What does a security guard do at a warehouse?

The gate is the record

Cargo theft is patient and organized: drivers are impersonated, seals are studied, yards are tested on weekends. The gate officer is the site’s first control. Every inbound driver’s credentials and paperwork are checked against the appointment; every outbound load is verified; trailer and seal numbers are logged in and out; visitors and contractors are signed in and directed; anyone not expected waits for the shipping office. The log reconciles against the office’s records, which is how a missing trailer is noticed on the day rather than at inventory.

The yard is the patrol

After the office closes, the post moves to the yard. The officer, on foot or in a vehicle depending on the size, walks the trailer rows checking seals and doors, checks the fence line and every gate, checks fuel tanks and equipment cages, looks at the dock face and the doors, notes lighting that is out, and speaks with anyone on the property who should not be. Rounds vary so they cannot be timed, and each is logged. Where the site has cameras, the officer watches them from the gatehouse between rounds.

Shift change

On a multi-shift operation the gate is busiest at shift change, when hundreds of people pass in both directions. The gate post is staffed through it, and the handover to the next officer is timed so the gate is never uncovered. The daily report shows the times.

Fire watch in industrial buildings

Warehouses host welding and take sprinkler systems down for maintenance and expansion, and both call for a fire watch. Officers trained for it can cover the gate and the watch where the schedule allows, with the duties separated in the post orders, or a dedicated watch is staffed. The logistics hub covers each type of facility, and the warehouse security article goes through gates, yards and shift change in detail.