Every load you log through WasteBolt Gate goes on a short journey before it reaches Defra. Knowing where each step happens — and which ones you’ve automated — is the difference between a workflow you trust and one that surprises you.

What Gate Does (and Doesn’t) Do

The key point: logging a load in Gate does not create a Waste Transfer Note. It creates a record in Flagged For Review. That record only becomes a WTN when you — or an automation you’ve switched on — turns it into one.

This is true however the load arrives:

  • Log New Transfer and Gate Hot Picks
  • Import from CSV and weighbridge feeds (including WasteBolt Gatehouse)
  • Bolt Upload — scanning a paper document with AI

A record in Flagged For Review isn’t a compliance document yet. It isn’t in Waste Movements, and it can’t be sent to Defra. You can edit it, delete it, or leave it for as long as you need.

The Journey From Load to Defra

How a Gate load becomes a WTN and reaches Defra A logged load always goes to Flagged For Review. It becomes a WTN when you press Create or when daily Auto Processing runs, or straight away if Auto-Create WTNs is on and the load passes every check. A WTN reaches Defra when you press Submit on the DWT page or when daily DWT Auto Submit runs. A Load logged Gate, Hot Picks, CSV or Bolt scan always Flagged For Review Not a WTN yet B WTN created In Waste Movements and the DWT page C Sent to Defra Digital Waste Tracking A Auto-Create WTNs — loads that pass every check skip review and become a WTN straight away B You press Create in Flagged For Review — or daily Auto Processing does it for ready records C You press Submit on the DWT page — or daily DWT Auto Submit sends fully ready WTNs

Each lettered step can be done by a person or by an automation. Everything is manual until you switch an automation on.

The Three Automations

Automation Where to find it What it does When it runs
Auto-Create WTNs Work Flows → Gate (also Gate Settings) Loads that pass every check skip Flagged For Review and become a WTN straight away. A second option does the same for loads where you aren’t the receiver. The moment a load is logged
Auto Processing Work Flows → Gate → Flagged For Review Auto Processing Looks through Flagged For Review and turns every ready record into a WTN. Anything not ready stays put, with the reason. Once a day at your chosen time, or when you press Run Now
DWT Auto Submit Work Flows → DWT Auto Submit Sends WTNs that pass every DWT check to Defra, using your site’s own API code. Once a day at your chosen time, or when you press Run Now

A few things are always true, whatever you switch on:

  • Only fully ready records are automated. A record with any warning or error is always left for a person to check — automations never guess at missing details.
  • Bolt Upload scans always need a person. Records Bolt reads from a photo or scan of a paper document always land in Flagged For Review, and neither Auto-Create WTNs nor Auto Processing will turn them into WTNs — someone has to check what the AI read first. CSV imports aren’t held back: if a CSV record is ready, it’s ready.
  • Loads where you aren’t the receiver never go to Defra from your account. Only the receiving site reports a waste receipt, so those WTNs are marked DWT not required.
  • One setting per company. These settings belong to the whole account — if one admin changes the run time, it changes for everyone. Secondary admins can manage them; drivers can’t.

Pick the Setup That Suits Your Site

Three common setups and which automations each one uses Review everything: all three automations off. Review, then auto-send: only DWT Auto Submit on. Fully automatic: Auto-Create WTNs, Auto Processing and DWT Auto Submit all on. Review everything Auto-Create WTNs Auto Processing DWT Auto Submit BEST FOR New sites, or where every load needs a second look Review, then auto-send Auto-Create WTNs Auto Processing DWT Auto Submit BEST FOR Checking every load, without submitting each one by hand Fully automatic Auto-Create WTNs Auto Processing DWT Auto Submit BEST FOR Complete, trusted weighbridge data — no one checks loads first

1. Review everything (all automations off)

Every load waits in Flagged For Review until someone presses Create, and every WTN waits on the DWT page until someone presses Submit. Nothing reaches Defra without two deliberate clicks.

Choose this if you’re new to WasteBolt, your gatehouse data is often incomplete, or your process requires a second pair of eyes on every load.

2. Review, then auto-send (DWT Auto Submit only)

Someone still checks each load in Flagged For Review and presses Create — so the customer, waste and weight are confirmed by a person. After that, DWT Auto Submit sends the finished WTNs to Defra each day, so nobody has to remember to submit.

Choose this if you want a human check on every load, but don’t want Defra submission to be a daily chore. This is the setup we’d recommend for most sites.

3. Fully automatic (all three on)

Loads that pass every check become WTNs straight away and go to Defra at your DWT Auto Submit time — with nobody looking at them first. Only loads with missing details or warnings stop in Flagged For Review.

Choose this if your data comes from a weighbridge or a well-trained gatehouse team and is consistently complete and accurate.

Worth knowing: automations check that a record is complete, not that it’s correct. If a driver picks the wrong customer or keys in the wrong weight, the record can still pass every check. With everything automatic, that mistake goes to Defra. If that worries you, use setup 2.

You can mix and match — for example, Auto Processing on its own (daily WTN creation, manual Defra submission) is also a valid setup.

Signs Your Setup Needs a Look

  • “My load disappeared from Flagged For Review.” Auto-Create WTNs or Auto Processing is on and turned it into a WTN — look in Waste Movements.
  • “Loads sit in Flagged For Review for days.” Auto Processing is off, or those records aren’t ready — open the DWT Readiness badge to see what’s missing. The run report email lists the reason for every record it leaves behind.
  • “WTNs aren’t reaching Defra.” DWT Auto Submit is off, or the WTN has a warning on the DWT page, or you aren’t the receiver on that load. See DWT Auto Submit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Gate Hot Picks skip Flagged For Review?

No. A Hot Pick is logged exactly like Log New Transfer: it goes to Flagged For Review, unless Auto-Create WTNs is on and the load passes every check.

Can a load reach Defra without anyone seeing it?

Only if you’ve switched on both Auto-Create WTNs (or Auto Processing) and DWT Auto Submit. With either one off, a person is involved at some point.

Do the automations run at the same time?

No — Auto Processing and DWT Auto Submit each have their own daily time. If you use both, set Auto Processing earlier in the day so its WTNs are ready when DWT Auto Submit runs. Times are in UTC (UK time is UTC in winter, UTC+1 in summer).

Will I know what the automations did?

Yes. Both have a Recent runs list in Work Flows, and both can email a report after each run showing what was created or submitted, what was left behind and why.

What’s Next