By the SightShield team · · 3 min read
What warehouse CCTV is really for
In a warehouse, cameras earn their keep in three ways: deterring theft, showing what happened when stock goes missing, and settling disputes with customers and transporters about what was loaded. Planning around those three jobs gives a better system than simply spreading cameras across the ceiling.
Zones to cover
| Zone | Camera goal |
|---|---|
| Main gate and security cabin | Identify every vehicle and person entering and leaving |
| Loading and unloading bays | One camera per bay showing goods, pallet and vehicle together |
| Rack aisles | See who picks from which aisle; high-value aisles closer coverage |
| High-value cage or room | Clear view of the door and inside |
| Yard and parking | Wide views of vehicles and movement, day and night |
| Boundary wall | Detect climbing, with line-crossing alerts at night |
| Office and dispatch desk | Paperwork handover and cash, if any |
Camera choices for warehouses
- High ceilings: use cameras with varifocal or narrower lenses so aisles are seen in detail from 8–12 m up.
- Long aisles: bullet cameras looking down the aisle give better detail than domes looking straight down.
- Loading bays: wide-angle cameras with good WDR to handle the bright opening behind trucks.
- Yards: colour night-vision or smart-light cameras so vehicles and clothing colours are visible at night.
- Large sites: IP cameras with PoE switches and fibre between buildings, recorded on NVRs.
Example layout for a 20,000 sq ft warehouse
This is a starting point; rack heights, the number of bays and the site layout decide the final count.
| Zone | Cameras (typical) |
|---|---|
| Gate and security cabin | 2 — number plates and driver faces |
| Loading and unloading bays | 2 per bay — into the truck and along the dock |
| Aisles | 1 per long aisle, looking along it |
| High-value cage or store | 2 — door and inside |
| Office and dispatch desk | 1–2 |
| Yard and perimeter | 4–8 depending on fence length |
Settling dispatch disputes
The most valuable warehouse footage is often a single clip showing a pallet being loaded. Make it easy to find: name cameras clearly by bay number, keep accurate time on the recorder, and train dispatch staff to note the bay and time on the loading slip. With that, finding the clip takes a minute.
CCTV for warehouses and logistics →Lighting and night operations
Many warehouses run night shifts or have dark aisles. Cameras with good low-light performance, and adequate lighting in aisles and bays, make night footage usable. Avoid relying only on infrared in aisles — reflections off shrink-wrap and racks can wash out images. Colour night-vision cameras work well where some ambient light is available.
Recording and access
- Keep 30–90 days of recording, depending on how often stock is audited.
- Give the manager mobile access, but limit who can delete or export footage.
- Put the recorder in a locked room or cabinet with power backup.
- Use line-crossing alerts on the boundary and yard after working hours.
Keep it working
Warehouses are dusty, and forklifts knock cameras out of alignment. Regular cleaning, re-aiming and hard-disk checks under an AMC keep the system useful when you need it.
CCTV AMC →Quick answers
How many cameras does a warehouse need?+
A small 5,000 sq ft warehouse often needs 8–16 cameras; larger sites with several bays and a yard commonly need 32 or more. A site survey decides the final count.
Which camera is best for high warehouse ceilings?+
Bullet or turret cameras with varifocal lenses aimed down the aisles give the most useful detail from high mounting points.
Can CCTV prove what was loaded on a truck?+
Yes, if there is a camera covering each loading bay with an accurate clock and clear view of the pallet and vehicle.
Can cameras be mounted on racks?+
Cameras are usually mounted on building structure, not racks, because racks vibrate and get hit by forklifts.
Can the warehouse manager watch from home?+
Yes, through the app with restricted permissions.