Gate Delay ROI BreakdownWhy Every Second at the Gate Matters
Time spent waiting at the gate might seem small—but across hundreds of daily crossings, it turns into real money.
Even shaving 5 seconds off each vehicle crossing can have a measurable impact on your bottom line.
For a site with 400 daily crossings, those 5 seconds per vehicle translate to:
33.3 minutes saved per day
0.56 hours saved per day
$16.65 saved per day (driver wages + fuel)
$4,162 saved per year
Step-by-Step Math
Inputs
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Crossings per day | 400 |
| Workdays per year | 250 |
| Driver hourly wage (CDL) | $27/hour |
| Fuel consumption at idle | 0.8 gal/hour |
| Diesel price | $3.70/gal |
| Time saved per crossing | 5 seconds |
Daily Calculation
Time saved per day:
5 sec × 400 crossings = 2,000 sec
2,000 sec ÷ 60 = 33.33 min (0.556 hr)
Driver wage savings:
0.556 hr × $27/hr = $15.00/day
Fuel savings:
0.556 hr × 0.8 gal/hr = 0.445 gal
0.445 gal × $3.70 = $1.65/day
Total daily savings:
$15.00 + $1.65 = $16.65/day
Annual Calculation
$16.65/day × 250 days = $4,162.50/year
Scaling the Savings
| Seconds Saved | Daily $ Saved | Annual $ Saved |
|---|---|---|
| 5 sec | $16.65 | $4,162 |
| 10 sec | $33.30 | $8,325 |
| 20 sec | $66.60 | $16,650 |
| 30 sec | $99.90 | $24,975 |
Manual vs LPR Gates
Manual gate average: 50 seconds per crossing
LPR-enabled gate average: 15 seconds per crossing
35 seconds saved per crossing
Impact:
35 sec × 400 crossings/day = 14,000 sec = 3.89 hr saved daily
≈ $116.51/day
≈ $29,127/year in total savings
Real Operational Benefits
Lower driver idle time costs
Reduced fuel consumption
Higher throughput