Stopping Losses at Dispatch and Loading Bays with CCTV

Where the money leaks

In most factories and warehouses, the loading bay is where stock turns into a delivery and where losses are hardest to trace. Short loading, extra cartons slipped onto a vehicle, wrong items, damaged goods blamed on the warehouse, and disputes with customers weeks later over what was actually sent — all happen at the bay. Good camera coverage, linked to a few simple procedures, closes most of these gaps.

Camera positions that work

• One camera per bay door looking into the vehicle, so every carton loaded is visible.
• One camera per bay looking along the dock, capturing staff and pallets moving to the vehicle.
• Number-plate camera at the vehicle gate, for every truck in and out.
• Driver face capture at the gate or security cabin.
• Weighbridge display and platform, if you have one.
• Seal fitting point, showing the seal number being applied.
• Staging and packing areas where orders are assembled.

Link footage to documents

Footage is only useful if you can find the right clip quickly. Record the bay number and start and end times of loading against each invoice or delivery note; synchronise all cameras to the same accurate clock. When a customer reports a shortage, the team can jump straight to that vehicle’s loading in minutes rather than searching hours of video.

Some systems can overlay text from barcode scanners or POS terminals onto the video, or tag clips automatically when a vehicle number is recognised at the gate.

Procedures that cameras support

• Load only under camera view; no loading from unmonitored doors.
• Count cartons aloud or on a scanner within the camera’s view.
• Photograph or film the seal number before the vehicle leaves.
• Gate staff check the vehicle number and invoice against the dispatch list.
• Spot-check footage of random dispatches every week, not only after complaints.

Example: settling a shortage claim

This process takes minutes when footage and documents are linked, and turns arguments into evidence.

• A customer reports 10 cartons short on an invoice delivered last week.
• The dispatch team looks up the invoice’s bay and loading time.
• They jump to that clip and count cartons loaded under the camera.
• The seal-fitting clip shows the seal number applied.
• The gate clip shows the truck leaving with the seal intact.
• The footage is exported and shared with the customer and transporter.

Storage and retention

Shortage claims often arrive weeks later. Keep loading-bay cameras for at least 30 days, and longer — 60 to 90 days — where customers have long claim windows. Export and archive footage of any disputed dispatch as soon as a complaint arrives.

Night shifts and lighting

Many dispatches happen at night. Bays should be well lit, and cameras chosen for good low-light performance and wide dynamic range so the bright interior of a truck and the dark yard are both visible. SightShield installs IP camera systems only, from CP Plus, PRAMA, Honeywell and Hikvision, using models certified for sale in India, with a GST invoice and an annual maintenance contract.

Inbound goods too

The same approach works for incoming goods: unloading under camera view, counting at the receiving desk, and recording vehicle numbers at the gate. Disputes with suppliers over short deliveries are resolved the same way.

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