Release orders, EIR, gate-out and gate-in: the paper trail of a container move
Updated 27 October 2026 · 7 min read
Short answer. A release order is the instruction a container owner gives a depot to hand containers over to the haulier who presents its reference. When the container leaves the depot, that is the gate-out, recorded on an equipment interchange receipt (EIR) that notes the date, the container number and its condition. At the end, a return or drop-off instruction tells a depot to accept the container back, and the gate-in (with a second EIR) closes the move. These dates are the basis of per diem, storage and damage claims.
The life of a container move
| Step | Document | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The owner releases containers | Release order (release reference) | The depot may hand over N containers of a given type and grade to the bearer of the reference |
| 2. The haulier collects them | Gate-out EIR | Date and time out, container number, seal if any, condition at handover |
| 3. The containers are used | (booking, bill of lading, lease) | Who is responsible for the container while it is away |
| 4. The owner tells a depot to take them back | Return instruction, drop-off instruction (DOI), redelivery or off-hire reference | The depot may accept these containers on behalf of the owner |
| 5. The haulier returns them | Gate-in EIR, survey report | Date and time in, condition on return, damage found |
The release order
A release order usually states:
- the release reference the haulier quotes at the gate;
- the depot (and the port or city);
- the quantity per type and grade, for example 5 × 40HC cargo worthy, or the list of container numbers if specific boxes are released;
- the validity or expiry date, after which the depot refuses the release;
- the customer or haulier allowed to collect, and sometimes special instructions (photos, sweeping, labels to remove).
Releases come in two flavours for traders and lessors: a release from your own stock at a depot, or a release from a supplier, when you buy containers that are still in the supplier's depot and they become yours as they are picked up.
The equipment interchange receipt (EIR)
The EIR is the receipt signed at each interchange, when responsibility for a container passes from one party to another. It records:
- the container number and the size and type code;
- the date and time of the move (gate-out or gate-in);
- the truck, the haulier and the driver;
- the condition of the container: dents, holes, missing parts, cleanliness, often with photos;
- the release or return reference used.
Because it is the only document signed by both sides at the moment of handover, the EIR settles most disputes: when the rental started or ended, and whether a damage was already there.
Gate-out and gate-in dates
- Gate-out starts the clock: on-hire for a lease, the start of detention for a shipping line container, the end of depot storage.
- Gate-in stops it: off-hire for a lease, the end of detention, the start of a new depot stay.
Bill from these real dates, not from the planned dates of the booking. A difference of one or two days per container, multiplied by a fleet, is a large amount at the end of the year.
Return and drop-off instructions
A container cannot simply be dropped at any depot: the owner must tell the depot which containers to expect. The return instruction (also called drop-off instruction, DOI, redelivery or off-hire notice) lists the container numbers, the depot and often a deadline. Lessors may charge a drop-off charge per container, especially in places where they already have too many boxes, and may refuse returns at depots not named in the lease.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Expired release: the haulier arrives after the expiry date. Keep the validity realistic and extend it before it lapses.
- Wrong boxes picked: the depot hands over containers of the wrong type or grade. Name the grade in the release, or release specific numbers.
- Typing errors in container numbers on the EIR: check the ISO 6346 check digit when you record the move (see Container numbers and ISO codes explained).
- Return to the wrong depot: always send the return instruction before the container comes back.
- No photos on return: request photos on the return instruction when damage is likely to be disputed.
How Krak Stack handles releases and returns
In Krak Stack, a release is created from the lease or the trading deal, with the depot, the source (stock or supplier), the quantity per type and grade or the container numbers, and an expiry date. It is sent to the depot as a PDF or by email; several releases of one deal can go to the depot in a single email. Recording the pickup on the release sets the gate-out date of each container, which starts its rental days. Returns are created the same way, with the option to request photos, and each drop-off sets the gate-in date. See Releases, pickups and returns and the Help Centre articles What is a release and how do I issue one? and Returns: drop-off instructions to a depot.
Frequently asked questions
What is a container release order?
The written instruction from the container owner (shipping line, lessor or trader) to a depot to hand over containers to the haulier who presents the release reference.
What does EIR stand for?
Equipment interchange receipt: the document signed when a container passes from one party to another, recording the date, the container number and its condition.
What is the difference between gate-in and gate-out?
Gate-out is the moment a container leaves a depot or terminal; gate-in is the moment it enters one. In a lease, gate-out starts the rental and gate-in ends it.
What is a DOI?
A drop-off instruction: the notice telling a depot which containers will be returned there, also called a return or redelivery instruction.
Why does a release expire?
So that the depot does not hold containers for a customer indefinitely, and so that the owner can release them to someone else if they are not collected.
Sources
- Krak Stack Help Centre, What is a release and how do I issue one?: https://krak-stack.com/support/releases-returns/releases
- Krak Stack Help Centre, Release from stock or from a supplier: https://krak-stack.com/support/releases-returns/release-sources
- Krak Stack Help Centre, Returns: drop-off instructions to a depot: https://krak-stack.com/support/releases-returns/returns