Warehouse security guide
Signs your warehouse is becoming a target
Thefts are usually planned. What to watch for at the fence, at the gate and on the phone, and what to do this week.
Most freight theft isn't random. Someone watches the site first, tests it with something small, and learns the routine. The signs are there, but they're easy to explain away one at a time.
Here's what to watch for, a quick checklist to see where your site stands, and what to do this week.
Outside your fence.
- The same car, more than once. Someone parked near the gate or the yard, sitting in the vehicle, on different days.
- Photos of your site. Someone taking pictures of the gate, the fence or the trailer rows.
- A cut or pushed fence. Small gaps, bent posts or tracks along the fence line.
- Lights out, cameras moved. A light that's out over the yard, or a camera pointing somewhere new.
- Trouble next door. Break-ins or thefts at the sites around you.
At your gate and docks.
- Paperwork that's almost right. A driver whose bill of lading, carrier name or truck number doesn't quite match your records.
- A pushy pickup. A truck that's early, late or at the wrong door, and wants to be loaded anyway.
- Seals that don't match. A seal number that's different from the paperwork, or a seal that's been touched.
- Trailers moved overnight. A trailer that isn't where it was left, or a door that's been opened.
- Small losses nobody explains. A pallet, a few cartons, fuel from a truck. Small losses are often a test.
On the phone and in your inbox.
- Questions about a pickup. Calls asking when a load is picking up, or which carrier is coming.
- Last-minute changes. An email changing the carrier or the pickup time at the last minute.
- Questions about your routine. Someone asking staff about shifts, alarms or when the yard is empty.
How many have you seen?
Tap every sign you've seen at your site in the last 90 days.
0/ 10
Tap the signs you've seen.
What to do this week.
- Check every truck at the gate. Driver, carrier and load against your records, before anything is loaded. A truck that doesn't match gets pulled over.
- Lock down pickup changes. Confirm any change by calling the carrier at a number you already have, never the one in the email.
- Walk the fence line. Fix gaps, bent posts and dark corners now.
- Fix the lights and cameras. Every light over the yard working, every camera pointed where it should be.
- Put nights on record. Patrols, trucks and visitors after hours, written down as they happen, so the next sign doesn't get missed.
- Get a second set of eyes. A Blind Spot Hunt walks your gate, yard and docks and writes down every gap.
Catch the signs early, on record.
With Galaxy, every truck, visitor and patrol at your site goes on record, so small signs show up before they become a loss. You watch it live from your phone or laptop.
- 7:00 AM Night summary In your inbox
- 11:05 PM Truck out Matches the approved trailer On its way
- 10:40 PM Visitor Signed out
- 10:12 PM Truck in Doesn't match your records Pulled over
- 9:58 PM Visitor Signed in
- 9:41 PM Truck in Matches your records Let in
Trucks logged in
Checked against the records you give us. Matches go in. The rest get pulled over.
Visitors signed in and out
You know who is on site, and when they left.
Live, any time
Watch it as it happens, from your phone or laptop.
A morning summary
The night, in your inbox before your first meeting.
Incidents on record
Written up and locked, ready for your insurer.
The owner on the line
A direct line to the owner. Not a call center.
Questions managers ask.
What is a fictitious pickup?
A thief poses as a real carrier, with fake or borrowed paperwork, and drives off with a load. The way to stop it is to check every driver and load against your records at the gate, and to confirm any pickup change by calling the carrier at a number you already have.
When does a warehouse need security guards?
When trucks pick up loads at your gate, when freight moves at night or on weekends, or when you start seeing the signs on this page. Cameras record a theft. An officer at the gate can stop it.
Do break-ins nearby mean my site is next?
Not always, but it's a reason to walk your own fence line, check your lights and cameras, and tighten the gate this week.
What should I do right after a theft?
Call the police and your insurer, save the camera footage, and write down who, what and when while it's fresh. Then find the gap it came through and close it before the next shift.
What is a Blind Spot Hunt?
A free walk of your gate, yard and docks with Galaxy. You keep a written Blind Spot Report: every blind spot, the top three fixes and draft post orders, even if you never hire us.
Show us your operation.
We'll walk it with you, hunt down every blind spot and show you what you'd see live.
- Every blind spot, handoff by handoff
- Ready to hand to your boss, a customer or your insurer
- Yours to keep, even if you never hire us
- Prefer to pick a time?Book on our calendar
- Rather talk now?Call (888) 304-2529
Galaxy takes on a limited number of new clients at a time. Each site needs vetting and site-specific training.
Logistics + manufacturing security · PPO #120873
Not ready to talk? Score your site first.
Ten questions, two minutes. See where your gate, yard, docks, seals and nights stand, handoff by handoff. No call needed.
Take the Gate Scorecard- GateOn record
- YardPartly
- DockPartly
- SealSlipping
- After hoursPartly