How long should a warehouse keep gate logs?
Reviewed October 2026 · for warehouse, yard and gate managers · rule text quoted from the U.S. Code, the CFR, the UIIA and CBP's CTPAT criteria, sources linked below
Short answer: no single rule tells a warehouse how long to keep its gate log, and we did not find a federal rule that sets a period for a facility's own truck check-in records. What does exist is a set of deadlines after which someone can no longer come back and ask about a visit: a cargo claim (at least 9 months to file), a chassis damage bill (up to 165 days), a detention or per diem invoice, a customs audit (5 years for imported or bonded goods). Keep the log longer than the longest deadline that applies to your site, plus the time a dispute takes to settle.
The deadlines that bring a gate visit back
| Who can ask | How long they have | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| A shipper or consignee with a cargo claim against a motor carrier | The carrier can't set less than 9 months to file the claim, or less than 2 years to sue after it denies the claim in writing | 49 U.S.C. 14706(e)(1) |
| A shipper contesting a motor carrier's bill, such as a detention charge | 180 days from receipt of the bill, unless a written contract waives it | 49 U.S.C. 13710(a)(3)(B); 14101(b) |
| A container or chassis provider billing a motor carrier for damage (UIIA) | Up to 165 days after the interchange at a manned gate, 120 days where the gate uses recorded images | UIIA, section E.3.c |
| A provider billing a motor carrier for per diem or chassis use (UIIA) | 60 days after the equipment is returned | UIIA, section E.6.c |
| An ocean carrier or terminal billing demurrage or detention (FMC rule) | Invoice within 30 days of the last day the charge ran; the billed party gets at least 30 days to dispute | 46 CFR 541.7(a), 541.8(a) |
| U.S. Customs, for records of imported goods or goods stored under bond | 5 years from the date of entry or of the activity | 19 CFR 163.2(a), 163.4(a) |
Your gate log is not the claim document in any of these. But it is often the only record of when a trailer arrived, when it left, which seal was on it and who checked it in. When one of these questions comes back after the log is gone, you have nothing to compare against the other side's paperwork. For the two most common cases, see how long you have to file a freight claim and how to check a detention invoice against your gate times.
What carriers keep on their side
Carriers have their own retention rules, and they are shorter than many disputes:
- A motor carrier must keep drivers' records of duty status and supporting documents for at least 6 months (49 CFR 395.8(k)(1)).
- Under the federal records schedule for motor carriers and brokers, copies of bills of lading and freight bills from other carriers are kept 1 year (49 CFR part 379, Appendix A, item I.1(a); the part applies to motor carriers and brokers, 49 CFR 379.1).
So a year from now, your log may be the only record of that visit still on file.
If you are in CTPAT
CBP's CTPAT criteria for highway carriers (March 2020) say visitors "must present photo identification upon arrival, and a log must be maintained that records the details of the visit" (criterion 10.2). That criterion does not give a number of days. Where the same document does give one:
- Pest contamination records from a conveyance inspection: "Documentation must be retained for one year" (5.7).
- Camera footage: CTPAT "recommends allotting at least 14 days after a shipment has arrived at its first point of distribution" (9.16, guidance).
- Electronic dispatch logs: kept "for a sufficient amount of time to allow for audits to be conducted and for investigative purposes" (5.20, guidance).
Each CTPAT member type has its own criteria document. Check the one for your business type and your own security profile.
A simple way to set your number
- List what your site touches. Imports or bonded storage? Intermodal containers and chassis? Detention billing? CTPAT?
- Take the longest window from the table above that applies. Add the time a dispute usually takes at your site.
- Check your contracts. Customer and carrier agreements can set their own retention or audit periods. Use the longest one.
- Write the period down and keep the log in a form you can search by trailer number and date. A box of clipboard sheets meets the period on paper, but not when someone asks about one trailer.
Where Vantage fits
Vantage keeps a gate log: the gate clerk records each gate-in and gate-out on an iPhone or in any web browser, with a timestamp on every record, the trailer number, the seal number typed in, and a photo whenever the camera is used. How long that history stays depends on the plan. The Free plan keeps 30 days of history, so it is not a long-term records archive. It is $0 with no card: up to 3 users, 1 yard and 100 gate transactions a month. Longer history is on paid plans: Lite keeps 180 days ($149/mo), Pro 365 days ($349/mo) and Scale 730 days ($649/mo) (pricing). If your period is longer than your plan's history, keep your own copy. iPhone app, web browser, and an Android app on Google Play (an update fixing Google sign-in is on its way).
Prefer paper or a spreadsheet? The free trailer check-in log works on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a law that says how long a warehouse must keep gate logs?
We did not find a federal rule that sets a retention period for a warehouse's own gate or truck check-in log. Other rules set deadlines that can bring a visit back, such as the 9-month minimum for filing a cargo claim (49 U.S.C. 14706(e)) and the 5-year customs record period for imported or bonded goods (19 CFR 163.4).
How long does CTPAT require you to keep visitor logs?
CTPAT's highway carrier criteria require that a visitor log be maintained (criterion 10.2) but do not state a number of days for it. The same document asks for one year for pest-contamination records (5.7) and recommends at least 14 days of camera footage after a shipment reaches its first point of distribution (9.16).
How long do carriers keep their own records?
At least 6 months for drivers' records of duty status and supporting documents (49 CFR 395.8(k)), and 1 year for copies of bills of lading under the federal records schedule for motor carriers (49 CFR part 379, Appendix A).
How long do container providers have to bill for chassis or container damage?
Under the UIIA, up to 165 days after the interchange at a manned gate, and 120 days where the gate uses recorded images (section E.3.c).
Sources
- 49 U.S.C. 14706, Liability of carriers under receipts and bills of lading, (e)(1). law.cornell.edu
- 49 U.S.C. 13710, Additional billing and collecting practices, (a)(3)(B); 49 U.S.C. 14101(b), Contracts with shippers. 13710 · 14101
- Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA), effective May 5, 2026, sections E.3.c and E.6.c. uiia.intermodal.org (PDF)
- 46 CFR 541.7, Issuance of demurrage and detention invoices; 46 CFR 541.8, Disputes. 541.7 · 541.8
- 19 CFR 163.2, Persons required to maintain records; 19 CFR 163.4, Record retention period. 163.2 · 163.4
- 49 CFR 395.8, Driver's record of duty status, (k)(1). law.cornell.edu
- 49 CFR part 379, Appendix A, Schedule of records and periods of retention; 49 CFR 379.1, Applicability. Appendix A · 379.1
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CTPAT Minimum Security Criteria – Highway Carriers, March 2020: criteria 5.7 (p. 19), 5.20 (p. 21), 9.16 (p. 40), 10.2 (p. 41). cbp.gov (PDF)
This page summarizes rule text. It is not legal advice. Your contracts, your state and your CTPAT profile can set longer periods.
Related: how long you have to file a freight claim · how to check a detention invoice · who pays for trailer damage in the yard · a trailer check-in log at the gate · gate log app
Keep a gate log you can search
Gate in and out on an iPhone or in the browser, timestamped, with a photo whenever the camera is used. Free plan, no card, up to 3 users and 1 yard, 30 days of history.