
Damage liability
Under the UIIA, whoever has custody of equipment when damage occurs pays for it. The EIR draws the line: damage noted at outgate is the equipment provider’s problem; new damage found at ingate is billed to the motor carrier. Without a clean outgate record, a trucker can be invoiced for pre-existing damage weeks later.
Proof of return
The ingate EIR timestamps the empty return, which stops the per-diem clock on the container. In disputes over detention charges, the EIR is the receipt that wins the argument.
Seal integrity
Recording the seal number at every interchange builds the custody chain that customs, insurers, and consignees rely on when cargo shows up short or tampered. Pair the EIR with the bill of lading and you have the full documentary story of a container move.
Best practices for shippers and truckers
Drivers should photograph equipment at pickup and return — timestamped photos have settled countless repair-bill disputes. Dispatch teams should archive EIRs against each work order and audit any maintenance-and-repair invoice against the outgate condition report before paying it. Go Freight’s DispatchAI TMS attaches gate records and photos to every move our drayage fleet runs at PortMiami and Port Everglades, and because we run our own chassis pool, chassis condition disputes are rare by design.
Frequently asked questions
Is an EIR the same as a gate ticket?
Essentially yes — “gate ticket,” “interchange ticket,” and “EIR” are used interchangeably for the record produced at a terminal or depot gate documenting the interchange and equipment condition.
Who issues the EIR?
The facility operating the gate — marine terminal, rail ramp, or container depot — generates the EIR at both outgate and ingate, and copies are available to the motor carrier and equipment provider.
How long should EIRs be kept?
Keep them at least until all repair, per-diem, and cargo claims windows close; many carriers archive EIRs and gate photos for three years or more as standard practice.
Want drayage with clean paperwork and zero surprise repair bills? Get a quote or call (786) 445-0150.