Carriers, manufacturers, and truck drivers are all coming to terms with the heightened risk of theft and new methods of larceny targeting their shipments. The prevalence of organized crime rings, gangs, and rogue individuals willing to exploit and steal from their communities is thriving. If you operate a carrier business, into manufacturing, or drive a truck, you need to know how these criminals target these groups.
Crimes targeting goods transported by trucks or stored in warehouses are rising. Here’s what you need to know about this threat and best practices for mitigating risk exposure.
What is Cargo Theft?
As goods move through the global supply chain, cargo theft is the unlawful taking of any shipment. Creativity-driven theft gangs expose the goods in transit between their point of origin and their destination to exploitation. For producers, suppliers, terminal operators, third-party logistics service providers, and logistics & transportation service providers, this poses a unique and challenging problem. The ownership, destination, or contents of a cargo shipment may be changed. This could also include physical theft, cyber theft, or document fraud.
Global Cargo Theft Trends
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to pose serious security, continuity, and resilience challenges to global supply chains throughout 2021. Although its effects appear to wane in early 2022, they still have a sizeable worldwide impact today. A lot of the issues that BSI, TT Club, and TAPA EMEA monitored throughout 2021 set the stage for continued risk to supply chain security in 2022. Still, new difficulties and dangers are also likely to be significant factors. One such example is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which is currently disrupting many industries and may have various long-term effects. We discuss the new risks we expect in the following months and years and the cargo security issues that affected supply chains in 2021. As we reflected on 2021, BSI, TT Club, and TAPA EMEA found five major themes:
- A considerable rise in idle times was brought on by year-round port congestion.
- Insider theft risks are on the rise.
- The dangers associated with suppliers using more digital methods.
- Consequences of a sudden need to relocate suppliers and things to remember while doing that process.
- Railway stations and trains have become a growing supply chain weakness, notably in the Los Angeles region of the United States.
How to Prevent Cargo Theft
Cargo theft is a global issue that affects both consumers and businesses. Since cargo theft affects every sector of the economy, every region of the nation, and all forms of transportation, companies must take all necessary precautions to stop thefts. There are several steps that businesses can take to increase their chances of preventing cargo theft. Simple, low-tech padlocks on trailer doors or high-tech gadgets to track down stolen trucks can dissuade theft.
- Think about using technology to help you increase supply chain transparency.
- Because a significant portion of cargo theft involves insider information, adequately screening potential hires may help to improve cargo security.
- Choose your transportation partners and intermediaries wisely because they are responsible for keeping items safe once they leave your premises until they arrive at their destination.
- Conduct regular security audits and verify that the organization is adhering to security procedures. Instead of responding to criminals’ actions, anticipate them.
- Since cargo thefts can be planned and opportunistic, it is advisable to take in-transit security into account while choosing a shipment’s route.
- Keep an eye out for areas where cargo theft is most common and evaluate supply chain threats. Keep trucks locked and in a well-lit, secure place, for instance, when parked. Even when parked, drivers need to remain mindful of their surroundings.
- You can keep up with the most recent cargo theft trends by allying with law enforcement agencies and other businesses.
- Make sure a security culture is established inside the business. Employees should receive security training, and truck drivers should be aware of hijacking and other such circumstances.
Conclusion
Cargo theft is a growing problem that has the potential to impact the overall market severely. To help reduce these impacts, it is essential to understand the types of threats occurring and the best practices for mitigating risk exposure. With a better understanding of these threats, carriers, manufacturers, and truck drivers can take steps to reduce their risk of theft and become more resilient to any incidents that may occur.
TMS-Digital provides logistics and transportation companies with telematics, data, and security solutions. Our products are designed to help prevent cargo theft, improve driver safety, and cut transportation costs. TMS Digital’s security system allows truckers to track their cargo in real-time, access vital shipment data, and receive alerts about dangerous situations on the road. The company’s products are integrated with the major truck manufacturers’ telematics systems, allowing truckers to use a single device for all of their company’s business functions.
Contact TMS-Digital today to get a free consultation and secure your company from cargo theft and other cyber threats.
