Truck-yard monitoring: stopping trailer theft before the tractor leaves the gate

Cargo theft in Southern California is organized: a bobtail arrives after hours, backs under a loaded trailer, and leaves through a gate that was tailgated or simply opened. By the time the morning dispatcher notices, the trailer is in another county.

The defense is layered. At the gate: LPR on every lane, appointment matching, tailgating detection and a live operator who challenges unscheduled tractors before they are inside. In the rows: vehicle-dwell rules that flag a tractor stopping where it has no appointment, with lights off, at 2 a.m. On the fence: thermal cameras on the dark stretches where people cross.

The decisive moment is the dwell alert. When the operator sees a bobtail backing toward a trailer, a live audio warning naming the vehicle usually ends it — the driver knows the plate is recorded. Response is dispatched regardless, and the plate is forwarded for the police report.

Yards with no power at the back use solar camera towers with LTE; they can be placed within days and moved as the yard changes.