In this paper we describe and evaluate two methods underpinning a surveillance-based content management system, designed for monitoring and profiling freight-based vehicular traffic in a seaport environment. The `InSPeCT' system captures video footage of passing vehicles, and uses tailored optical character recognition (OCR) to index the footage according to vehicle license-plates and freight codes. The system provides advanced search techniques for the efficient retrieval of records, where each captured vehicle is profiled according to captured imagery and its associated interpretations. Underpinning this system is a method for detecting the boundaries of individual transits within sustained traffic flow. Considering it desirable to extend the indexing functionality of the system beyond OCR, a colour-based vehicle indexing approach is proposed and evaluated. All evaluations take place in the context of a system deployed in a busy national seaport.